Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Dan Hilliard is quietly proud of his life and family. The hard-working business executive has a sensible wife, two children, and a well-cared-for home in suburbia. However, their sheltered lives are shattered when a trio of gangsters invades their home and takes them all hostage.

The leader of the gangsters is Glenn Griffin (Humphrey Bogart), a hardened criminal who has disdain for the likes of Mr. Hilliard (Fred March) and his well-mannered wife Ellie (Martha Scott). Griffin, along with his younger brother Hal and a rough-edged Kobish, hold the family at gunpoint until a pile of cash comes their way.

Over the next few days the world goes on as usual for folks outside the Hilliard home. The paperboy delivers the news, the trash man collects garbage, and various neighbors stop by for a visit. The family is supposed to behave normally as they take turns leaving the home for daily tasks. Meanwhile, the other family members are held at gunpoint, as the gangster plot their next move.

The Desperate Hours is an old-fashioned thriller, and focuses on sharp class differences in 1950s America. The film, which is based on a novel and a play by Joseph Hays, was released in 1956. It was one of Bogart's final films (he died the following year), and his last depiction as a gangster.

At first I thought this film was boring. However, as it progressed I realized it was more of a psychological thriller than a shoot-them-up type of film. While there is some violence, most of the action focuses on the interplay between the characters, and how they reacted as the tension rose.

Griffin, his brother Hal (Dewey Martin), and Kobish (Robert Middleton) stand in sharp contrast to this upper middle class family. They are crude and undignified, while the Hilliard's use good manners and quietly lay plans to outmaneuver their captures.

A subplot in the film involves the 20-year old Hilliard daughter Cindy (Mary Murphy), who is dating an older man and leaves the house a few times. She becomes emotionally unhinged over both the gangsters hiding in her home, and her apparent dislike of her boyfriend who has all the qualities she is supposed to like.

While viewing the film it is was easy to place myself in the Hilliard's family predicament. I often wondered how I would react if held at gunpoint, or if loved ones were threatened.

As the film progressed I didn't understand why certain characters behaved as they did, especially Fred March's character Mr. Hilliard. However, I eventually realized he sensed weaknesses in the gangsters' characters that could be exploited, if given enough time.

The Desperate Hours is shot in black and white and runs just under 2 hours. Overall I thought it was a good psychological thriller, and the acting was well done throughout. Bogart is fairly low-key in the film, but he still brings a strong screen presence to the forefront.

There are some oddities in the film, such as figuring out the age differences between the Hilliard children and between the Griffin brothers. And there are also some scenarios in the film that seemed corny and highly unlikely. But overall The Desperate Hours is a good film with more depth to the plot than is readily apparent. It is well worth watching if you enjoy older psychological thrillers or are a fan of anything with Bogart in the cast.

© trailhound. 2007.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older