Director, producer, and screenplay: ANDREW STONE. Director of photography: Fred Jackman, Jr. Sound: Theron Triplett. Music score: Lucien Cailliet. Song: "Every Now and Then" by Virginia Stone. Assistant director: Melville Shyer. Film editor: Virginia Stone. Narrated by William Woodson.
Copyright 1955 by Andrew L. Stone Productions. Released by Columbia Pictures Corp. New York opening as a support to Footsteps in the Fog at Loew's neighborhood cinemas: 14 September 1955. U.S. release: September 1955. U.K. release: 17 October 1955. Australian release: 2 February 1956. 85 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Returning to his desert home in Lancaster, California, Gene Courtier picks up a young hitch-hiker, Victor Gosset, who pulls a gun on him and is soon joined by two other criminals: the psychopathic leader of the bunch, Robert Batsford, and the gentler Luther Logan. The three men hold Courtier, his wife Doris, and their two small children hostage. The family spends a terrified night but believes that the nightmare will end in the morning when Courtier sells his car for the cash the men seek. But in the morning, Batsford announces a new plan and holds Courtier for ransom.
NOTES: The film combines incidents concerning the 1953 Gene Courtier kidnapping case and the 1954 Leonard Moskowitz kidnapping cases.
COMMENT: Quickly assembled by writer/producer/director Andrew Stone to cash in on The Desperate Hours (and actually completed and released before that film), this is still a gripping and very tautly constructed thriller, allegedly based on an actual incident and filmed entirely in the actual locations. Given the disadvantages of filming on the actual spot, cinematographer Fred Jackman Jr has achieved a remarkably high standard of photography. The performers were all virtually unknown when this film was released (except for Hale). Performances are excellent throughout. We particularly like David Cross' portrayal of the unwilling accomplice.
Copyright 1955 by Andrew L. Stone Productions. Released by Columbia Pictures Corp. New York opening as a support to Footsteps in the Fog at Loew's neighborhood cinemas: 14 September 1955. U.S. release: September 1955. U.K. release: 17 October 1955. Australian release: 2 February 1956. 85 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Returning to his desert home in Lancaster, California, Gene Courtier picks up a young hitch-hiker, Victor Gosset, who pulls a gun on him and is soon joined by two other criminals: the psychopathic leader of the bunch, Robert Batsford, and the gentler Luther Logan. The three men hold Courtier, his wife Doris, and their two small children hostage. The family spends a terrified night but believes that the nightmare will end in the morning when Courtier sells his car for the cash the men seek. But in the morning, Batsford announces a new plan and holds Courtier for ransom.
NOTES: The film combines incidents concerning the 1953 Gene Courtier kidnapping case and the 1954 Leonard Moskowitz kidnapping cases.
COMMENT: Quickly assembled by writer/producer/director Andrew Stone to cash in on The Desperate Hours (and actually completed and released before that film), this is still a gripping and very tautly constructed thriller, allegedly based on an actual incident and filmed entirely in the actual locations. Given the disadvantages of filming on the actual spot, cinematographer Fred Jackman Jr has achieved a remarkably high standard of photography. The performers were all virtually unknown when this film was released (except for Hale). Performances are excellent throughout. We particularly like David Cross' portrayal of the unwilling accomplice.