Dial 1119 [The Violent Hour] *** (1950, Marshall Thompson, Virginia Field, Andrea King) – Classic Movie Review 10,601

The neat and tidy 1950 film noir support thriller Dial 1119 is directed by the nephew of MGM boss Louis B Mayer, and stars Marshall Thompson as a deranged escaped killer holding hostage the customers of a bar.

Director Gerald Mayer’s 1950 black and white thriller Dial 1119 [The Violent Hour] stars Marshall Thompson, who does well cast against type as crazed gunman Gunther Wyckoff, a conscience-free killer, who escapes from a mental institution, murders a coach driver and takes his weapon, and then holds up six bar-folk as hostages at gun point in the fictitious Terminal City bar.

Mayer’s work is also strong in this neat and tidy MGM film-noir support thriller that runs just 75 minutes. The nifty writing by John Monks Jr (based on a story by Hugh King and Don McGuire) and good support cast (Virginia Field, Andrea King, Leon Ames, Keefe Brasselle, Sam Levene, Richard Rober) help. There is a dark, tense atmosphere throughout, and the film-making is plain, brisk, direct and straightforward in realistic-type film noir style.

William Conrad plays Chuckles the bartender, and Richard Rober plays the police captain, and also in the cast are James Bell, Dick Simmons, Hal Baylor, Barbara Billingsley, William Tannen, Ralph Roberts, Sherry Hall, Argentina Brunetti, Robert Foulk and Kirby Grant.

It resurfaced in 2010 on DVD in the The Film Noir Classic Collection Vol. 5, ironically released by MGM’s rival Warner Bros.

Those wondering how to start a career as a film director might take note that Gerald Mayer was the nephew of MGM studios owner Louis B Mayer and the son of studio manager Jerry Mayer.

The telephone number 1119 is the police emergency number.

Though the film was low budget at $473,000, it earned only $603,000 globally, losing MGM $148,000. It was the first film directed by Gerald Mayer in a brief film career before a very long and busy TV career.

Gerald Mayer was born on 5 June 1919 and died on 21 September 2001, aged 82. He directed Dial 1119 [The Violent Hour], Inside Straight, The Sellout, Holiday for Sinners, The Marauders and Diamond Safari, all low budget and most of them losing money.

Gerald Mayer recalled that his uncle Louis B Mayer was very much the boss of the family: ‘In our family, all the basic decisions were made by him. He was a giant. Were we afraid of him? Jesus Christ, yes!’

Dial 1119 [The Violent Hour] is directed by Gerald Mayer, runs 75 minutes, is made by MGM, is released by MGM, is written by John Monks Jr, based on a story by Hugh King and Don McGuire, is produced by Richard Goldstone, is shot by Paul Vogel, and is scored by André Previn

Release date: 3 November 1950 (US).

The cast are Marshall Thompson as Gunther Wyckoff, Virginia Field as Freddy, Andrea King as Helen, Sam Levene as Dr John D Faron, Leon Ames as Earl, Keefe Brasselle as Skip, Richard Rober as Police Captain Henry Keiver, James Bell as Harrison D Barnes, William Conrad as Chuckles the bartender, Dick Simmons as Television Announcer, Hal Baylor as Lieutenant Whitey Tallman, Barbara Billingsley, William Tannen, Ralph Roberts, Sherry Hall, Argentina Brunetti, Robert Foulk and Kirby Grant.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,601

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