Desperate Hours, The (1955)

William Wyler directed and produced this compelling thriller based on the Joseph Hayes novel and play; Hayes wrote the screenplay. Matching wits are two former Best Actor Oscar winners, Humphrey Bogart and Fredric March, the former is top-billed as Glenn Griffin, a murderer and escapee from a Terre Haute (Indiana) prison that, with his gang, invades the Indianapolis suburban home of the latter, Dan Hilliard, taking the executive and his family hostage in order to hide out during a police manhunt. Martha Scott plays Hilliard's wife Ellie, Mary Murphy and Richard Eyer their teenage daughter and son, Cindy and Ralphie. Dewey Martin plays Griffin's younger softer brother Hal, Robert Middleton plays brutish Sam Kobish. Each of the Hilliards, save Ellie, is permitted to leave the house to partake in normal activities (e.g. dating, work, school) to keep from arousing suspicions; Gig Young plays Cindy's boyfriend. Meanwhile, Arthur Kennedy plays Deputy Sheriff Jesse Bard, who has a past with Griffin, attempts to use the convict's girlfriend Helen Miller to find him, and leads the manhunt; Alan Reed plays a detective, Bert Freed a deputy, Ray Collins a sheriff ("gone fishin'"), Whit Bissell an FBI agent, and Ray Teal a state police lieutenant. The heart of the drama is Bogart, who's desperate not to get caught, and March, who is equally determined to protect his family and keep them from harm. Many will recognize the exterior of the house from the Leave It to Beaver television series.

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