Count the Hours! (1953)

movie

(605)

Country: USA
Genres: Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
Release: 1953-04-01
Director: Don Siegel
Writers: Doane R. Hoag , Karen DeWolf
Language: English
Stars: Teresa Wright (I) (1918–2005) , Macdonald Carey , Dolores Moran , Adele Mara , Edgar Barrier , John Craven , Jack Elam , Ralph Sanford , Frank Baker (I) (1892–1980) , Marshall Bradford
Runtime: 76 min
Awards: N/A
AKA: La Dernière Minute (France, French Republic) , Horas Amargas (Portugal, Portuguese Republic) , Every Minute Counts (United Kingdom) , Count the Hours! (United States of America) , Die Nacht vor dem Galgen (Austria) , Every Minute Counts (South Africa) , Laukauksia pimeässä (Finland) , Numără orele (Romania) , Die Nacht vor dem Galgen , Två timmar från galgen (Sweden) , Dernière minute (Belgium) , Apo 'do perase o dolofonos (Greece) , Medo Que Condena (Brazil) , Cuenta las horas (Spain) , Horas amargas (Mexico) , Count the Hours! , Le ore sono contate (Italy) , Count the Hours! (Canada) , A Matter of Life and Death (United States of America) , Count the Hours (United Kingdom)
Plot: The midnight murder of a rancher and his wife leaves circumstantial evidence pointing the finger of guilt toward a married couple, George Braden and his wife Ellen, who live and work on the ranch. George confesses to the killings in order to free his wife from hours of grilling by the police. Despite the best efforts of his defense attorney Doug Madison, George gets the death penalty. Subsequent events, and his sympathy for Ellen convince Doug that George is innocent, but he must find the real murderer to prove it. His manhunt leads to a former hired hand, Max Verne. With the help of the latter's greedy girlfriend, Gracie Sanger, Max is found and admits to the killings. But when a hearing is held, a psychiatrist pronounces him unsound of mind but harmless, and the judge sets him free. After the Governor rejects Doug's pleas for an appeal for George, the townspeople turn against him, and his fiancée Paula Mitchener misconstrues his association with Ellen and breaks their engagement, and, having spent all his own money in an effort to achieve justice for George, and with his practice gone, Doug prepares to leave town.
IMDB:tt0045652