Two O'Clock Courage

Fast-paced mystery as Tom Conway unravels his past life following an injury to the head and amnesia. Tom is believable as is the storyline. Ann Rutherford serves as an adequate sidekick, Jane Greer looks beautiful in one of her very early films, and we see Jean Brooks in one of her last. Although shot in the middle of the Falcon series, and much resembles same, this is actually a re-make of the 1936 movie "Two in the Dark." The plot has lots of twists and turns and it will not be obvious "who done it" until the very end. Enjoyable light entertainment.

Very well done who-done-it. I love mysteries and watch it every time it is broadcast. Tom Conway plays a man with amnesia who seems to be implicated in a murder plot, but obviously doesn't know whether he was the murderer or not. As the plot thickens it seems more and more like he might have been.

I did not realize for some time that it is a remake of the 1936's "Two in the Dark". This version is much better. Primarily due to Tom Conway's charm and Ann Rutherford's spunk. I don't think this one is quite as good as most of the "Falcon" series, but Conway never really got the credit or the opportunities he deserved.

Finding himself with a bloodied head, and suffering from amnesia, suave Tom Conway is nearly run over by pretty cab driver Ann Rutherford (as Patty Mitchell). Riding around, Mr. Conway discovers clues to his identity, including five hundred dollars in his suit pocket. A news flash connects Conway to recent murder, but Ms. Rutherford doesn't think her passenger is guilty. The pair try to solve the murder mystery while love blooms. Director Anthony Mann isn't as artful as in later years. "Two O'Clock Courage" turns out to be the name of a play that figures in the plot. By the time the mystery is solved, it's not very interesting. Fortunately, the well-endowed Rutherford, Jane Greer (as Helen Carter), and Jean Brooks (as Barbara Borden) are around to keep it looking good.

****** Two O'Clock Courage (4/13/45) Anthony Mann ~ Tom Conway, Ann Rutherford, Jane Greer, Jean Brooks

Remake of Two in the Dark from RKO starring the unlikely duo of Tom Conway and Ann Rutherford. Conway plays a guy with a head wound and amnesia who searches for the truth about who he is and whether or not he committed murder. Rutherford is the spunky female cabbie who helps him. This is an entertaining enough picture. Nothing exceptional but a good time-passer. Conway, debonair as ever, is the kind of actor they just don't make anymore. Adorable Ann Rutherford is a little miscast as a street-smart cabbie. This is a part more suited for a Farrell, Blondell, or Sothern. Rutherford's just too sweet. Still she's always a treat to watch, even if it does feel a bit like she's trying on her big sister's clothes. Conway/Rutherford chemistry isn't exactly sizzling, either. Also featuring noir great Jane Greer in a small part and RKO favorite Jean Brooks, who was in quite a few Tom Conway films during the 40s. Directed by Anthony Mann but you would never know it as it's a pretty routine B movie with no discernible style or craft to brag about.

Incongruously lighthearted early noir from Mann, involving a familiar premise (the film is actually a remake of the obscure TWO IN THE DARK [1936]) – an amnesiac finds himself the chief suspect in a murder case and, while attempting to trace his identity, he also contrives to expose the guilty party. The lead role is played by Tom Conway, not the most likely noir hero perhaps – his overall stilted performance suffers most when striving for comedy; much more natural (and appealing) is Ann Rutherford as the spirited female cabbie helping him out, even if she's just as much at odds with established genre conventions!

The plot is fairly convoluted: also involved, among others, are Lester Matthews (from THE RAVEN and WEREWOLF OF London {both 1935}), Jean Brooks (from the Val Lewton-produced THE LEOPARD MAN and THE SEVENTH VICTIM {both 1943}) and Jane Greer (soon to graduate to full-fledged femme fatale with OUT OF THE PAST [1947]); just as prominent, however, albeit merely for comic-relief purposes are a Police Inspector and a nosy reporter (who gets on his boss' nerves when he keeps changing the scoop i.e. the identity of the murderer). All in all, this emerged a pleasant and trim 66 minutes – but, clearly, a very minor footnote in the genre and the career of one of its most notable exponents.