Fourteen Hours

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Henry Hathaway directed this high-tension drama about a man teetering on the verge of self-destruction and how his dilemma affects those around him. Robert Cosick (Richard Basehart) is a desperate and despondent young man who has never gotten along with his parents (Robert Keith and Agnes Moorehead) and believes his girlfriend Virginia (Barbara Bel Geddes) no longer loves him. Cosick creeps onto the ledge of a skyscraper in downtown New York and threatens to jump; for the next 14 hours, Dunnigan (Paul Douglas), a policeman who was passing by, tries to talk him down, searching for a way to convince him that life is worth living. A crowd forms on the street below as Dunnigan talks with Cosick; Danny (Jeffrey Hunter) and Ruth (Debra Paget) meet as they watch the grim spectacle and discover how much they have in common. Meanwhile, in a building across the street, a young woman about to sign her divorce papers (Grace Kelly) finds herself wondering if she should give up on her marriage so hastily as she watches Cosick debate about throwing away his life. Fourteen Hours marked Grace Kelly's screen debut; Ossie Davis and Brian Keith also appear in small roles. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Audio: Dolby Digital Mono
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Screen: Black and White
• Features:
  • cc
  • Commentary by Film Noir historian Foster Hirsch
  • Interactive pressbook gallery
  • Original theatrical trailer

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Nominated Best Black and White Art Direction - 1951 (Fred J. Rode, Thomas K. Little, Leland Fuller, Lyle Wheeler)

• British Academy of Film and Television Arts

•     Nominated Best British Film - 1951 (Henry Hathaway)

• National Board of Review

•     Won Best Actor - 1951 (Richard Basehart)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 1951

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Richard Basehart - Robert Cosick
       Paul Douglas - Dunnigan
       Barbara Bel Geddes - Virginia
       Agnes Moorehead - Mrs. Cosick
       Robert Keith - Mr. Cosick
       Grace Kelly - Mrs. Fuller
       Howard Da Silva - Lieutenant Moskar
       Jeffrey Hunter - Danny
       Martin Gabel - Dr. Strauss
       Frank Faylen - Walter
       Jeff Corey - Sgt. Farley
       James Millican - Sgt. Boyle
       Don Randolph - Dr. Benson
       Willard Waterman - Mr. Harris
       Ken Harvey - Police Operator
       George MacQuarrie - Evangelist
       Ann Morrison - Mrs. Dunnigan
       Forbes Murray - Police Commissioner
       George Putnam - Radio Announcer [uncredited]
       Michael Fitzmaurice - TV Announcer
       Russell Hicks - Regan
       Brad Dexter

• Director:

  Henry Hathaway

• Producer:

  Sol C. Siegel

• Screen Story:

  Joel Sayre

• Screenwriter:

  John Paxton

• Cinematographer:

  Joe MacDonald

• Composer (Music Score):

  Alfred Newman

• Editor:

  Dorothy Spencer

• Art Director:

  Lyle Wheeler, Leland Fuller

REVIEW:

• This exceptional and mostly forgotten drama about a man on a ledge threatening to jump has several stories encircling the main conflict Irish beat cop, Dunnigan (Paul Douglas), attempting to talk down the jumper, Robert Cosick (Richard Basehart). Douglas is excellent with a genuine warmth to his character that moves Robert to talk with him and consider coming down. Basehart has a tough role and isn't up to it, coming off as so depressed and out of it that he fumbles through his lines. His character isn't nearly as strong or as interesting as Douglas'. Robert's mom Agnes Moorehead and dad Robert Keith show up and add to his misery, as the police make many varied and unsuccessful attempts at grabbing him and talking him down. Grace Kelly, in her first film, appears in a very tiny role as one of the spectacle's many witnesses, which range from a bunch of disgruntled taxi drivers stuck in traffic to a young couple that falls for each other to a crazy pseudo-priest. Fourteen Hours is a compelling story stolen from the headlines of the time and skillfully directed by Henry Hathaway.
  
  ~ Adam Bregman, Rovi