Die Nacht vor dem Galgen

MacDonald Carey and Teresa Wright, both of whom starred in Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt, work together again in a less prestigious film, "Count the Hours" from 1953, directed by Don Siegel.

Wright is Ellen Braden, whose husband George (John Craven), a migrant worker, is arrested for the murder of an elderly man and his housekeeper that was done apparently during a robbery - the man kept a lot of money in his house.

When asked if he has a gun, he at first says no. His wife runs home and throws the gun in the lake, but she's seen doing it. By then he's admitted to having one. He's believed to be guilty.

Carey plays attorney Doug Madison, who is asked to take the case but refuses. After speaking with Mrs. Braden, he changes his mind. He's convinced that they have to find the gun. But when they do, it's a disappointment. Doug believes in George's innocence, which means they have to find the killer.

Pretty good mystery-suspense film which also features Jack Elam. Wright is sympathetic as the pregnant Ellen who believes in her husband, but John Craven doesn't register much.

Carey was an affable leading man who found his great success on Days of Our Lives. He had a wonderful speaking voice and a gentle presence. Elam is his usual evil-looking and sleazy self.

On the ordinary side but tense nonetheless.

MacDonald Carey stars as an Atticus Finch like attorney in Count The Hours where he's asked to defend George Craven who is accused of killing an elderly rancher and his wife. From the reactions around the town the two were beloved in the community and everyone just wants to hang Craven and be quick about it.

His defense of Craven puts Carey's own relationship with rich girl friend Dolores Moran in jeopardy. And he's certainly not winning any popularity contest defending Craven. Still Carey soldiers on until the truth emerges.

Don Siegel got some beautiful performances from several of his cast members. First Teresa Wright as Craven's wife who is the picture of innocence. Her innocence makes you the audience as well as Carey believe in the rightness of the cause. Also Adele Mara poaches on what is usually Gloria Grahame territory. She plays a real low life white trash slut and she does it magnificently.

Finally though there's Jack Elam who was a former hand at the deceased's place and he's a former mental patient. That blind eye of Elam's served him so well in films he could play some really loony characters. Elam is at his bug-eyed best in this part.

It's sad that Don Siegel did not have a bigger budget to work with. As it is Count The Hours is a real noir classic and Carey's Dave Madison belongs right up there with Atticus Finch in the pantheon of film's incorruptible men of the law.

Surprisingly interesting story for a B picture from the early fifties - this could have been made as a major feature if it was given a bigger budget and a director worthy of its plot developments. Sincere performances by Teresa Wright and McDonald Cary are well above the average but director Don Siegel is just not the right man for the job. The story by Doane Hoag has all the right twists and turns and holds the interest but needed more attention to detail and less clichéd handling. The music score was certainly different but seemed to have been lifted from a Si-Fi -'body snatcher' type movie.

If looking for a 50s time passer (with undeveloped possibilities) this is still worth a look. Prolific and inventive Award winning Hungarian cinematographer John Alton shows terrific flair for B/W photography and lighting - lifting this little crime meller to above average standards. The ending is typical of the era - but, still better than many other average B pictures.

Despite the economical running time, very much more of this unexceptional movie may well have felt like counting the hours as the finale approached.

Opening as a spine tingling creepshow, rapidly followed by gunfire and a double murder, 'Count the Hours' soon settles upon a pedestrian plateau as John Craven desperately pleads innocent of any crime, his case seriously damaged when panic stricken wife, Teresa Wright disposes of his gun in a nearby lake. The ensuing, protracted courtroom scene does little to reignite the adrenaline levels.

Sceptical, inexperienced lawyer, MacDonald Carey, is initially unwilling to take the case, until he spots Wright risking life and limb, repeatedly diving as she attempts to retrieve the gun. Carey is also confronted by the prevailing small town ethos (even evident amongst all the fun and games of My Cousin Vinny) in which everybody knows everybody else and nobody knows anybody who would ever do anything to hurt anyone.....Does that make sense? Therefore, Craven and Wright tick all the boxes as drifters, out- of- towners, new kids on the block, who simply MUST be guilty!

It's all rapidly rolling into the realms of rigmarole, until a much needed shot in the arm arrives in the form of loopy local loony, Jack Elam and his kooky, money grabbing, gold digging moll, Adele Mara. A femme fatale failure, whose feminine wiles fall foul of the unpredictable Elam and the reputable Carey.

'Count the Hours' has its moments, it's worth the time, but hardly the film noir fireball it promises to be at the start. Elam and Mara largely steal the show, well supported by the endearingly sincere, guilt ridden Wright. In contrast, neither Carey nor Craven radiate any significant on screen charisma, while Dolores Moran is serviceable as the bride to be. The movie always struggles to maintain momentum following its Wham-Bam-Thankyou-Mam launch. Perhaps it's just a bit too obvious, right down to Elam's name in the opening credits. Could you REALLY imagine him as a doting, favourite uncle, or the kindly family doctor?

A robber breaks into a farm house. He is confronted by the owner and ends up killing the elderly couple. George Braden and his wife Ellen (Teresa Wright) are the neighbors. After some questionable responses, George is arrested for the murders. Doug Madison (Macdonald Carey) takes the case despite not believing in George's innocence.

At first, I thought some of this plot goes too far. I don't want to nitpick but I can't believe that they couldn't find the gun. Everybody knows where she threw it. It's not a raging river. Then I relaxed about it and realized that it's more about the acting style. The movie is doing that old melodramatic style. Teresa Wright is a great actress, but she's using her skills to do her utmost overwrought acting. I actually grew to like the plot especially if they could tweak some of it. I can see it be remade into something better.