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Charles Laughton, Elsa Lanchaster, George Macready

What if you were asked to investigate a murder in which you were the prime suspect? From this seemingly impossible notion comes a grandly entertaining nail-biter. Charles Laughton plays the punctualit...( read more  read more... )y obsessed, slave-driving head of a publishing empire who won't let his crime magazine's star editor (Ray Milland) take a day off to spend with his family. The overworked Milland, having just upset a delayed honeymoon trip for the umpteenth time, goes on a sorrow-drowning, bar-hopping bender with a mysterious woman who, it turns out, is Laughton's mistress. Later that night after Milland has gone home, Laughton murders her, and the next day he assigns Milland to investigate, since a number of clues point to her having spent time with another man that night. Milland, then, must not only find the real murderer but sidetrack the investigation away from himself. That both characters are solving the crime in tandem yet unwittingly working toward pinning the murder on each other is at the heart of The Big Clock's labyrinthine brilliance. Helping bring out the dark humor in this adaptation of Kenneth Fearing's noir novel (included in the Library of America's Crime Novels collection) is Elsa Lanchester as a high-strung painter who can sketch the prime suspect (Milland), a time-bomb plot device that only adds to the already unbearable suspense. This is a taut, lean thriller, superbly handled by director John Farrow, who never fails to remind his audience through repeated use of clocks, timepieces, and watches that all too often in our lives that ticking sound is the enemy. This was remade in 1987 with Kevin Costner as No Way Out. --Robert Abele

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74% liked it

1,083 ratings

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100% liked it

6 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 35 min.

Directed by: John Farrow

Release Date: January 1, 1948

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DVD Release Date: July 6, 2004

Stats: 66 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (66)

  • rubystevens
    May 4, 2009
    rubystevens
    an intense thriller with ray milland and charles laughton that was remade in the 80's as the kevin costner vehicle called no way out. this is better of course. some of the dialogue is line for line
  • mjgildea
    April 15, 2007
    mjgildea
    A nerve-wracking noir classic you've probably never heard of.
  • leeguess2005
    December 26, 2007
    leeguess2005
    An interesting little crime drama that only falters in the rather weak conclusion.
  • Venieza
    July 19, 2007
    Venieza
    All CLASSICS are GOOD
  • espionage64
    June 3, 2007
    espionage64
    V. good! Laughton is rather creepy BUT in a good way.

    I don't like the abrupt ending,
  • marywallace50
    May 3, 2007
    marywallace50
    I have never heard of this, but based on the premise, would like to see it. Sounds very intriguing.

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The Big Clock Trivia

  • Which 1948 thriller, directed by Mia Farrow's father, was remade as No Way Out (1987) with Kevin Costner in the starring role?  Answer »
  • The plot of the Big Clock (1948), in which Ray Milland is assigned to lead the hunt for a killer while knowing all the clues will eventually point to him, was loosely rehashed in which thriller starring Kevin Costner?  Answer »
  • No Way Out, starring Kevin Costner was a remake of the classic film noir:  Answer »
  • True/False: In the movie Jumper, when David is perched at the top of Big Ben in London, the clock behind him states it is half past 6?  Answer »
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