Count the Hours!

source: Count the Hours!

Count the Hours!

Although described as film noir, this average crime movie lacks the biting dialogue, intriguing plot development and menacing atmosphere of more acclaimed and competent films in this category. The plot has been outlined well enough in other reviews here and evaluation of performances are referred to. But really, this is very much a B grade movie with neither plot or characterisation memorable in any positive way. But the musical score, especially when the murder suspect (Jack Elam) is being chased at night by law authorities is as way over the top as any musical score you will ever hear. Ludicrously resembling the cry of a banshee or demented psychopath superimposed on the actual musical score, the movie is well worth viewing just for the laughs this music will engender. Really remarkable!!

Count the Hours is a dull film, in plot and execution, though somewhat endearing. The lead played by Macdonald Carey's rather unfocused, not worthy of the spotlight. Alternatively, you have Teresa Wright not being used effectively, as she has so much more range to offer. Verne getting off for insanity was a positive surprise that gave hope that there would be some sort of twist. That he wouldn't just be the killer, because that outcome's really no outcome, but it was. The bartender being the one that breaks it, just because they didn't ask him specific questions was weak.

Teresa Wright is an actress whose performances I almost always enjoy, although here she was past her prime as an actress. Nevertheless, I enjoyed her acting here. This is a pretty decent B picture. In addition to the starring role of Teresa Wright, there's also MacDonald Carey as a lawyer. The story is simple. A farmer is murdered, and the fruit picker living in a shack next door is accused of the murder. His wife, Teresa Wright knows he is innocent, but she throws his gun in a lake out of panic, and the case may hinge on that. There are several scenes here that are just plain "cheap", and that is the blame of director Don Siegel, who also directed the original "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers". Of course, Sigel also went on to direct "Dirty Harry". Additionally, the supporting actors here are second rate. His background music is very inappropriate. Overall, it's a decent B film. Nothing to write home about.

Director Don Siegel's Cynicism is on full Display in this Underseen Minor Work that fits in the Film-Noir Category quite Firmly. Siegel once Again Displays some of the Seedier aspects of the Human Condition. Quick on the Trigger Law Enforcement, an Attorney who has a Dual Nature willing to Help the Helpless but Not Adverse to Seducing an Unwilling and slightly Dim Female, and a Court System with some Serious Flaws. Director of Photography John Alton Adds much Atmosphere to the limited Budget, and Jack Elam is a Standout mentally Disturbed Criminal. The much Hated Theremin inclusions are Misplaced but can be Ignored because of the better Touches used by Siegel, Alton, and a good Trio of Actors, MacDonald Carey, Theresa Wright, and Jack Elam. The other Actors Strain for Credibility. Overall, a Minor Film-Noir but Worth a Watch for sure. It's Odd enough and Tense throughout thanks to the Creative Hands of Siegel and Alton.

Surprisingly interesting story for a B picture from the early fifties - this could have been made as a major feature if it was given a bigger budget and a director worthy of its plot developments. Sincere performances by Teresa Wright and McDonald Cary are well above the average but director Don Siegel is just not the right man for the job. The story by Doane Hoag has all the right twists and turns and holds the interest but needed more attention to detail and less clichéd handling. The music score was certainly different but seemed to have been lifted from a Si-Fi -'body snatcher' type movie. If looking for a 50s time passer (with undeveloped possibilities) this is still worth a look. Prolific and inventive Award winning Hungarian cinematographer John Alton shows terrific flair for B/W photography and lighting - lifting this little crime meller to above average standards. The ending is typical of the era - but, still better than many other average B pictures.

A lawyer defends a migrant worker falsely accused of two murders. What is interesting, first of all, is how the defendant is described as a "migrant worker". That is not incorrect, but I think perhaps the connotation in 1953 is different than in 2017, because now the term would almost exclusively be referring to a Latino employee. In fact, the United Nations defines a migrant worker as "a person who is engaged or has been engaged in a remunerated activity in a State of which he or she is not a national." This, more often than not, would be Mexican farmhands in the case of the United States. Anyway, the film is quite good. I don't know if it was a feature or a B-movie, as it does give the impression of not having big names attached and perhaps a smaller budget. But for entertainment purposes and a but of suspense, it does the job. In retrospect, it also serves as a great example of early work from director Don Siegel.

A minor noir classic. Superbly photographed with some good performances and an unusual score by Louis Forbes featuring excessive use of a haunting Theramin and a wonderful dream-like sequence in the courtroom where he uses a repeated piano motif in a modern, almost ambient style. Watch out for the continuity error at the end. The accused, Max Vern (Jack Elam), returns to his home in a fit of rage. Notice that he is walking towards a lone house (in long shot) which looks strangely familiar. Why it's the same house that he (the killer) is seen walking towards in the very first shot of the movie where the farmer and his housekeeper are killed! Confusing huh? Director Don Siegel may have been trying to make a subliminal point here but I guess the truth is that due to budget restrictions he liked the location so much he used it twice.

MacDonald Carey stars as a public defender taking on the case of a migrant farm worker accused of killing his employer in this unusual RKO production. Directed stylishly by Don Siegel and marvelously photographed by the great John Alton, whose penchant for deep, angular shots is on display throughout, Count the Hours has plenty of the ingredients you'd expect a noir classic to feature. Sadly, it's let down by a drab screenplay by Karen Dewolf and a dull, Lon Chaney Jr.-style performance by John Craven as the falsely accused handy man. The film also suffers from a Louis Forbes score that features an overdone theremin theme whenever the real villain appears on the screen. Count the Hours looks great and also features good performances by Teresa Wright (in a role that seems tailor made for Patricia Neal) and Jack Elam, but on balance, it remains a frustrating though watchable failure.