Big Clock, The

Possible spoilers. A month or so ago I revisited one of my favorite films I hadn’t seen in a while. “No Way Out” starred Kevin Costner as a naval officer stationed at the Pentagon who falls in love with a woman who just so happens to be the mistress of his boss, the Secretary of Defense. I learned that the film is actually an update of this movie based on Kenneth Fearing’s book of the same title. There are naturally a lot of cultural differences between the 2 films, made 40 years apart. First and foremost is a lack of sexual context although it is certainly implied.In “The Big Clock” Ray Milland is the protagonist George Stroud. He is a reporter and editor of a publication called “Crimeways” which is part of a publishing empire (think Time-Life) headed by a grouchy cad named Earl Janoth (Charles Laughton). The film is directed by John Farrow whose real wife Maureen O’Sullivan (parents of actress Mia Farrow) plays Georgette Stroud. Georgette and George have a long planned honeymoon/vacation planned for, ahem, West Virginia.On his last day before George leaves, he’s running late at the office. Georgette waiting for him at the train station until the last minute, leaves without him. With a big story afoot, Janoth insists George delay his vacation to deal with it. George refuses and quits hoping he can get another job that pays $30K a year. Yeah, I looked it up. That’s over 300K in today’s inflated dollars.With no way to contact his wife and no train until the next day, George goes to his local bar to have a Stinger (Cognac and Crème de Menthe) or two. There he meets Pauline York (Rita Johnson) who is evidently seeking him out. She has a story to tell. They hit it off, stimulated by more Stingers they go looking for a green clock for reasons I don’t recall. In an antique store they run into an eccentric artist named Louise Patterson (Elsa Lanchester and Laughton’s real wife) who is trying to buy her own painting. George, pretty drunk, outbids her.The next thing we know, George is waking up, hung over at Pauline’s apartment. Remembering this is 1948, it appears there was no hanky-panky between the pair. In any case Pauline escorts George out the back door when the doorman lets her know a man is on his way up. George hides in the shadows and recognizes the man is Janoth. Janoth sees George as well but doesn’t recognize him due to the darkness.Stopping for a second. I had to gather myself and keep from trying to imagine the beautiful Pauline hooking up with the awful, unattractive Janoth. Fortunately we don’t have to endure any romance, but the pair get into an argument and when you see Janoth’s face start to quiver, things won’t go well for Ms. York.George doesn’t know what happened, so heads for exotic Wheeling to reconnect with Georgette and their son. George learns that Pauline has been murdered and Janoth wants him back to do the investigation for the magazine. He’s promised a 6-month vacation if he comes back to work. In normal circumstances he might not, but now George is a suspect based on evidence found in the apartment. The suspect is given a fictitious name since the crime hasn’t been directly linked to George. But there are witnesses regarding the evidence found and George and Pauline were seen together. So now, George has to play detective while proving his innocence and at the same time implicate Janoth who he suspects is the real killer.For ancient TV and film goers like me it’s always fun to check out other character actors who are just getting started. Actors like Harry/Henry Morgan who went on to “Mash” fame who plays a silent thug working for Janoth. Then there’s Richard Webb who starred in the TV show, “Captain Midnight” and TV’s first Lois Lane, Noel Neill. This is an excellent example of classic film noir including some amazing art deco sets. Milland is at his best as is character actor George Macready who plays Steve Hagen, Janoth’s right hand man. Recommended.

Excellent, high-spirited noir thriller directed by Mia Farrow's father, with Charles Laughton as a ruthless publishing magnate, Ray Milland in top form as Laughton's ace reporter. There are many touches of sly humor, most of them provided by Elsa Lanchester, who plays an off-beat painter with children from four different husbands. Her portrait of the killer resembles Picasso's bulbous period, and baffles Laughton et. al. "I think I've captured his personality, smug, self-satisfied..."There are intentional references to other movies: Milland forgetting the time in the tavern with Pauline York. that is "The Lost Weekend."The corridor outside York's apartment is the corridor outside Walter Neff's apartment in Double indemnity.Both Paramount movies.

