''Split Second'' is a 1953 American film noir thriller directed by Dick Powell about escaped convicts and their hostages holed up in a

ghost town Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to: * Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned Film and television * ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser * ''Ghost Town'' (1956 film), an American Western film by All ...

, unaware of the grave danger they are in. It features

Stephen McNally Stephen McNally (born Horace Vincent McNally; July 29, 1911 – June 4, 1994) was an American actor remembered mostly for his appearances in many Westerns and action films. He often played hard-hearted characters, criminals, bullies, and othe ...

, Alexis Smith,

Jan Sterling Jan Sterling (born Jane Sterling Adriance; April 3, 1921 – March 26, 2004) was an American film, television and stage actress. At her most active in films during the 1950s (immediately prior to which she had joined the Actors Studio), Sterling ...

, and

Keith Andes Keith Andes (born John Charles Andes, July 12, 1920 – November 11, 2005) was an American film, radio, musical theater, stage and television actor. Early life The son of Mr. and Mrs. William G. Andes, Andes was born in Ocean City, New Jersey ...

. It was the only film put into production by the consortium that took over RKO Pictures in late 1952 before previous owner

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in th ...

resumed control of the company.

Location shooting Location shooting is the shooting of a film or television production in a real-world setting rather than a sound stage or backlot. The location may be interior or exterior. The filming location may be the same in which the story is set (for ex ...

took place in the

Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert ( ; mov, Hayikwiir Mat'aar; es, Desierto de Mojave) is a desert in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Southwestern United States. It is named for the indigenous Mojave people. It is located primarily ...

Plot

Sam Hurley and Bart Moore escape from prison, although Moore is seriously wounded in the breakout. They commandeer a gas station, killing the attendant when he tries to disarm Hurley. They meet up with a confederate, a mute named "Dummy", and hide out in a ghost town. Along the way, they pick up several hostages, Kay Garven and her lover Arthur Ashton, reporter Larry Fleming, dancer Dorothy "Dottie" Vail, and the town's sole resident, Asa Tremaine. Sam calls Kay's husband Neal, a doctor, and threatens to kill Kay if he does not come and help Bart. Larry warns the gangsters that the government is going to conduct an atomic bomb test nearby the next morning, but Sam does not believe him. When Arthur causes trouble, Sam kills him without a qualm. To Kay's surprise, Neal still loves her enough to show up. He successfully operates on Bart, but warns Sam that moving his friend too soon will kill him. When Sam finally realizes that Larry was telling the truth, he still waits as long as possible to give Bart time to recuperate. Unknown to everyone, the test has been moved ahead an hour due to favorable weather conditions. When the five-minute warning sounds earlier than expected, Sam and Bart hurry to Neal's car and a desperate Kay persuades Sam to take her along. Larry overpowers Dummy, but the others drive away. Asa leads Dottie, Larry and Neal to safety in a nearby mine. Sam, Bart and Kay are killed by the explosion, but the others emerge unharmed.

Cast

as Sam Hurley * Alexis Smith as Kay Garven *

as Dorothy "Dottie" Vail *

as Larry Fleming *

Arthur Hunnicutt Arthur Lee Hunnicutt (February 17, 1910 – September 26, 1979) was an American actor known for his portrayal of wise, grizzled, and old rural characters. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in ...

as Asa Tremaine * Paul Kelly as Bart Moore *

Robert Paige Robert Paige (born John Arthur Paige, December 2, 1911 – December 21, 1987) was an actor and a TV newscaster and political correspondent and Universal Pictures leading man who made 65 films in his lifetime: he was the only actor ever allowed t ...

as Arthur Ashton * Richard Egan as Dr. Neal Garven *

Frank de Kova Frank de Kova (March 17, 1910 – October 15, 1981) was an American character actor in films, stage, and TV. Biography De Kova was born in New York City. He was a teacher at a school in New York before joining a Shakespeare repertory group. He ...

as Dummy

Victor Mature Victor John Mature (January 29, 1913 – August 4, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actor who was a leading man in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s. His best known film roles include ''One Million B.C.'' (1940), '' My Darlin ...

and

Jane Russell Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell (June 21, 1921 – February 28, 2011) was an American actress, singer, and model. She was one of Hollywood's leading sex symbols in the 1940s and 1950s. She starred in more than 20 films. Russell moved from th ...

were originally intended as the leads. Stephen McNally in Split Second trailer

Critical reception

When the film was released, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' film critic A. H. Weiler, while praising the cast, gave the film a mixed review, and at the same time encouraged first-time director Dick Powell. He wrote, "In making his directorial debut with ''Split Second'', Dick Powell fortunately acquired a small but enthusiastic and competent cast, a fairly sturdy script and a contemporary peg on which to hang his melodrama ... Unfortunately, however, the pace at which this thriller moves is erratic and while its ''dénouement'' is spectacular it is hardly surprising. ''Split Second'' is a fairly taut adventure closely tied to the atomic age but it is rarely explosive ... Mr. Powell's initial directorial effort is not likely to startle the cinema world but it is a long step in the right direction." More recently, film and DVD critic

Jamie S. Rich Jamie S. Rich is an author of both prose and graphic novel fiction, a web series host, and editor of American comic books. He is currently Executive Editorial Director at IDW Publishing. Career As writer His first published work was the novel ...

also gave the film a lukewarm review, writing, "The film doesn't have much tension, despite the inherent drama of the scenario. The main reason for this is Hurley. He isn't written as being all that menacing. He's more the know-it-all pessimist who sees through everyone else's charade, rather than the scary murderer who plays mind games with his victims. He stirs up the pot some, but the juiciest stuff emerges all on its own ... the bulk of ''Split Second'' is essentially unremarkable. It's a serviceable lower-tier movie that moves at an efficient pace and provides mild entertainment." Another modern reviewer, Craig Butler from AllMovie, was more positive: "Not as well known as it should be but a favorite of many who know it, Split Second is an incredibly tense ''film noir''-cum-atomic bomb flick that marked an auspicious directorial debut for singer-actor Dick Powell ... Powell is aided in his efforts by the first rate black and white cinematography of Nick Musuraca ... The cast does not disappoint either, with fine work by all ..."

References

Bibliography

* Jewell, Richard B. ''Slow Fade to Black: The Decline of RKO Radio Pictures''. University of California Press, 2016.

External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Split Second (1953 Film) 1953 films 1950s thriller films 1953 directorial debut films American black-and-white films American thriller films Film noir Films about hostage takings Films about kidnapping Films about nuclear war and weapons Films directed by Dick Powell Films scored by Roy Webb Films set in Nevada Films with screenplays by Irving Wallace RKO Pictures films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films