COUNT THE HOURS

US, 1953, 75 minutes, Black and white.
Teresa Wright, Macdonald Carey, Dolores Moran, Adele Mara, John Craven, Jack Elam.
Directed by Don Siegel.

In the late 1940s and to the mid-1950s, later celebrated director, Don Siegel, directed a number of routine and genre films. This is one. However, in 1956 he directed Invasion of the Body Snatchers and moved up in status. This continued during the late 1960s and into the early 1970s with such films as Madigan, Coogan’s Bluff, The Beguiled, Dirty Harry. He made a number of films with Clint Eastwood.

This material is what would now be the episode of a television series. However, it was a program filler film and had a strong cast. It is stylishly photographed by John Alton.

An innocent man confesses to a murder to save harassment from his wife. He is only moments away from execution when the murder mystery is solved. Teresa Wright is the wife, John Craven the husband. Macdonald Carey gives a solid performance as the lawyer who defends him. Dolores Moran is his fiancée, Adele Mara is the slatternly girlfriend of the insane murderer, Jack Elam.

1.A B-budget film of the 1950s? The cast? The early work of Don Siegel?

2.The location, the town, the black and white photography? Atmospheric? The courtroom scenes? The musical score – and the theremin music for the killer?

3.The title, the reference to capital punishment, the execution? The stay of execution just in time?

4.The initial robbery and murder, the killer out of frame? The angles, creating an atmosphere? The deaths, the housekeeper and her running to the lawn? The arrival of the nephew? George and his not seeing the body on the lawn? Going into the house, the discovery of the robbery and murder? Suspicion immediately on George?

5.George, his background, itinerant worker? His relationship with his wife? Her pregnancy? His being an easy target? Lying about the gun, the decision to tell the truth, Ellen concealing the gun and holding it, throwing it in the lake? The consequences?

6.George, the interrogations? The harassing of Ellen? His deciding to confess to save her? The reporters, the newspapers? The district attorney? His asking Doug Madison to take the case?

7.Doug Madison, his reputation, his doing a favour for the attorney? Visiting George, the discussions, laying down his principles? Going to see Ellen, persuaded that she was telling the truth? Finding her searching for the gun in the lake? His conduct of the case, the overwhelming evidence, the nephew and his grandstanding and laughing on the stand? The reaction of the judge?

8.His paying the expert to find the gun, his failure? Driving in and out of town, spreading scandal about Ellen? His attack on Ellen and Doug rescuing her? His idea for the competition, the kids finding the gun, the ballistics, the rusting and inability to help with the prosecution? The close-up of the hat and the suggestion that Max Verne was there?

9.Time passing, the appeals? The doctor and his kindliness, taking Ellen on as housekeeper? The nephew wanting her out of the house? The brick through the store window and urging her to get out of town?

10.Doug, his relationship with Paula, her wealth? Her antipathy towards the case, sympathy towards Ellen? Doug and his commitment, her standing back, breaking the engagement?

11.Gracie, Verne’s girlfriend, Doug’s visiting her? His persuasiveness, her telling the story about Verne, the money, the dresses, the earrings? His later return, desperately trying to persuade her to say where Verne was? Her character, callous, not caring about George?

12.Verne, his confession, the arrest? In court, the psychiatrist’s testimony? His madness? His being freed, the confrontation with Gracie? The bartender, his comments about the time of Verne’s boasting about the deaths, the pursuit of Verne, his attack on Gracie, his arrest? The apology of the district attorney?

13.George, the time passing, Ellen’s visits, her dependence on Doug? The seeming failure, the approach of the execution? The news, the happy reunion?

14.A satisfactory small-budget crime thriller, made with visual style?