The Desperate Hours

"A reign of violence sweeps the screen."

Oct 12 1955 Approved 1h 52m
Crime, Drama, Film-Noir

Escaped convicts terrorize a suburban family they're holding hostage.

Plot

After escaping from prison, Glenn Griffin, his brother Hal and a third inmate Sam Kobish randomly select a house in a well-to-do suburb of Indianapolis in which to hide out. The home belongs to the Hilliard family, Dan and Ellie who live there with their 19-year old daughter Cindy and their young son Ralph. They plan on staying only until midnight as Griffin is awaiting his girlfriend who will meet them with some money he had stashed away. When she doesn't arrive, their stay stretches out to several days. Dan Hilliard plays their game knowing that if he makes any attempt to contact the police, his family could be caught in the crossfire.

Written by

Joseph Hayes, Jay Dratler, Marcel Lebreton

Directed by

William Wyler

Production Countries

United States of America

Production Companies

Paramount

Languages

English

Awards

2 wins & 1 nomination total

Scores
# of Votes
11,326
Average Rating
7.5 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA