{"id":20698,"date":"2011-12-14T11:27:07","date_gmt":"2011-12-14T18:27:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=20698"},"modified":"2022-04-14T20:26:04","modified_gmt":"2022-04-15T03:26:04","slug":"big-clock-the-1948","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=20698","title":{"rendered":"Big Clock, The (1948)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Oh, Miss York, where are the green clocks of yesteryear?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Big-Clock-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Big-Clock-Poster-198x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"198\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-20700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Big-Clock-Poster-198x300.jpg 198w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Big-Clock-Poster-84x128.jpg 84w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Big-Clock-Poster.jpg 499w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 198px) 100vw, 198px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nAn over-worked editor (Ray Milland) whose wife (Margaret O&#8217;Sullivan) is weary of his insane work schedule goes out drinking one night with a sympathetic colleague (Rita Johnson), and learns the next day that she&#8217;s been murdered. His overbearing boss (Charles Laughton) &#8212; who, as Johnson&#8217;s jealous lover, committed the murder himself, but is desperate to blame it on the shadowy figure he saw leaving Johnson&#8217;s apartment &#8212; tasks Milland with heading an investigation to determine this mysterious man&#8217;s identity, not knowing it was Milland himself.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Charles Laughton Films<\/li>\n<li>Elsa Lanchester Films<\/li>\n<li>Framed<\/li>\n<li>George Macready Films<\/li>\n<li>Journalists<\/li>\n<li>Living Nightmare<\/li>\n<li>Maureen O&#8217;Sullivan Films<\/li>\n<li>Ray Milland Films<\/li>\n<li>Tycoons<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nThe synopsis above hints at the complexity of this dense but fascinating and finely paced &#8220;murder mystery&#8221;, in which an egomaniacal tycoon (Laughton) shamelessly attempts to shift the blame for a murder he has committed onto someone else. The story &#8212; deftly directed by John Farrow (who cast his wife, O&#8217;Sullivan, in a small and somewhat thankless role) &#8212; occurs in flashback, as a panicked Milland recounts how he ended up in hiding from the police in his own office building &#8212; a futuristic edifice with an enormous clock (hence the title) meant to represent the God-like command held by Laughton, who micro-manages his employees to an extent that would be laughable if it weren&#8217;t sadly believable. Anyone who&#8217;s ever been pressured to give 110% to their job will relate to Milland&#8217;s frustration at being unable, even after years of dedicated service, to take a much-deserved holiday with his wife; the irony, of course, is that even after steeling himself to stand up to Laughton and quit his job, Laughton&#8217;s sway holds fierce, as Milland suddenly finds himself caught up in the ultimate living nightmare. <\/p>\n<p>What&#8217;s perhaps most impressive is how neatly all the elements of Jonathan Latimer&#8217;s intricate screenplay fall into place, with each facet of Milland&#8217;s ill-advised drinking spree &#8212; his request for a &#8220;green clock&#8221; at a bar, his purchase of a surreal painting at a pawnshop after bargaining with another would-be owner (Elsa Lanchester) &#8212; coming back to haunt him. (Lanchester&#8217;s role &#8212; she&#8217;s as delightful as ever &#8212; becomes nicely fleshed out as we learn she&#8217;s actually the painting&#8217;s creator, and she ends up playing a critical role in the investigation.) Adding to the complexity of the entire narrative, of course, is the fact that Laughton doesn&#8217;t know Milland is the man he&#8217;s trying to frame, and that Milland &#8212; renowned for his amateur sleuthing abilities &#8212; is ultimately trying to track down himself. It&#8217;s all a giddy, nerve-wracking delight &#8212; and while I&#8217;m always the first to complain if I feel a narrative contains too many details for viewers to easily hold in place, thankfully that isn&#8217;t the case here. Fine performances all-around, as well as appropriately <em>noir<\/em>-ish cinematography and effective set designs, make this one a memorable treat on multiple levels. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ray Milland as George Stroud<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Milland.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Milland.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20731\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Milland.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Milland-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Milland-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Charles Laughton as Earl Janoth<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Laughton.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Laughton.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20732\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Laughton.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Laughton-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Laughton-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Rita Johnson as Pauline York<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Johnson.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Johnson.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20733\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Johnson.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Johnson-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Johnson-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Elsa Lanchester as Louise Patterson<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Lanchester.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Lanchester.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20734\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Lanchester.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Lanchester-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Lanchester-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Effectively &#8220;futuristic&#8221; sets<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Sets.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Sets.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20735\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Sets.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Sets-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Sets-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>John Seitz&#8217;s cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20736\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Cinematography.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Cinematography-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Cinematography-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Fine direction by John Farrow<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Direction.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Direction.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20737\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Direction.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Direction-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Big-Clock-Direction-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Jonathan Latimer&#8217;s clever screenplay<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as an effective, smartly crafted noir thriller. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Good Show<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0040160\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1948\/04\/22\/archives\/the-screen-the-big-clock-17jewel-film-with-ray-milland-laughton-is.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thespinningimage.co.uk\/cultfilms\/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=1631&#038;aff=13\">Spinning Image Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s1308big.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/mYrVLnPDRVI\">Tired Old Queen at the Movies Video Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Oh, Miss York, where are the green clocks of yesteryear?&#8221; Synopsis: An over-worked editor (Ray Milland) whose wife (Margaret O&#8217;Sullivan) is weary of his insane work schedule goes out drinking one night with a sympathetic colleague (Rita Johnson), and learns the next day that she&#8217;s been murdered. His overbearing boss (Charles Laughton) &#8212; who, as Johnson&#8217;s jealous lover, committed the murder himself, but is desperate to blame it on the shadowy figure he saw leaving Johnson&#8217;s apartment &#8212; tasks Milland&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=20698\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20698","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20698"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20698\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83007,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20698\/revisions\/83007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20698"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}