The simplest stories can sometimes be the most absorbing. Having just spent a very rewarding hour and a half viewing Time Lock (1957), I reckon it would also be fair to say such films can be among the most suspenseful too. In this case it really is down to the quality of the story itself. The budget must have been slight, the cast is limited and has no especially big names, and the direction is not particularly showy. However, the subject matter is such that it grabs the attention and then holds it in a steely grip right up to the moment the end credits roll.
Toronto on a sleepy Friday afternoon in the middle of July. It’s a time when most people will be thinking of the days ahead, pleased to have left the trials and pressures of another working week behind them. In a sense, all the danger signs are present in that period of time, a soporific blend of relief at what’s been relegated to the past and anticipation for what the future may hold leading to casualness or indeed carelessness in the present. It should come as no surprise then that the arrival of Lucille Walker (Betty McDowall) at the bank where her husband Colin (Lee Patterson) works is accompanied by a degree of laxness on the part of everyone there. Pretty much all of the staff, the manager (Alan Gifford) included has at least half an eye on something other than work. It’s also the Walkers son’s sixth birthday and he’s naturally being treated with even more indulgence than usual. As he scampers around the bank clutching his new flashlight and seeking out various nooks and crannies to test its effectiveness, there is the sound of a collision on the street outside. It draws the attention of everyone, even the manager and Colin Walker, who are in the process of setting the time lock on the vault. A quick glance through the windows shows that nothing serious has occurred, not outside anyway. And then the vault door is swung shut and the locks activated. Just as the heavy, unyielding steel seals itself, an even heavier realization descends on those in the bank – the boy is nowhere to be seen, and has clearly been shut up tight in a strongroom that cannot be opened till Monday morning. Disbelief is soon shooed aside by panic, which in turn finds itself chased away by a gnawing sense of desperation. The air supply is finite, the vault virtually impenetrable, and the only man who might know how to get in (Robert Beatty) is off for a weekend of fishing.
It’s a very simple and uncomplicated story, a small boy trapped in a vault and a race against time to free him. However, it is the simplicity that makes it work so well. It is a situation that is both unthinkable yet also entirely credible. These two factors add an edge to the suspense that grows naturally from any race against the clock tale. At first, I was a little surprised to see that the script was derived from a play by Arthur Hailey. There is the temptation to see his bestselling novels and their adaptations for the big and small screen as large scale, sprawling affairs – Airport and Hotel certainly spring to mind. Yet even those are quite contained in a sense, and there’s no getting away from the fact that his subject matter favored scenarios where unexpected drama was wrought from essentially mundane circumstances.
Perhaps more surprising is the production team behind Time Lock. When the credits announce that the feature is directed by Gerald Thomas and written and produced by Peter Rogers, well one would be forgiven for jumping to the conclusion that a ribald comedy was on the cards. After all, those two were responsible for the long running Carry On series of movies. You’d never know that from a viewing of this film though, the tone remaining deadly serious all the way through as befits such a tense premise.
Looked at from today’s perspective, the movie had one big star – Sean Connery. However, this was right at the start of his career and his role is small, as one of the workmen called in to see if there was any chance of their oxyacetylene cutting gear making an impression on the vault door. The main parts are filled by Lee Patterson and Betty McDowall as the helpless parents who are unable to anything other than wait and hope and pray. Alan Gifford, who shared the screen with Patterson the same year in the rather good The Flying Scot, gets a reasonably juicy part as the guilt-ridden bank manager. Robert Beatty heads the cast, even though he only enters proceedings about half way through, as the expert on safes. When he does appear he ushers in a sense of even greater urgency, brisk and brusque in his management of a situation whose margins of error have by then been shaved right down to the bone.
I don’t think Time Lock has ever had a DVD release in the UK, although it has appeared in the US, included in one of Kino’s British Noir sets, and in Australia in the past. It would have been a good title for Network’s British Film line, but the company’s sad and sudden demise means that will never happen now. Anyway, it remains a terrific little suspense yarn that manages to do a lot with limited resources. I definitely recommend the film to anyone who is not yet familiar with it.
Riding the High Country 
Strange coincidence, Colin, that I recently pulled this film off the shelf for a re-watch as it had been several years since last I saw it. I agree with your thoughts that a relatively small film on a limited budget can provide solid and gripping entertainment.
An interesting cast of mostly character actors although Lee Patterson was quite successful starring in a sizeable number of British programmers throughout the 1950s. But the name at the head of the cast, Robert Beatty, was a household name here in the UK for many years starting in the 1940s and throughout the 50s, into the 60s. I draw attention to this as his name seems almost forgotten now but at the time everyone here was familiar with ‘Bob Beatty’.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, Patterson was in an awful lot of thrillers around this time and most of them were quite enjoyable. As for Beatty, I’ve always thought of him as a very reliable presence, frequently cast in what I’d term solid supporting roles. He did get the lead in some good movies of course, such as Portrait of Alison and The Broken Horseshoe. He also had his own TV show Dial 999, which I rather like – as I recall, I think it’s one you’re fond of as well.
LikeLike
Lee Patterson is always very reliable. I’m always happy to see his name in a cast list for a movie. I loved The Flying Scot.
LikeLike
His movies tend to be very watchable, solid and unspectacular affairs in general yet I’m rarely disappointed by them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This sounds one to hunt down, Colin. Have watched a couple of these low-budget British movies recently and found them satisfyingly good. One was THE FLYING SCOT (for the third or fourth time) and CAT AND MOUSE, both starring Lee Patterson and proving that a production can be modest but still be great entertainment. Gifford’s performance was excellent in SCOT. Beatty was terrific in the excellent PORTRAIT OF ALISON and some other Bs I’ve watched. So it’s a strong group of actors in Time Lock, even allowing for Connery being something of a ham in his early roles.
LikeLike
It is indeed a good cast, all people who were very experienced in this kind of low budget fare and often capable of rising above the limitations of the script or production. Connery doesn’t have much to do in this movie, which is true of many of those early bit parts. To be fair, he tended to get cast in the kind of “ignorant heavy” parts that didn’t leave a lot of room for subtlety.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Off topic and I’ve been off line for some time-but I noticed your comment on the Kino Facebook page about the forthcoming Noir collection featuring CRASHOUT-CITY OF SHADOWS and FINGER MAN.
This is unusual as the titles are from the Paramount/Republic vaults. I just paid a small fortune for the OOP Olive version of CRASHOUT which is an excellent movie with a fine cast including underused Beverly Michaels. The Kino version should be a considerable upgrade. FINGER MAN is an Allied Artists film and very good it is too with Tim Carey a hoot and Forrest Tucker stealing the show as the charming but ruthless heavy. Cast also includes RTHC fave Peggie Castle and stolid Frank Lovejoy. The final film in this prime set is CITY OF SHADOWS one of those last gasp Republic B’s directed by the great William Witney. So much in the Paramount vaults for Kino to explore especially with the Republic/Allied Artists titles-these Noir sets will run & run.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree with you John about those titles, and Republic always works, at least somewhat, for me. If you are in touch with Walter, say hello for Barry.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a very interesting set of films. I’m kind of disappointed that there’s to be no more Universal. I’d been hoping we might see a few more: Nightmare (1942), Forbidden (1953) and Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (1957) in particular, but it seems that’s not to be.
LikeLike
They have announced another Universal set with IRON MAN included-the Universal I really want is UNDER THE GUN. They have not released a Republic title for ages so I’m really glad about that-I’m also interested what IMPRINT come up with regarding their ongoing Republic titles which most of the time are in pristine condition. CRASHOUT was an independent production (Hal Chester) picked up for release by Ida Lupino’s Film Makers.
LikeLike
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about the releases. I think they are all most welcome, especially when you look at how little is coming from other sources these days. Overall, I’m pleased that attention is being given to these kinds of movies.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Colin-where did you hear that this is the last of Kino’s Universal Noir sets….did I miss something? I’m very excited about the fact they have continued the Paramount/Republic releases I’m going to have to double dip re CRASHOUT as I really want FINGER MAN in HD as well as the rare Republic title Have you invested in an all region Blu Ray player especially with this ever expanding Noir series from Kino and how is the to be watched stack going?Some of those last gasp Republic B’s are always worth a look and very hard to find. You are so right that our kind of movies are getting harder to find these days with Kino and Imprint leading the way. I never knew how many Monogram titles are owned by MGM/UA the earlier Charlie Chan’s and the three “Shadow” movies as well as a whole host of thrillers-hopefully Kino’s Mr Wong set sold well enough to persuade them to dip further into the Monogram vaults although,sadly the Monogram titles were not preserved with the same loving care as the Republic titles.
LikeLike
John, I thought I’d seen a comment from Kino, or a rep, that they felt they had exhausted the Universal titles. I may of course be mistaken in that and it might have been no more than some fan speculating. I’d like to think that is the case as, like yourself, it would be wonderful if they could continue releasing a mix of titles from the libraries they have access to.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello Barry-
I’ve been offline for some time-Virgin Media but all OK for now at least. Paramount own quiet a few Allied Artists Noirs and several which folks seem to class as Noir these days but I don’t care as long as these rare films find a marketplace. Other Paramount AA Noirs include SECURITY RISK-PORT OF HELL-THE BIG TIP OFF-LAS VEGAS SHAKEDOWN-THE COME ON among others. Then there are all those wonderful Republic B Pictures the list is endless.
Contacted Walter a couple of months back he’s giving commenting a rest for now and I hope he’s back sooner rather than later-I really miss our discussions. I understand Jerry may have been in contact recently. I’m very excited about FINGER MAN as I’ve been after a watchable copy of this one for ages Tucker always delivers. Another hard to see Republic title is CHAMP FOR A DAY (1955) with Alex Nicol and Audrey Totter a boxing/crime picture hybrid and recently restored by Scorsese/The Film Foundation-I hope it appears on a forthcoming Kino Noir set.
