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The Desperate Hours
 
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The Desperate Hours (1955)

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Fredric March Director: William Wyler Rating: NR (Not Rated) Format: DVD
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
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Editorial Reviews

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Humphrey Bogart is at his villainous best in William Wyler's taut home-invasion thriller, The Desperate Hours. Sharply adapted by John Hayes from his own fact-based novel and Broadway play, this marked a slight departure for Wyler, whose celebrated versatility is on ready display as Bogart--leading a panicky trio of escaped convicts--seizes control of a suburban family in the (dis)comfort of their own home. The domestic terror (similarly dramatized in the 1954 potboiler Suddenly) escalates as cautious patriarch Frederic March waits for an opportunity to retaliate, while the police (led by Arthur Kennedy) close in for an ambush. Viewers may recognize the home's exterior from TV's Leave It to Beaver, while its interior gives Wyler a sealed chamber for nail-biting advances and setbacks--and Bogey was rarely better at portraying ruthless, unpredictable menace. Poorly remade in 1990, The Desperate Hours remains a potent precursor to the many similar films (like Panic Room) that followed its enduring example. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description

Escaped criminals hold a family hostage.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: NR
Release Date: 12-DEC-2003
Media Type: DVD

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28 Reviews
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4.5 out of 5 stars (28 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Players, some awkward dialogue, great ending, January 24, 2003
By Dom Miliano (Denville, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Desperate Hours (1955) [VHS] (VHS Tape)
I have been a Bogart fan all my life. He was that rare Hollywood breed so seldom seen today - and actor AND a movie star. In this "little" movie, Bogart and March lock wills - each knowing that the other is dangerous and desperate, each knowing that they both have more than their own lives to lose. They take the conflict to the edge, their hands, virtually at each other's throats in nearly every scene and then find a way to back off to live another day or another hour. In the quiet moments, March stares away from the camera several times, effectively showing the "wheels turning," an action not lost on Bogart. When he catches him at it he says "click-ity, click-ity" and warns him not to try anything. Advice, you know he'll never heed. This movie may not appeal to viewers who have grown up watching shoot-em-ups but movie fans and fans of good acting will find plenty to hold their attention. A few of the bit players, especially the cops, are saddled with hokey 1950's dialog but you'll get over it. The ending is all you could ask for. I suggest you give it a shot.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars "Get out . . . Get out of my house . . . ", May 18, 2002
By Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)      
This review is from: Desperate Hours (1955) [VHS] (VHS Tape)
If I remember correctly "The Desperate Hours" was originally a stage play that was based on a true story. A photo-magazine ran a spread on either the play or the film with pictures of the "real" house and the family sued for invasion of privacy; one of their lawyers was Richard Nixon. Humphrey Bogart gets top-billing in "The Desperate Hours" as gangster on the lam Glenn Griffin, but this is really Frederic March's film. March plays businessman Dan Hilliard, who discovers his home has been invaded and his family taken hostage by Griffin's little band of criminals, which includes his kid brother Hal (Dewey Martin) and the brutish Sam Kobish (Robert Middleton). That morning Hilliard's biggest concerns had been Chuck Wright (Gig Young), the boyfriend of his daughter Cindy (Mary Murphy), the refusal of young son Ralphie (Richard Eyer) to kiss his old man goodbye, and what wife Eleanor (Martha Scott) is going to make for dinner. Now he has to find a way to keep his family alive in a world where the police are perfectly willing to gun down unarmed criminals so their ability to protect an innocent family is certainly suspect.

This is a taunt drama, carried mostly by the desperation of March's character, who fails every time he tries to prove himself the hero. Bogart's performance is notable because it is a return to the tough guy role that made him a star, only this time showing more restraint than we had seen two decades earlier. This 1955 film also stands as a testament to how much things have changed in Hollywood, because they would never allow for this clean of an ending to this situation, a point that would be obvious even without the horrible remake of this film with Mickey Rourke and Anthony Hopkins, which gives into the perceived need for sadistic violence.

Ultimately what makes this film work is that the climax exceeds our expectations given the set-up. You have to admire how a man can walk into a house with an unloaded gun and save the day. The final confrontation between Hilliard and Griffin is powerful because it speaks to not only the fact that you can hurt somebody without killing them, but also that even when confronted with barbarians there is still virtue in being a civilized man. I still watch the ending of this film every time I stumble across it on television. In fact, I just did.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for Bogart fans, December 31, 2000
This review is from: Desperate Hours (1955) [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Now this is a great flick. No one played the hard-edged bad guy like Bogie. This flick is old schol, meaning the story depends on the acting and not special effects or overused violence.

Bogart, his brother, and a simple minded convict escape prison and hold up in a suberbian 'Beaver-Cleaver' household. They have to hideout there until Bogie gets some dough from his girlfriend. The confrontations between the family and the convicts keep this movie going fluently without a break in drama, suspense, or action. If you've only seen Casablanca or the Maltese Falcon, rent or buy this flick if you like or are interested in Humphrey Bogart.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favs
Boy, am I going to disappoint that person who rated this one only one star. . . Sure, to some Bogart is simply "playing himself" vs getting deeper into character. Read more
Published 2 months ago by E. Minnich

5.0 out of 5 stars Can Humphrey Bogart get any better?!
I have to say, I'm not usually a fan of old films, but my friend introduced me to this one and I am hooked! Read more
Published 2 months ago by Molly Young

5.0 out of 5 stars Humphrey Bogart and Fredric March
In THE DESPERATE HOURS, Humphrey Bogart, returned to his signature bad guy roles after years of playing the world weary hero. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Michael B. Druxman

5.0 out of 5 stars "Bogie-licious"
This "edge of your seat" suspense drama is Bogie at his best. I have seen it many times and can always watch it again. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Phoebe Stogstill

5.0 out of 5 stars Tense
A tense film that follows a home invasion and hostage situation. It might be a little dated for some younger watchers, still it has fine performances from Bogart and Fredric March.
Published 22 months ago by Alan Talbott

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable suspernser
This is a very well done, suspenseful film. Bogart and March are excellent in the leads. What is especially fascinating is that, even though Paramount was the studio, the... Read more
Published on October 14, 2007 by G. Misthos

5.0 out of 5 stars Tension from start to finish!
What a pair: Humphrey Bogart and Fredric March face to face as mortal enemies. Good vs. evil. We know who will win but we don't know how. Read more
Published on April 27, 2007 by Ruth Z. Deming

1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible!
Unlike many other reviewers, I found this movie TERRIBLE! If it were newly released today, I think people would laugh at it, as I often did during its playing time... Read more
Published on March 13, 2007 by Anony Mous

3.0 out of 5 stars The film gives us the most ruthless and disgusting gangsters the screen has yet seen...
"The Desperate Hours" is a towering achievement in suspense films... It was cast to perfection, written and directed by a meticulous, serious artist... Read more
Published on December 25, 2006 by Roberto Frangie

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing movie that makes you think
This movie was amazing and makes you think what would you do if cold blooded killers took over your house and used your family as leverage. Read more
Published on June 6, 2006 by History teacher

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