6 Hours to Live

Like the other reviewer said, films this good shouldn't be so rarely seen and hard to find, that is, if you've even heard of it in the first place. This is definitely in the category of a precode as issues such as life, death, and life after death could not be explored so boldly after the code came into effect in 1934.

This rare Fox horror film is set at an international peace conference in which Captain. Paul Onslow (Warner Baxter), representative from a small fictitious country, is the sole dissenter in an agreement involving all the European countries. The decision must be unanimous or the agreement will not be in force. Onslow feels the agreement will be a disaster for his country and is unmoved by any argument or threat for that matter. Early that afternoon the conference adjourns and is to reconvene that night at 11PM for a final vote.

Onslow has an eventful day. He has an attempt made on his life, he falls in love - or I should say he realizes he has always been in love - with a long-time acquaintance and becomes engaged, an odd little man with a mysterious machine moves into the home of his host, and finally - he is strangled to death by an unknown assailant a little after 6PM in his room.

His body is discovered by a small group of close friends minutes after his death. As luck would have it the odd little man I mentioned earlier is a scientist whose mysterious machine can bring any life form back from the dead, but only for six hours. He demonstrates first on a rabbit, and then Onslow is brought back.

If you're expecting the shocked grunting character from 1936's "Walking Dead" you've expected wrong. Onslow is as articulate and dapper as he was before his death. However, like Karloff's character, he knows all that was going on while he was dead - including the fact that he only has six hours until he dies again - and seems to have the answers to the universe. However, he refuses to tell the few people who know what happened who killed him. Instead he jumps into his car and heads into the night, promising to confront his murderer personally, and also make that final vote at the conference. Remember now, nobody knows he is "dead" except the few who discovered his body, and they're keeping what happened to themselves. Along the way Onslow runs into three people he saw on the street that day and manages to comfort them with his personal knowledge of loved ones lost and a new empathy, although he was a pretty nice guy to begin with.

If the film has one real flaw it is that the revealing of the murderer is rather anticlimactic. There were so many possible suspects and the actual culprit is so nondescript that I had to go back to the beginning of the film to realize who the killer was.

Particularly moving is how Onslow handles the issue of his fiancée, who doesn't know what has happened to him. Also used to good effect is the rabbit that was brought back fifteen minutes before Onslow. It acts as a living hour glass, always letting Onslow know just how much time he has left. Highly recommended.

Although the credits acknowledge an original story by Gordon Morris & Morton Barteau called 'Auf Wiedersehen', the footsteps in which this film seems most strongly to be following is David Belasco's hit Broadway fantasy of 1911, 'The Return of Peter Grimm' (filmed twice in the silent era and again in 1935 with Lionel Barrymore); especially as screenwriter Bradley Page had also scripted the 1926 version with Alec B. Francis directed by Victor Schertzinger.

Despite the hourglass & pendulum accompanying the opening titles, the talky plot belies the race against the clock suggested by the title, and a religious element increasingly intrudes as the film progresses. It is vaguely implied that Warner Baxter has now seen the afterlife, from which he has returned temporarily with clairvoyant powers (since he knows in advance why John Boles arrives late) and a new-found belief in God.

This first third of this film is a political thriller/romance that anticipates some of Alfred Hitchcock's work. The second third switches gears to a mad scientist/sci-fi mode, with the requisite flashing lights and bolts of electricity that may have excited audiences in 1931 but may seem cliched and overlong to today's crowd. Then it switches gears again and the final third is basically a commercial for religion. This is great if you believe that what we do in our actual lives doesn't matter because things will be so much nicer after we're dead. Some might say that a work of fiction does not count as evidence of a theory but some people feel differently.

So if this last part reaffirms your beliefs, you're likely to be charmed and delighted. If it doesn't you may feel you're being subjected to a long and unasked-for sermon. But even then you might find it an interesting curiosity, and it's certainly well acted and directed despite moments of overly stage-y dialogue.

Fox Films and also William Dieterle films are so inconsistent that they can either be awesome or awful..... this falls into the awful category. Plot, script and acting all complete to be the film's worst aspect.

The winner is however the plot - it sounds intriguing but its execution is dismally disappointing. The premise of someone coming back to life to catch their killer could be - and subsequently has been, a really exciting plot device but not in here! I thought at first the reason this seemed so dreadful was because we've all seen it done better elsewhere but decided that's not why - it's dreadful just because it's dreadful.

The story begins with some grand international trade conference to combat the world depression which Warner Baxter wants to veto. We don't know why he's literally the only man in the world who wants to stop this, or why only he knows best. He's also involved in the dullest relationship with the dullest woman in the world which you couldn't care less about.

After he's assassinated and brought back to life the picture changes from dull to faux-religious (and also suddenly develops a score). As Mr Baxter benevolently walks through the town giving money to the poor and reforming prostitutes like Jesus in a tuxedo, the whole tone of the picture changes to a preachy 'God is good, science is bad' kind of thing. He's been to heaven so now walks in the path of light but it's all so vague, weak and wishy-washy that it just doesn't work. Considering how 'talky' this is, it says very little. It's got no real message like in FRANKENSTEIN or even the weird GABRIEL OVEF THE WHITEHOUSE from 1933 which successfully did put over a moralistic narrative.

Even when it should be at its most exciting Mr Dieterle creates no tension at all. He is usually excellent at bringing his characters to life but in this he seems barely able to get half of them to act like actual people. Only Warner Baxter seems real, the rest are lifeless and lack depth of personality. It does however look good and is well photographed and on that aspect alone, William Dieterle's artistry is still evident....but that's not enough.

This team of artists and professionals should have made this so much better but as it stands it's endurance rather than entertainment.

Movies this good shouldn't be so rare. Warner Baxter plays a slain diplomat who is bought back to life via a scientific experiment. Trouble is, he only has six hours before the effects wears off, and he's dead for good. In that time he searches for his killer. Eerie, slow film has the feel of "Dracula" (1931). Also, a neat peek at world politics well before WW2 and the UN. Best moment: Scene where Baxter spends time with troubled prostitute at "Carnival Of Venus". Director William Dieterle's misty, creepy visuals makes up for sometimes gabby script.