The script is taut and intelligent, complete with some deliciously acerbic humour that gels with the vast amount of tension like fruity wine and cheese. John Farrow directs more than efficiency with a strong feel for momentum and atmosphere. Especially the darkly noir-ish lighting and photography that not only suits the atmosphere perfectly it actually enhances it. There is plenty to Milland's to allow us to care for what happens to him.įurthermore, 'The Big Clock' looks great. The characters are well written and some of them eccentric, notably Lanchester's.
Chills also come from the omnipresence of the clock. Best of all is a chillingly neurotic Laughton. Likewise with Morgan being seldom this menacing. O'Sullivan is a strong presence as is Johnson, while Lanchester was seldom this hilarious. Milland has the right amount of intensity and charm for a role that suits him so well and plays to his strengths, one of his best performances from this period. Such as with the body, the lead character's involvement with Rita Johnson's character and how quickly a few of the clues are found.Įverything else is truly fabulous. It is a slow starter, well slightly, and not everything rings true in the plot. The acting and the atmosphere being two of the biggest pluses, and it delivers hugely on the entertainment value and suspense as well which means that it more than delivers on what is needed to make a film of this type work. While not one of my favourite films or one of my favourites of the genre, and it falls short of masterpiece status, 'The Big Clock' is an excellent film in many respects. The story sounded so engrossing too and of course the positive reviews always help.Ī critical reception that 'The Big Clock' more than richly deserves. Hard to go wrong with Ray Milland, Charles Laughton, George Macready, Harry Morgan, Maureen O'Sullivan and Elsa Lanchester and 'The Big Clock' is the sort of film that would see all fitting beautifully within it. The cast is an immensely talented one and the roles they're cast in sounded perfect for them. 'The Big Clock' is exactly my kind of film, love crime, love thriller, love films with noir-ish qualities. Reviewed by TheLittleSongbird 8 / 10 Night of the hunter This is definitely one you'll want to check out if you're a fan of film noir or thrillers from the '40s. Both the remake and this original have wonderful (and completely different) endings. Thankfully it isn't a direct copy but a reworking of the original story.
#Film the big clock movie
It was remade in 1987 as No Way Out, which isn't a bad movie itself. Director John Farrow was also her husband at the time so I'm sure that had something to do with her returning to the screen.Ī tightly paced film with a great script. This was Maureen O'Sullivan's first movie in five years and her first non-Tarzan movie in seven. Harry Morgan appears in an early role as a "problem solver" for Laughton. Elsa Lanchester has a small but amusing part that she makes the most of. Rita Johnson is fantastic as Laughton's mistress. George Macready plays Laughton's crony and partner-in-crime. Ray Milland is great but it's scenery-chewing Charles Laughton that is the most memorable part of this movie. Taut thriller about a crime magazine editor (Ray Milland) trying to stay one step ahead of being framed for murder by his tyrannical boss (Charles Laughton). Reviewed by utgard14 8 / 10 "Where are the green clocks of yesteryear?" It's up to George to continue to "help" Janoth, to elude the police and to find proof of his innocence and Janoth's guilt.-Ron Kerrigan That man is a close associate on his magazine whom he enlists to trap this "killer" - George Stroud. When powerful publishing tycoon Earl Janoth commits an act of murder at the height of passion, he cleverly begins to cover his tracks and frame an innocent man whose identity he doesn't know, but who just happens to have contact with the murder victim.
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