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The Desperate Hours
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The Desperate Hours

film by Wyler [1955]
Written by
Lee Pfeiffer
Author/co-author of numerous books about the cinema and is regarded as one of the foremost James Bond scholars. His book The Essential Bond: An Authorized Guide to the World of 007 (written with...
Lee Pfeiffer
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

The Desperate Hours, American crime film, released in 1955, that is noted for the war-of-wills tension between a ruthless killer and a terrorized family held captive. Three escaped convicts led by Glenn Griffin (played by Humphrey Bogart) hide out in a suburban middle-class home owned by Dan Hilliard (Fredric March). The resulting confrontation becomes an engrossing cat-and-mouse game as Hilliard cooperates with the criminals, giving the impression that he is a coward, but ultimately uses...

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