LikeLiked by 1 person
If Kino intend to continue their Noir series delving into the Paramount/Republic vaults here are a few select titles that I’d love to see debut in HD-really this list only scratches the surface
FORGOTTEN GIRLS Phil Rosen 1940
LONDON BLACKOUT MURDERS George Sherman 1943
BLACKMAIL Lesley Selander 1947
BLONDE BANDIT George Blair 1947
TRAIN TO ALCATRAZ Philip Ford 1948
DESTINATION BIG HOUSE George Blair 1950
WOMEN FROM HEADQUARTERS George Blair 1950
MAKE HASTE TO LIVE William Seiter 1954
I COVER THE UNDERWORLD R G Springsteen 1955
TERROR AT MIDNIGHT Franklin Adreon 1956
ACCUSED OF MURDER Joseph Kane 1956
LikeLike
That’s an intriguing list, from my perspective anyway. I’ve only seen two of those movies you’ve listed – Accused of Murder and Make Haste to Live – and liked both of them. I’d be very happy to sample some or any of the others.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I presume that you watched those two titles on line the Naturama/Trucolor version of ACCUSED OF MURDER looks pretty good. I’m still holding out watching movies online and as both these titles are part of the Scorsese/Film Foundation restorations there is a good chance they will surface on disc. If Kino are now concentrating on Paramount/Republic titles with their Noir sets then this is very good news.
LikeLike
Hard copies are obviously preferable, but I’ve realized I don’t mind watching online or downloading, the latter allows me to have my own copy of course, when it’s a high quality version.
LikeLike
Colin
Sorry I have not posted for a bit. Was out of town seeing my daughter up in Dawson Creek B.C. She was in the hospital but is on the road to recovery now.
Nice pick for a write-up. Saw this one about a decade or so ago. Good little low-budget programmer. Set in Canada and starring several Canadians among the cast. Lee Patterson, Robert Beatty, Gordon Tanner and Larry Cross all hail from Canada.
Another Hailey film that was set in Canada was 1957s ZERO HOUR with Dana Andrews and Sterling Hayden. Decent film about a airliner whose crew get sick and a passenger needs to take over. The story was later made as the comedy, AIRPLANE. This one is not a comedy.
Gordon
LikeLike
Gord, I’m both sorry to hear of the family health worries and also relieved to hear things are heading in the right direction on that score.
While I’ve long been aware of Zero Hour, I’ve never seen it. Knowing it was the basis for that famous parody, coupled with the fact I read some smart Alec reviews which gave it a drubbing as a result combined to put me off for ages. I think the dismissive reviews stuck with me more. By the time I got to thinking that maybe I should see it for myself and make up my own mind other stuff always seemed to get in the way.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’d like to see ZERO HOUR. I’m a sucker for any kind of aviation thriller or aviation disaster movie.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I will try to give it a look, if only because I’m not keen on allowing myself to fall into the trap of prejudging movies based on potentially suspect views.
LikeLike
I agree very strongly. So many people do fall into that trap, and go into a movie that has a bad reputation expecting it to be awful. If you go into a movie with that attitude you probably will hate it. But often movies with bad reputations turn out to be surprisingly good, and sometimes they turn out to be unconventional but excellent.
That’s why I have such an intense dislike of “worst movies of all time” lists, and why I detest the labels “so bad it’s good” or “camp classic” as well. It prevents a lot of people from enjoying genuinely interesting movies.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bingo.
LikeLike
As far as possible, it’s generally best to go into any movie with an open mind. Skewed expectations in one direction or another rarely bring about a satisfying experience. Reputations, both good and bad, often precede movies and it’s hard to entirely disengage from that of course. However, where possible, I try to remember that I owe it to myself, and to the movie as well, to view it on its own terms and not just those ratings it has acquired along the way.
LikeLiked by 1 person
John
I am a big fan of the under-rated George Blair. I have at least 10 reviews up on IMDB on stuff by Blair. I really like 1950s LONELY HEART BANDITS.
Gord
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gordon-
I think we have had this conversation before but Mark of the excellent Noir blog Where Danger Lives was a big Blair fan. Sadly Mark passed away some time back but his blog is still active which I use as a constant source of reference.
LikeLike
Gordon-
Mark at the excellent Noir blog Where Danger Lives was a big Blair fan,sadly Mark passed away some time back but his blog is still active which I use as a constant source of reference. LONELY HEARTS BANDITS is a creepy little cracker and I’d love to see it included on a future Kino set.
LikeLike
Whoops Sorry Colin-I thought my previous post never went through
LikeLike
Glad you enjoyed this one, Colin. It’s so tense and really keeps you hooked. You’ve reminded me that it’s been way too long since I last saw it though. I like that it has an almost documentary look and feel to it which adds a realism to proceedings.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a good point. It never feels sensational at all – the natural drama and tension of the situation is enough to carry it along on its own.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So true. I don’t know about you but I often find that B films, or films you’ve never heard of, prove to be the most rewarding and a real treat to watch.
LikeLike
It’s possibly down to that old chestnut about expectations, isn’t it? Going into a film that you’re either unaware of or which is obscure enough not to have gained any kind of reputation means you’re approaching it from a very fresh perspective.
LikeLike