An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (1962)

• 84% of users liked it
  (1,428 ratings)

Ambrose Bierce's classic hallucinatory short story An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge has been adapted to film at least three times. The first version was a 1932 short subject directed by Charles Vidor; the second was a two-part 1959 installment of TV's Alfred Hitchcock Presents; and the… More Ambrose Bierce's classic hallucinatory short story An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge has been adapted to film at least three times. The first version was a 1932 short subject directed by Charles Vidor; the second was a two-part 1959 installment of TV's Alfred Hitchcock Presents; and the third was this award-winning French short, adapted and directed by Robert Enrico. The time is the American Civil War: Southern plantation-owner Peyton Farquahr (Roger Jacquet) has been condemned to death for spying against the Union cause. As he prepares to be hanged from the Owl Creek bridge, Farquahr morosely contemplates his fate and fondly recalls his loving wife (Anne Cornaly). The commanding officer gives the signal, Farquahr is dropped off the side of the bridge -- and suddenly the rope breaks. Farquahr breaks loose of his bonds, remains submerged in the creek as the soldiers' bullets whiz all about him, breathlessly reaches dry land, and painstakingly makes his way home to the arms of his wife. As he rushes towards her and.......ah -- to say more would be to ruin the surprise. The music by Henri Lanoe includes an original ballad, "Live Livin' Man", sung spiritual-style in English. An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge made its American TV premiere as the February 28, 1964 installment of the anthology series The Twilight Zone. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi