This Noirvember entry is a 1953 film Count the Hours starring Teresa Wright, Macdonald Carey, and Dolores Moran. It was directed by Don Siegel – yes, the director of Dirty Harry (and my favourite of his, Invasion of the Body Snatchers).
Macdonald Carey plays a lawyer defending an innocent man, Teresa Wright’s husband, who faces the death penalty. He is accused of killing two people, a farmer and his wife. He owns a gun, his wife freaks out and throws it away, he is scared of her well-being and doesn’t want for her to go through more stress (she is pregnant) so he confesses. „Count the Hours” refers to Carey trying to prove his client’s innocence before it’s too late.
Let’s face it, plot-wise this film is no Pillow of Death. Then again, what is? The thing I am probably going to remember best about Count the Hours, and the thing I enjoyed most, is the cinematography which is truly gorgeous.
The ending feels a bit like deus ex machina and I know you are never supposed to be okay with something like that but I often don’t mind when it’s used if I enjoy the story overall. But I’m not sure if the story of Count the Hours is thrilling enough for me to be okay with a simple solution.
I do want to shout-out Teresa Wright’s performance who is definitely the heart of the film. I did find her very compelling, the only problem is that I have actually seen quite a few films of hers lately and a supportive wife seems to be a character type she plays A LOT.
Swingin' at the Seance 