Two O'Clock Courage

1945 film by Anthony Mann

Robert E. Kent
Gordon Kahn (additional dialogue)

Based onTwo O'Clock Courage
1934 novel
by Gelett BurgessProduced byBenjamin StoloffStarring

Tom Conway
Ann Rutherford
Jane Greer

CinematographyJack MacKenzieEdited byPhilip MartinMusic byRoy Webb

Production
company

RKO Pictures

Distributed byRKO Pictures

Release date

April 13, 1945 (1945-04-13) (United States)

Running time

68 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglish

Two O'Clock Courage is a 1945 American film noir directed by Anthony Mann and written by Robert E. Kent, based on a novel by Gelett Burgess. The drama features Tom Conway and Ann Rutherford.^[1] It is a remake of Two in the Dark (1936).

Plot

An amnesiac who fears he's the mystery man in a high-profile murder case searches for the truth with the help of a female cabdriver.

Cast

Tom Conway as The Man, Ted "Step" Allison
Ann Rutherford as Patty Mitchell
Richard Lane as Al Haley
Lester Matthews as Mark Evans
Roland Drew as Steve Maitland
Emory Parnell as Insp. Bill Brenner
Jane Greer as Helen Carter (billed as Bettejane Greer)
Jean Brooks as Barbara Borden

Production

The film was based on a 1934 novel that had been filmed by RKO in 1936 as Two in the Dark. It was directed by Benjamin Stoloff who produced Two O'Clock Courage. The film starred Tom Conway, who was appeared in The Falcon series at RKO. Ann Rutherford had just left MGM studios. Filming started August 1944.

Reception

The New York Times called the film "a modest little item of second-rate cinematic fun".^[2]

Variety called it a "slow paced, drab mystery... situations are obvious, the dialog routine" although it felt the leads "give film some story strength."^[3] Has been shown on the Turner Classic Movies show 'Noir Alley' with Eddie Muller.

References

^ Two O'Clock Courage at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
^ "THE SCREEN; Amnesia and Murder". The New York Times. 1945-04-14. Retrieved 2015-02-15.
^ "Two O'Clock Courage". Variety. 18 April 1945. p. 12.