Trois heures pour tuer

A taut little Columbia western produced by Jimmy Cagney's brother William reminiscent of 'Fury', 'High Noon' and Dana Andrews' own 'Ox-Bow Incident'. A strong female contingent includes a brunette Donna Reed, a red-haired Diane Foster and a blonde Carolyn Jones; while two of the dramatic highlights feature Whit Bissell at his most cowardly, first in his barber shop, and later when Andrews sneaks up on him and his co.conspirators (observed only by the audience) while discussing him in the local saloon.

Durable leading man Dana Andrews stars in this B-side western about a fight between Andrews and Richard Webb that ends in Webb being murdered - but despite appearing to be caught red-handed, is Andrews actually the culprit? After a near-summary execution by some over-zealous locals, Andrews narrowly escapes returning several years later to clear his name.

Familiar plot has surprising depth in the female casting for a film of this ilk, alongside Donna Reed as Andrews' former beau is Dianne Foster as the versatile and open-minded admirer Chris, while Carolyn Jones and Charlotte Fletcher play a pair of damsels who've both fallen for card shark Laurence Hugo, one of many on Andrews' hit list.

Good also to see Stephen Elliott who later garnered fame in films like "Arthur" and "Beverly Hills Cop", in his film debut in the key supporting role of Ben, the town's new sheriff who's friendship with Andrews affords him three hours grace to catch the killer or be tried for murder (hence the title).

There's a simmering tension that prevails the full eighty-odd minutes, with a particularly taut scene in which veteran Whit Bissell (playing the town's ubiquitous barber) takes a razor to Andrews' throat, as he nervously fends off accusations that he is the real killer. Pretty decent whodunit western that no doubt some armchair sleuths will solve before the climax, nevertheless, it's a bittersweet ending that rejects the typical clichés making this overall, a better-than-average yarn.

"The Ox-Bow Incident," a tragedy about lynching in the Old West, helped make Dana Andrews a star. "Three Hours to Kill," a little Western mystery he made after his stardom cooled, is not nearly as grim (or as good), but it is fairly gritty and it holds your interest.

Andrews plays a cowboy who's framed for murder and almost lynched. He escapes with only a rope burn on his neck thanks to the help of his true love, played by Donna Reed. A few years later, as a fugitive, he returns to town to solve the crime and clear his name -- and he gets three hours to do it. (The circumstances of this are a bit complicated.)

Things become really tricky when the former sweethearts cross paths again. It turns out they've got serious issues, the kind that were not often addressed in "B" Westerns in the 1950s.

"Three Hours" is pleasingly fast-paced, wrapping up in well under half the time in the title. It keeps you guessing, which is the most important job of a whodunit, and it even has a couple of surprises after the mystery is solved. Not great, but good if you have a little time of your own to kill.

Dana Andrews is right at home in this tumbleweed revenge-drama about a cowboy accused of murder, hiding out in the desert before going back to clear his name. Maybe not as well known as "3:10 To Yuma" or "Bad Day At Black Rock", but certainly just as good. Andrews is excellent, of course; he never exuded much of an animated personality, but he's strong and reliable, you trust him, and the fools in town who want to string him up look even sillier for not believing his story. A taut little western, nicely-made and with a good supporting cast.

Dana Andrews gives a convincing performance as Jim Guthrie who nearly got lynched and returns to town three years later to find out killed the brother of the woman he was going out with.

The victim did not want Guthrie marrying his sister, Laurie who is now married to someone else, her husband might be one of the killers.

A sympathetic Sheriff gives Guthrie three hours to find the killer. A saloon girl who had a thing for Guthrie helps him out.

Guthrie goes after four friends of his who shouted the loudest for him being lynched.

It is a routine western with a countdown, a straightforward story with a child born out of wedlock. There is no hint as to why Guthrie returned to town to clear his name and what he has been up to for the past few years.