source: Three Hours to Kill

Three Hours to Kill

Not the greatest, but better than a lot of the mid '50s westerns; and you know there were tons and tons of cowboy shows. THREE HOURS TO KILL meets all qualifications of representing those Saturday afternoon flicks from the Old West we enjoyed. Jim Guthrie(Dana Andrews)is a cowboy tired of running and three years after escaping a lynch mob returns to prove he was framed for murder. Still with the rope burn around his neck, he convinces Sheriff Ben East(Stephen Elliott)to give him three hours to bring in the real killer. Of course, Jim still carries anger for being forced to leave the women he planned to marry, Laurie(Donna Reed). Just maybe she waited for him and he could begin his life over with a cleared name. Andrews manages to make this movie to stand out a bit better than the ordinary Westerns of the time period. A fine supporting cast that includes: Richard Coogan, Whit Bissell, Dianne Foster, Richard Webb and Carolyn Jones.

That's the only reproach that I will make to this western, this topic pulling an expected scheme, predictable ending for a though sharp and pretty well directed movie. Dana Andrews is excellent, and any other characters in this film which remains a B picture, but I repeat, a good one. It deserves to be seen or discovered.

A taut little Columbia western produced by Jimmy Cagney's brother William reminiscent of 'Fury', 'High Noon' and Dana Andrews' own 'Ox-Bow Incident'. A strong female contingent includes a brunette Donna Reed, a red-haired Diane Foster and a blonde Carolyn Jones; while two of the dramatic highlights feature Whit Bissell at his most cowardly, first in his barber shop, and later when Andrews sneaks up on him and his co.conspirators (observed only by the audience) while discussing him in the local saloon.

I've seen this several times on AMC and locally so I'm surprised it has less than 5 votes as of this writing date. Anyway, it is a taut, lean, western mystery that also serves as a well-drawn character study of what happens to friendship and love when one is falsely accused. Very well acted by Dana Andrews, Dianne Foster (very underrated actress - also see The Last hurrah and the Kentuckian), Donna Reed, James Westerfield, Stephen Elliott, and Whit Bissell. Very well directed, too. 9/10.

Jim Guthrie (Dana Andrews) returns to town three years after being falsely accused of murder. His love and the victim's sister Laurie Mastin (Donna Reed) helped him escape the subsequent planned lynching. Now he's back looking for the real killer. His old friend Ben East (Stephen Elliott) is the new sheriff. It's a western but it also works as a mystery and a revenge thriller. The opening section has great mystery. One is left wondering about Guthrie's story. It also has a nice reveal at the end. It's a very solid mystery thriller dressed up in western clothing. Dana Andrews is a good everyman actor which serves him very well in this role. The film is a bit short but that works in its favor. It doesn't get bog down in the investigation although it could have used a bigger action ending. All in all, it's a short and sweet time.

Dana Andrews gives a convincing performance as Jim Guthrie who nearly got lynched and returns to town three years later to find out killed the brother of the woman he was going out with. The victim did not want Guthrie marrying his sister, Laurie who is now married to someone else, her husband might be one of the killers. A sympathetic Sheriff gives Guthrie three hours to find the killer. A saloon girl who had a thing for Guthrie helps him out. Guthrie goes after four friends of his who shouted the loudest for him being lynched. It is a routine western with a countdown, a straightforward story with a child born out of wedlock. There is no hint as to why Guthrie returned to town to clear his name and what he has been up to for the past few years.

Dana Andrews is right at home in this tumbleweed revenge-drama about a cowboy accused of murder, hiding out in the desert before going back to clear his name. Maybe not as well known as "3:10 To Yuma" or "Bad Day At Black Rock", but certainly just as good. Andrews is excellent, of course; he never exuded much of an animated personality, but he's strong and reliable, you trust him, and the fools in town who want to string him up look even sillier for not believing his story. A taut little western, nicely-made and with a good supporting cast.

Three Hours To Kill casts Dana Andrews as a man on the run for the murder of Richard Webb which he did not do, but for which he was nearly lynched. Andrews has the rope burn scar to prove it. Four old friends of his who also knew the victim were the ones yelling loudest for the lynching. Andrews zeroes in on them for the answers. There's also saloon girl Dianne Foster who has a thing for Dana and the sister of Richard Webb who was violently opposed to her marrying Andrews who is played by Donna Reed fresh from her Oscar win for From Here To Eternity. This western plays like a noir mystery even though it's set in the wide open spaces. Andrews is one grim western hero and hardly the role model for a cowboy hero. Still in the end he solves the mystery and he does it when all four of those he seeks are brought into the saloon and compare notes. All could not have been more neatly revealed by Hercule Poirot himself. One of Dana's best films.