''The Night Holds Terror'' is a 1955 American

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

based on a true incident, written and directed by

Andrew L. Stone Andrew L. Stone (July 16, 1902 – June 9, 1999) was an Americans, American screenwriter, film director and producer. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the film ''Julie (1956 film), Julie'' in 1957 and re ...

and starring

Vince Edwards Vince Edwards (born Vincent Edward Zoine; July 9, 1928 – March 11, 1996) was an American actor and director. He was best known for his TV role as doctor Ben Casey and as Major Cliff Bricker in the 1968 war film '' The Devil's Brigade''. Ear ...

John Cassavetes John Nicholas Cassavetes ( ; December 9, 1929 – February 3, 1989) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. First known as a television and film actor, Cassavetes also helped pioneer American independent cinema, writing and dire ...

and Jack Kelly.

Plot

Family man Gene Courtier picks up

hitchhiker Hitchhiking (also known as thumbing, autostop or hitching) is a means of transportation that is gained by asking individuals, usually strangers, for a ride in their car or other vehicle. The ride is usually, but not always, free. Nomads have ...

Victor Gosset, a wanted criminal who was a dangle for a gang of three robbers headed by Robert Batsford and new addition Luther Logan. When the gang discovers he only has a few dollars in cash they decide to force Courtier to sell his valuable car and turn the money over to them. The dealer can't pay such a large sum out so late in the day, so they leave with Courtier and head to the family home in a nearby suburban development. The plan is to overnight there, accompany Courtier in the morning so he can collect his money, and leave. Instead of crashing his car and bringing attention to himself and the criminals, he foolishly places his entire family in mortal danger. The night becomes a night of terror, anxiety and bickering for both Courtiers, and upheaval and fear for their two young children. In the morning Courtier's family is left behind, unhurt, and the plan to get the car proceeds successfully. Before Courtier can be murdered on a desert turnoff, one of the hoodlums, Logan, suggests they instead hold him for ransom. He has discovered Courtier's father owns a chain of stores in the Los Angeles area, and Batsford decides to demand $200,000. The senior Courtier is given overnight to round such a large sum then up. Meanwhile, Courtier's wife calls the police, who begin to trace any calls they can between the gang and any principals. The hoodlums retire with Courtier to their expensive hillside hideout, and behind the scenes the police begin to close in. There is friction within the gang, and a combined escape attempt of Logan and Courtier ends up with Logan shot dead by Batsford and Courtier recaptured. Ultimately Mrs. Courtier stalls long enough for a successful trace. The police are ready, and scores of squad cars close in on the target area. There is a shootout near a phonebooth in a deserted industrial area, Batsford and Gossett are wounded, and Courtier is safely reunited with his wife.

Cast

* Jack Kelly as Gene Courtier *

Hildy Parks Hildy Parks (March 12, 1926 – October 7, 2004) was an American actress and writer for television programs. Early years Parks was born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Cleo (Scanland) and Steve McNeil Parks. Parks pursued acting followin ...

as Doris Courtier *

as Victor Gosset *

as Robert Batsford * David Cross as Luther Logan * Eddie Marr as Captain Cole *

Jack Kruschen Jacob "Jack" Kruschen (March 20, 1922 – April 2, 2002) was a Canadian character actor who worked primarily in American film, television and radio. Kruschen was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Dr. ...

as Detective Pope * Joyce McCluskey as Phyllis Harrison *

Jonathan Hale Jonathan Hale (born Jonathan Hatley; March 21, 1891 – February 28, 1966) was a Canadian-born film and television actor. Life and career Hale was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Before his acting career, Hale worked in the Diplomatic Co ...

as Bob Henderson *

Barney Phillips Bernard Philip Ofner (October 20, 1913 – August 17, 1982), better known by his stage name Barney Phillips, was an American film, television, and radio actor. His most prominent roles include that of Sgt. Ed Jacobs on the 1950s '' Dragnet' ...

as Stranske *

Roy Neal Roy Neal Hinkel (May 30, 1921 – August 15, 2003) was an American television correspondent for NBC News. An aerospace specialist, he reported live on the Apollo 11 landing. His newscast from that event was later published on LP by Evolution Reco ...

as TV Newsreader * Joel Marston as Reporter * Guy Kingsford as Police Technician *

Stanley Andrews Stanley Andrews (born Stanley Martin Andrzejewski; August 28, 1891 – June 23, 1969) was an American actor perhaps best known as the voice of Daddy Warbucks on the radio program ''Little Orphan Annie'' and later as "The Old Ranger", the first ...

as Mr Courtier (uncredited) *

Charles Herbert Charles Herbert Saperstein (December 23, 1948 – October 31, 2015), known as Charles Herbert, was an American child actor of the 1950s and 1960s. Before reaching his teens, Herbert was renowned by a generation of moviegoers for an on-screen ...

as Steven Courtier (uncredited) *

Barbara Woodell Barbara Woodell (May 25, 1910 – January 16, 1997) was an American film and television actress, born in Lewistown, Illinois. Selected filmography * '' Lady, Let's Dance'' (1944) * ''The Mysterious Mr. Valentine'' (1946) * ''Carnegie Hall'' (1 ...

as Mrs. Osmond (uncredited) *

William Woodson William T. Woodson (July 16, 1917 – February 22, 2017) was an American film, stage, radio and voice actor, best known for his narration of the radio series '' This is Your FBI'', the animated series '' Super Friends'' and all its spin-offs, and ...

as Narrator (uncredited)

The Actual Crime

The date was February 13, 1953. Eugene M. Courtier was an Edwards Air Force Base technician, and the kidnapping took place on a Lancaster, CA highway; the used car sale also took place in Lancaster. The criminals were Leonard Daniel Mahan, James Bartley Carrigan, and Don Eugene Hall. All survived the ordeal, and were tried and sentenced. A detailed description of the crime – which lacks most of the dramatics of the overnight hostage situation at the Courtier home portrayed in the movie and instead describes making and eating breakfast together, serving coffee, playing and dancing to music (without any stated coercion) – is contained in a related court document. There is no description of any gunfight or violence during the kidnapper's apprehension. An appeal by Mahan for a mistrial over the failure of the presiding judge to instruct the jury to disregard any description of an incident in which Courtier and his father physically attacked Mahan in the courtroom (in the absence of the jury) was denied.

Reception

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 ...

'' stated that the director "must be accorded a bright green light for what he has accomplished in this tight, economical and steadily suspenseful little picture" even though it "is far from memorable". ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

'' called it "A well-constructed, powerful film."

References

External links