The Desperate Hours

directed by William Wyler
List(s):"Movie One"
Category: "Suspense"
Year of Release:1955
Date Added:01/17/2015
Date Watched:09/07/2021
Description:Three fugitive criminals, led by Glenn Griffin (Humphrey Bogart) take a middle-class family hostage in their home while waiting for the money they need to escape. Father Daniel Hilliard (Fredric March) tries to figure out a way out of the situation while keeping his wife, daughter, and young son safe. He not only has to contend with the criminals but with his family's attempts to summon the police and their suspicion that he's a coward. One of the criminals, unhappy with being stuck in one place, takes off and gets killed. Daniel is sent out to get the money for Griffin and meets the cops who figured out what was going on from the daughter's boyfriend. Daniel returns with an empty gun which Griffin finds. He thinks it gives him an edge, not realizing it's empty. Daniel manages to shove the third criminal outside where he is killed. Griffin tries to shoot Daniel. When the gun doesn't go off, he realizes he's finished. He goes outside and shows the gun so the police kill him.
My Rating:7

Reviews for The Desperate Hours

Review - Desperate Hours, The

Done in the '50s as it was, the movie could only hint vaguely at some things—like whether the criminals would mess with the attractive daughter. And it took me a while to get into it, but the second half was suspenseful and Frederic March stole the movie as the husband and father who had to find a way to save his family.

Reviewed by Roger on 2021-09-07 16:07:37

Back to the list