At the Stroke of Twelve (1941)

movie

(66)

Country: USA
Genres: Drama, Short
Release: 1941-11-15
Director: Jean Negulesco
Writers: Harold Medford , Damon Runyon
Language: English
Stars: Craig Stevens , Elisabeth Risdon , Knox Manning , Howard Da Silva , Ben Welden , Frank Ferguson , Eddie Dunn , Faye Emerson , Fred Kelsey , John Ridgely
Runtime: 20 min
Awards: N/A
AKA: Classics of the Screen (1954-1955 season) #5: At the Stroke of Twelve (United States of America) , Featurettes (1948-1949 season) #4: At the Stroke of Twelve (United States of America) , At the Stroke of Twelve (United States of America) , Broadway Brevities (1941-1942 season) #3: At the Stroke of Twelve (United States of America) , At the Stroke of Twelve
Plot: This entry in Warner's "Broadway Brevity" series of shorts is based on Damon Runyon's short story, "The Old Doll's House". Racketeer Lance McGowan, on the night he has decided to go straight, finds himself caught between the gunfire of two rival gangsters and, wounded by a bullet, he finds refuge in the home of a wealthy recluse. One of the gangsters is found riddled with bullets from the gun Lance dropped while making his escape, and he is arrested and tried for murder. The reclusive widow comes to the trail and testifies that Lance was her guest that night when the clock struck twelve, the time of the killing. Lance, while innocent, is also lucky, as the widow had her all her clocks set to always strike twelve, as the time her husband had died.
IMDB:tt0047845