Sun 13 Dec 2020
Mystery Movie Review: TWO O’CLOCK COURAGE (1945).
Posted by Steve under Mystery movies , Reviews[6] Comments
TWO O’CLOCK COURAGE. RKO Radio Pictures, 1945. Tom Conway, Ann Rutherford, Richard Lane, Lester Matthews, Roland Drew, Emory Parnell, Bettejane Greer, Jean Brooks. Based on the novel of the same title by Gelett Burgess. Previously filmed as Two in the Dark (1936). Director: Anthony Mann. Available on DVD and streaming here on the Internet Archive.
There are three good movies all wrapped up in this one and struggling to get out. Unfortunately with only just over 60 minutes of running time, not one of them manages to prevail. The result is a totally entertaining but still disappointing film that could have been so much better if the people behind this one had chosen one of the three and stuck to it.
(A) Noir. A man staggers out into a foggy street and a cab manages to stop from hitting him only in the nick of time. The driver of the cab, female, lends a sympathetic ear when she discovers that he is bleeding from a wound on his head, and cannot remember who he is or why he’s there on the street. I was reminded immediately of Cornell Woolrich and many of his stories at this point.
(B) Screwball comedy. Trying to discover who he is, the pair run across a murder, a dopey cop, a wise aleck reporter and a butler who didn’t do it. They also find themselves rubbing elbows with the high class elite of the city, all dressed up in night club finery, including the cab driver (Ann Rutherford, who never looked finer).
(C) A serious detective mystery, centered around the manuscript of a successful play, but the name on the manuscript is not the same as the person who’s taking credit for it. As far as I was concerned, here’s where I decided to sit back and simply enjoy the movie, since none of this made any sense.
Quite a mishmash indeed, is what I’m trying to say. Tom Conway, as the amnesiac, which I see I have neglected to mention before, is perfect in his role: suitably bewildered but still obviously a gentleman of some refinement. I do see I have mentioned Ann Rutherford already. She is worth mentioning twice. And did you see Jane Greer in the credits? A small part, I grant you, but she’s just another reason for watching this one. An indubitable bonus, if you will.
December 13th, 2020 at 10:52 pm
I’ve seen the film, and agree with you, but by excluding the second act mishmash, we might have been watching a pretty good straight mystery. Certainly, the cast remains the only viable reason to sit through it, but they are so strong, that works for me, as it seems to have worked for Steve.
December 13th, 2020 at 11:36 pm
Lots of fun if you just let it carry you along.
December 14th, 2020 at 10:29 am
This is on my TBW stack and just moved up, thanks to you.
December 14th, 2020 at 10:59 am
Dan
Both Barry and Jim will tell you true as well.
December 14th, 2020 at 6:14 pm
TWO IN THE DARK has pretty much the same split personality and the same good qualities.
December 14th, 2020 at 11:05 pm
I really like TWO IN THE DARK also.