The Big Clock (1948)

"He doesn't want to let his left hand know whose pocket the right one is picking.", 29 January 2006

The Big Clock is a wonderfully entertaining noirish thriller with, and unlike most of its deadly serious counterparts, a touch of humor. Ray Milland is a man trying to solve a murder. His problem is that the killer he's looking for is himself. Think of it as a cat-and-mouse game where the cat and mouse are the same person. The acting is top notch with Milland as the man caught between a rock and a hard place, Charles Laughton at his greasiest best, and George Macready as the prototypical "yes man". My only complaint with the cast is how Maureen O'Sullivan is underutilized. The supporting cast is terrific with Elsa Lanchester supplying most of the laughs. Very nicely done.

Nothing against Ray Milland because he does a great job, but the whole time I watched The Big Clock, I couldn't help but think that the role was tailor made for Cary Grant. It might have made this terrific film more widely known.

8/10