The Thirteenth Hour (1947)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

William Clemens

Writers:

Edward Bock (writer)
Leslie Edgley (story)

Release Date:

6 February 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery

Plot:

In the 7th of Columbia's "Whistler" series, truck-firm owner Steve Reynolds (Richard Dix) gets involved in a feud with a rival firm...

Plot Keywords:

Sequel

Cast

Richard Dix	...	Steve Reynolds
Karen Morley	...	Eileen Blair
John Kellogg	...	Charlie Cook
Jim Bannon	...	Jerry Mason
Regis Toomey	...	Don Parker
Bernadene Hayes	...	Mabel Sands
Mark Dennis	...	Tommy Blair
Anthony Warde	...	Ranford
Ernie Adams	...	McCabe
Cliff Clark	...	Police Captain Linfield

Also Known As:

The 13th Hour (USA) (alternative spelling)
The Hunter Is a Fugitive (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

65 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #12112, General Audience)

Company:

Larry Darmour Productions

Movie Connections:

Follows Mysterious Intruder (1946)

Well crafted to the end

The 13th Hour was Richard Dix's 7th and final hour with the Whistler films; in fact he retired and died 2 years after this. It's not the best or the worst in the series, but still more than an adequate engrossing potboiler. It had the usual tight Columbia b picture budget yet atmospheric sets and photography plus the usual twisty story.

Honest and dependable truck firm owner Dix suddenly finds himself guilty of causing damage through driving whilst under the influence of alcohol, but of course he's innocent. This being the Whistler means it goes from bad to worse, and wanted murderer Dix really has his back up against the wall for most of the picture trying to find the real culprits. If you're familiar with the tenor of the previous entries you can probably see the big twist a-coming, but the beautiful little twist just after will get you! Favourite bits: the atmospheric shots outside Eileen's café; the denouement inside and outside Mabel's apartment, unfortunately leading to a bit of a trite end.

It wasn't quite the end of the dimly-lit road though – there was one more film to come (sans Dix) which wasn't too bad but the Canon is the 7 with him. All well worth watching if you prefer a simpler more complex world, when a b&w mystery film was just that and not a sex, violence, cgi cartoon riddled gimmick and hype fuelled socially inclusive seedy work of Art like nowadays.