A solid example of studio-era Noir from Paramount, 1948. An overworked magazine editor (Ray Milland) refuses an assignment and quits his job because his wife (Maureen O'Hara) is ready to leave him due to his excess devotion to the job. But his boss (Charles Laughton) isn't having any of it, and goes so far as to set up a murder and frame him for it! Wonderful supporting cast includes George Macready, Dan Tobin, Rita Johnson, Richard Webb, and Laughton's wife Elsa Lancaster as an eccentric artist. Elements of corporate intrigue and satire (loosely based on Henry Luce's Time-Life empire) do not spoil the plot, which is essentially a detective story with Milland having to straighten things out to save his reputation. Fast-moving and definitely engaging, but not foundational to the genre. Still, well worth watching and for Noir fans, owning.

Was looking for a great B&W suspense, film noir movie and boy did I find it! This is well worth watching! Well scripted! I rented it for or Halloween Movie Night (we got this because we don't do scary movies, so suspense is the way we go) and we were all talking to the screen, deeply into the plot and plight of the main character. This is a fun ride! Highly recommend!

I've seen this movie multiple times. The first time or two, I was focused on the suspenseful if slightly implausible plot and on the superb cast. The last time or two, I was transfixed by the late 40s atmospherics: the clothes, the bar life -- how did anyone get a lick of work done after all the drinking at lunch? -- and the whole corporate culture of the period.

The Big Clock was not what we expected. Ray Milland and Charles Laughton were very good but we found the rest of the cast to be mediocre.[BEWARE OF SPOILER] The film opens with the use of a flashback. We didn't know if this continued until the end. in the beginning of the film and narration by Milland took away from the suspense of the story for us. There was no subtlety. The story was repetitive and overdone.We only made it through the first 26 minutes.

Anotherr good ARROW BLURAY release (2019). An excellent transfer 4.3 ratio, clear picture and sound, plus good optional subtitles. Plenty of extras for those who enjoy them including a very loving tribute to Laughton from Simon Callow, which, I confess, I just couldn't finish. See it and judge. The film is a good if not outstanding, thriller, with touches of "Noir" as hero Milland tries to clear himself of the murder of Rita Johnson, thwarted by circumstances and his boss Laughton. 4 stars because the film tends to be a bit slow to get going, and there are occasions when you ask...what? EG when Johnson as Laughton's mistress approaches Milland in a bar and tells him she has vital info re his boss, and we never find out what that so important info is, and they get blind drunk!!. So much so that Milland misses his "honeymoon" with wife Maureen O'Sullivan (much to her understandable annoyance) Also, as quite often in his career, Milland as hero doesn't come over well. However, I enjoyed the film. The cast are good - George MacReady and Harry Morgan in particular. Not a bad film, just not a great one and good on ARROW who include a lovely (if hard to read) booklet with cast and credits. Recomended

Well, this has a lot going for it. Once again appearing in character as a man haunted and hunted, Ray Milland (who was Welsh) plays a news executive in media-magnate Charles Laughton's publishing empire, scooping stories for Laughton's crime magazine, out-solving the police by training his team as detectives/psychologists. When his researches lead to Laughton himself, he becomes trapped, literally, in the headquarters building. Although complex and told in flashback (this is not such a big deal) the story leads to a situation almost beyond recoupment. Elsa Lanchester appears as a nervous, giggling, and slightly unhinged artist, flapping into the film like a rather florid moth with a paint brush.The film is not called "The Big Clock" for nothing. Watch, to find out why.

This is a stylish slick thriller directed by John Farrow, based on Kenneth Fearing's novel and remade in 1987 as "No Way Out" starring Kevin Kostner & Gene Hackman.A publishing magnate, Charles Laughton, murders his mistress and assigns his crime magazine editor, Ray Milland to solve the crime. This is a race against the clock as Milland inadvertently becomes the subject of the murder investigation, as the clues begin to reveal the suspect matches an all-to-familiar description... his own!Maureen O'Sullivan (John Farrow's wife) co-stars as Milland's wife in this entertaining often humorous story, this is classic film noir with its intriguing cinematography....With regards to its stylistic quality I think the producers of "Mad Men" must certainly be fans of this film..!

This film will have you gripped from the moment the opening credits roll, and with the possible exception of 'Dial M For Murder', this is surely Ray Milland's best film to date.I won't spoil it for you but the film is full of twists and turns that will have you glued to your TV screen, and the ending is absolutely spot-on.Order it now - you won't regret it.

A great cast & a nicely ironic plot.