A
Excellent
MASTER SCORE 70.2 / 100
1955Crime / Drama / Film-Noir1h 52m
THE DESPERATE HOURS
“A reign of violence sweeps the screen.”
Escaped convicts terrorize a suburban family they're holding hostage.
Above the Line
William Wyler·DirectorJoseph Hayes·ScreenplayJoseph Hayes·Theatre PlayLee Garmes·Director of PhotographyGail Kubik·Original Music ComposerRobert Swink·Editor
Cast
Humphrey Bogart·Glenn GriffinFredric March·Daniel C. HilliardArthur Kennedy·Deputy Sheriff Jesse BardMartha Scott·Eleanor 'Ellie' HilliardDewey Martin·Hal GriffinGig Young·Chuck WrightMary Murphy·Cynthia 'Cindy' HilliardRichard Eyer·Ralph HilliardRobert Middleton·Sam KobishBert Freed·Tom Winston
Full Crew(28 credits)
Full Crew
(28 credits)
Directing· 4
William Wyler·DirectorCharles C. Coleman·Assistant DirectorJohn Waters·Second Unit DirectorHilton A. Green·Assistant Director
Writing· 3
Joseph Hayes·ScreenplayJoseph Hayes·Theatre PlayJoseph Hayes·Novel
Camera· 1
Lee Garmes·Director of Photography
Editing· 2
Robert Swink·EditorBill Wistrom·Assistant Editor
Sound & Music· 6
Gail Kubik·Original Music ComposerDaniele Amfitheatrof·Original Music ComposerHugo Grenzbach·Sound RecordistWinston H. Leverett·Sound RecordistCarl Mahakian·Sound EditorLeo Shuken·Orchestrator
Art & Design· 7
J. McMillan Johnson·Art DirectionHal Pereira·Art DirectionEdith Head·Costume DesignGrace Gregory·Set DecorationSam Comer·Set DecorationWally Westmore·Makeup SupervisorKarl Silvera·Makeup Artist
Production· 2
William Wyler·ProducerRobert Wyler·Associate Producer
Other Departments· 3
Farciot Edouart·Visual EffectsFred S. Fosler·Technical AdvisorJohn P. Fulton·Visual Effects
By the Numbers
70.2
OF 100
Master Score
7.4
OF 10
IMDb
88%
CRITICS
Rotten Tomatoes
$3M
ROI 9%
Worldwide Gross
0
Oscar Wins
Where to Watch
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Poster DNA
THE VISUAL DECONSTRUCTION
A bespoke vision agent's reading of the design language behind The Desperate Hours's key art.
Dominant Palette
3 colors
#262626
#A6A6A6
#6B6B6B
Mood
Tense, Dramatic
Composition
Layered
Era
1950s
Visual Style
Illustrated
“A black and white illustrated movie poster for "The Desperate Hours" features a man in the foreground, seen from the chest up in profile, holding a revolver. In”
crimedramafilm-noir
Key Elements
RevolverDoorChairFramed PictureFedora
Atmosphere
Dark
Color Mood
Neutral
Setting
Indoor
Design Score
7/10
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