Directed by
Henry Hathaway
Cast
Paul Douglas ………. Ofcr. Charlie Dunnigan
Richard Basehart ………. Robert Cosick
Barbara Bel Geddes ………. Virginia Foster
Debra Paget ………. Ruth
Agnes Moorehead ………. Christine Hill Cosick
Robert Keith ………. Paul E. Cosick
Howard Da Silva ………. Deputy Chief Moskar
20th Century Fox (Fox Film Noir)
DVD Release Date: August 29, 2006
Runing Time: 92 minutes
14 Hours, an all but forgotten film, is an atypical noir. It is shot with more realism than expressionism. Nobody is murdered; it doesn’t center around a crime or a whodunnit. There is no femme fatale, no hooker with a heart of gold, no private dick, no typical noir archetypes. The only thing that really makes it fall under the banner of noir is the film’s cynicism in the face of authority. The film tends towards a negative view of the police, parents, the media, and clergy; 14 Hours portrays none of these groups as particularly trust-worthy or competent.
But whether or not 14 Hours is technically film noir, is besides the point. Henry Hathaway, best known for directing Kiss of Death and John Wayne movies, brings us a wonderfully shot film with an intriguing premise and a story that lives up to it.
14 Hours tells the story of Robert Cosick (Richard Basehart), a man on a sixteenth story ledge threatening to jump, and Charlie Dunnigan (Paul Douglas), the traffic cop trying to talk him down. It is St. Patrick’s Day, in New York. A crowd gathers below, blocking traffic. While most of the focus is on Cosick and Dunnigan, we also spend time with various onlookers to this potential tragedy, and the unexpected ways which it affects their lives.
Paul Douglas is nigh perfect as the likeable everyman. Basehart plays Cosick with appropriate repression. In the history of film, there are few people better as overbearing mother than Agnes Moorehead, who in this film is once again wonderful as the over-bearing mother. For those of you younger than me, Agnes Moorehead is most known for playing Samantha Steven’s mother Endora on “Bewitched.”
Film scholars will also note that this film marks the big screen debut of Grace Kelly. one year after her minor role in this film, she was starring in High Noon with Gary Cooper. Five years after this film, she was retired from movies.
Also worthy of note: this film marks the second film appearance of the late great Ossie Davis. He plays one of the cabbies who start a pool as to when Cosick is going to jump.
DVD Features:
Commentary by film historian Foster Hirsch : An interesting enough commentary, though Hirsch doesn’t always have much to say. He spells out the subtext for those who can’t add up what “over-bearing mother plus distant father plus always nervous” means in 1950s terms.
Interactive pressbook gallery: In theory, this is a really interesting idea. The viewer can flip through a pressbook for 14 Hours checking out various photos, articles, etc. In practice the thing works, but will probably only be of interest for film historians and hardcore fans.
Film noir trailers
NOTE: I would like to take this opportunity to note that the Fox Noir dvd series has some of the best clamshell inserts around. They are packed with information about the movies themselves and really outshine any of the extras within the DVD in terms of accesibility of said information.
| InsidePulse’s Ratings for 14 Hours | |
The Inside Pulse
This film is worth seeing. It tells an interesting story in a deceptively simple way. It is gorgeously shot, and skillfully crafted.
Plus you get to see Grace Kelly, a woman so unattainably beautiful that she wouldn’t let me touch her in a dream.
