Dark Hour [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

"Agatha Christie couldn't have come up with a more gripping yarn. Berton Churchill and Irene Ware outdo themselves and do complete justice to their roles. `The Dark Hour's plot is so finely tuned that it baffled me - a veteran mystery aficionado - till the very end."

THE DARK HOUR is a mystery programmer directed by Charles Lamont (he also worked with Abbott & Costello, and did Ma & Pa Kettle and Francis the Talking Mule films).

The story follows a classic format: two detectives investigating the murder of an elderly millionaire are presented with a number of suspects, all of whom have motives for homicide. The movie also diverts from the familiar and expected: the two detectives, one old, one young, work independent of each other and cautiously compare notes. After a second killing occurs, the men decide to join forces to solve the case.

ALPHA VIDEO is a provider of vintage programming that's often unavailable elsewhere. Their prices are fair, but so is transfer quality of some of their offerings. None have undergone restoration, yet this product's rareness and an honest price make it a worthwhile purchase.

Also from ALPHA:
MURDER ON THE CAMPUS (1933) concerns a college girl accused of several homicides and her newspaperman boyfriend who's determined to clear her name.

Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 viewer poll rating found at a film resource website.

(5.4) The Dark Hour (1936) - Ray Walker/Berton Churchill/Irene Ware/Hedda Hopper/Hobart Bosworth/E.E. Clive

CAST TRIVIA:

RAY WALKER (Jim) had bit parts in dozens of famous movies; he also worked extensively in a number of early TV series.

Radio character "The Great Gildersleeve" was based on the pompous screen persona of BERTON CHURCHILL (Paul).

IRENE WARE (Elsa) was the former Miss United States of 1926.

"Queen of the Quickies," HEDDA HOPPER (Mrs. Tallman) continued to act when her 1936 radio gossip show began, and also through the many years she battled Louella Parsons for newspaper columnist supremacy. Hopper died on the same day as Buster Keaton.

HOBART BOSWORTH (Charles) appeared in his first photoplay in 1908. He also directed 57 films between 1911 and '15.

Welsh-born E.E. Clive (Foot, the butler) was the Burgomeister in BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935).

Charles Lamont as a director is more well known for his classic comedies and this film is a rare departure for him from his usual Shirley Temple fare. In this effort he tries to create a suspensful murder mystery and succeeds very well. He does so using almost no stars. He's helped along by a very strong script that kept be guessing to the end and the fact that he clearly had more money to work with than most guys of the film noir era. A top notch job all around.