The Big Clock
Directed by John Farrow
Written by Jonathan Latimar from the novel by Kenneth Fearing
1948/USA
Paramount Pictures
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental
[box] George Stroud: White clocks, yellow clocks, brown clocks, blue clocks. Oh, Miss York, where are the green clocks of yesteryear?[/box]
This fun and stylish thriller seems like it would be quite at home in the “Mad Men” era.
Earl Janoth (Charles Laughton) rules his magazine empire with an iron hand. George Stroud (Ray Milland), the hot shot editor of his crime publication, hasn’t had a vacation since he joined the publication. His son is in grade school and he still hasn’t had a honeymoon with his long-suffering wife Georgette (Maureen O’Sullivan). That is supposedly about to change. The family is packed and ready for an escape to West Virginia where they hail from.
It is not to be. George gets buttonholed by a beautiful blonde, Pauline York (Rita Johnson), who says she has some inside information on the secretive Janoth and wants George to help her use it. They go out bar hopping and snag a green clock and a painting by George’s favorite artist (Elsa Lanchester). George gets so caught up in this intrigue that he fails to meet his wife in time for their train. She is furious but George continues his night on the town then takes Pauline home. He discovers she is Janoth’s mistress at the same time they hear Janoth knocking on the door. George makes a speedy getaway and heads off for West Virginia.
Janoth and Pauline have a quarrel and he kills her with the green clock. He plots with his right-hand man Steve Hagen (George McCready) to frame the murder on the man he glimpsed leaving the apartment as he arrived. The only clues he has are the name Pauline gave him of another man and the green clock the couple picked up at the bar.
Although he had previously fired George for daring to go on vacation, Janoth demands that George return to work and hunt down the mystery man. This is, of course, George himself. George feels obligated to return so that Janoth will not frame the crime on the wholly uninvolved party Pauline made up to protect him. Many complications ensue as George attempts to investigate the murder while simultaneously sending his many minions on wild goose chases.
This has an intriguing plot and some nice set pieces, mostly near the end inside the workings of the gigantic clock at the corporate headquarters. Laughton is particularly nasty in his role. Really entertaining though I wouldn’t call it film noir.
Trailer
