The Desperate Hours

Films/DVD Asylum

Movies from comedy to drama to your favorite Hollyweird Star.

1955 films starring my favorite actor, Humphrey Bogart. This was his second to last film. He would be dead two years later. While he looks a little worn, a little more cragly, he had the same ability to command a scene as he did earlier in his career.
This film is also notable for being the first film he played a genuine bad guy. He plays Glenn Griffin, who has escaped from prison with his brother Hal Griffen, played by Dewey Martin, and Kobish, played by Robert Middleton. On the lam, they enter a middle class suburban neighborhood, looking much like Beaver Cleaver's neighborhood, to hide while Bogart's gal brings them need money to escape.
They come upon the Hilliard household, being typical of the times, is run by the father, played by Fredric March. The film largely takes place in the household, as March tries hard to protect his family, while at the same plot a way of escape. There is a scene between the police and March towards the end of film that lays the groundwork for what is to be followed. March has one interest, the police another. There are very few scenes in films in which I think to myself that the actor(s) perfectly acted the scene, and the screenwriter perfectly wrote the scene, and the director perfectly directed the scene. This was a scene that was perfectly written, perfectly acted, and perfectly directed. I instantly placed myself in March's position, and thoughts of how I would have handled the situation came rushing through my head. While I have imagined myself as a quick draw, and as traveling through space, I can not recall being so involved in such a simple scene, and one from 1955 to boot. I was not merely watching, but felt as though I had an interest.
Of course, the attraction of the film is the way that March and Bogart, both great actors, play their respective chess roles during the course of the film. As in a great chess match, you see what they are doing, admire their skills, but not sure what is going on in their head, or what they will do next. As things go wrong, Bogart must improvise, which then causes March to improvise. Fun.
That most of the scenes contain both actors makes the film engrossing. The screenplay provides plenty of room for both actors to take us to the edge of a catastrophe, then bring us back to normalcy, only the begin the ride again a few scenes later. The screenplay gives nothing away.
How the police finally determine where Bogart and is gang are holding up was also well played, and one of those moments where it was obvious after the fact, not so before. By the end of the film, the viewers has no idea what the end has in store for us.
I highly recommend the film for anyone interested in Bogart. For anyone interested in suspence, particularly those created by a situation rather than effects, bangs, booms, etc. The D.V.D. contains no extra material, which is a shame. It seems like unless the film is a major historical film, I am seeing fewer and fewer extras. Given this was Bogart's second to last film, and he was one of Hollywood's greatest, I would have thought it appropriate. In any event, a very worthwhile film.

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Topic - The Desperate Hours - jamesgarvin 08:33:00 10/23/06 (1)

Re: The Desperate Hours - rico 09:53:38 10/23/06 (0)

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