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Douze heures d'horloge

  • 19591959
  • 1h 45m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
53
YOUR RATING
Douze heures d'horloge (1959)
  • Crime
  • Drama
Three criminals escape from a French prison and hide in a coastal village where they have to wait for 12 hours until the boat that is supposed to take them to freedom arrives.Three criminals escape from a French prison and hide in a coastal village where they have to wait for 12 hours until the boat that is supposed to take them to freedom arrives.Three criminals escape from a French prison and hide in a coastal village where they have to wait for 12 hours until the boat that is supposed to take them to freedom arrives.
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
53
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Géza von Radványi
  • Writers
    • Pierre Boileau
    • René Lefèvre(dialogue)
    • Thomas Narcejac
  • Stars
    • Lino Ventura
    • Eva Bartok
    • Hannes Messemer
Top credits
  • Director
    • Géza von Radványi
  • Writers
    • Pierre Boileau
    • René Lefèvre(dialogue)
    • Thomas Narcejac
  • Stars
    • Lino Ventura
    • Eva Bartok
    • Hannes Messemer
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 2User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos7

    Eva Bartok and Hannes Messemer in Douze heures d'horloge (1959)
    Eva Bartok, Hannes Messemer, and Lino Ventura in Douze heures d'horloge (1959)
    Eva Bartok in Douze heures d'horloge (1959)
    Gert Fröbe and Eva Bartok in Douze heures d'horloge (1959)
    Eva Bartok and Gil Vidal in Douze heures d'horloge (1959)
    Douze heures d'horloge (1959)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Lino Ventura
    Lino Ventura
    • Albert Fourbieuxas Albert Fourbieux
    Eva Bartok
    Eva Bartok
    • Barbaraas Barbara
    Hannes Messemer
    Hannes Messemer
    • Sergeas Serge
    Laurent Terzieff
    Laurent Terzieff
    • Kopetzkyas Kopetzky
    Gert Fröbe
    Gert Fröbe
    • Le photographe Blancheas Le photographe Blanche
    Suzy Prim
    Suzy Prim
    • Madame Césaras Madame César
    Lucien Raimbourg
    • Monsieur Césaras Monsieur César
    Gil Vidal
    Gil Vidal
    • Maurice de Tercyas Maurice de Tercy
    Ginette Pigeon
    • Lucetteas Lucette
    Guy Tréjan
    Guy Tréjan
    • Armand - le gendarmeas Armand - le gendarme
    Jacques Bézard
    René Worms
    • Le notaireas Le notaire
    Annick Allières
    • Louise - la bonneas Louise - la bonne
    Fernand Bercher
    • Monsieur de Tercyas Monsieur de Tercy
    Lucien Callamand
    • Le parrain de Lucetteas Le parrain de Lucette
    Paul Bisciglia
    Paul Bisciglia
    • Octaveas Octave
    Alain Bouvette
    Jean Combal
    • Director
      • Géza von Radványi
    • Writers
      • Pierre Boileau
      • René Lefèvre(dialogue)
      • Thomas Narcejac
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      German censorship visa # 21286.
    • Soundtracks
      La poisse
      Written and Composed by Léo Ferré

      (not used in the film)

    User reviews2

    Review
    Top review
    3/10
    Twelve hours too much.
    The precedent user,a genuine French cinema connoisseur, had harsh words about this thriller,and I can find little fault with the opinion expressed .

    At the time Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac were the toast of the country as far as suspense was concerned ; their novels produced classics :"les diaboliques" and "vertigo" as well as less known but estimable works such as "les louves" (Saslavsky) "maléfices " (Decoin) and even in England ("faces in the dark" ,IMHO their best book , David Eady)

    "Douze Heures d' horloge " was based on a radio play ,"la belle" (not about a woman ;"se faire la belle" = to break out of jail) and the Boileau-Narcejac fans won't get something out of it :yes,there's the de rigueur unexpected twist but it's a damp squid ,nothing to do with those of the works mentioned above.

    The screenplay is complicated instead of complex; the screenwriters multiply the characters at such a speed it's hard to catch up with a plot : the drunk gendarme ,intended as a comic relief, is so unbearable the viewer feels like pressing the fast forward button; never had Guy Tréjean overplayed in such a dismal manner ; if Lino Ventura and Suzy Prim ( actress/producer) save something from the wreckage ,the rest of the cast is downright mediocre .Highly talented Laurent Terzieff would have been a strong asset ,had he been given more than a (hardly) ten-minute presence :instead the viewer has to make do with inexpressive pretty boy Gil Vidal.

    As for Geza Radvany ,as a follow-up to his estimable remake of "Mâdchen in Uniform" , it does not make it.

    His best work remains "somewhere in Europe";the thriller was definitely not his forte.
    helpful•1
    1
    • ulicknormanowen
    • Mar 8, 2022

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 22, 1959 (France)
    • Countries of origin
      • France
      • West Germany
    • Official sites
      • Distributor's official website
      • Productor's offcial website
    • Languages
      • French
      • German
    • Also known as
      • Twelve Hours by the Clock
    • Filming locations
      • Studios de la Victorine, Nice, France
    • Production companies
      • Les Films Fernand Rivers
      • Transocean-Film
      • Estela Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 45 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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