User reviews

Basically a light-hearted mystery programmer in the style of the 1940s, Two O'Clock Courage claims attention by virtue of having been directed by Anthony Mann, before his legendary collaboration in film noir with cinematographer John Alton. It also happens to be a pretty good movie, of its limited type, in its own right.

It opens at the fog-shrouded intersection of Ocean View Drive and Arch Street where Tom Conway, looking and sounding eerily like his more successful brother George Sanders, bleeds from a head wound and can't remember who he is. Skidding to his rescue in a taxi comes game hack Ann Rutherford (a sister under the visor to On The Town's Brunnhilde Esterhazy), who becomes his sidekick even though it turns out he may be mixed up in a high-profile murder. Trying to establish his identity and what he might have done (or not done), the pair travel through a theatrical/nightlife milieu; the mystery concerns a plagiarized play written by a dead man, which shares its title with this movie.

There are the staple characters of the sub-genre: the befuddled butler, the snoopy landlady, the apoplectic editor. There's also, as a society floozy, young Jane Greer (billed here as `Bettejane'). Two O'Clock Courage doesn't show much of the flair Mann would later bring to suspense, even, the following year, to Strange Impersonation. But he keeps his eye on the ball, and never lets the unraveling of the mystery take a back seat too long to the farcical episodes (which mercifully he keeps from growing too extended or too broad). All in all, it's a more satisfying effort than similar and better-known efforts from around the same time, like A Night to Remember or Lady on a Train.

Very well done who-done-it. I love mysteries and watch it every time it is broadcast. Tom Conway plays a man with amnesia who seems to be implicated in a murder plot, but obviously doesn't know whether he was the murderer or not. As the plot thickens it seems more and more like he might have been.

I did not realize for some time that it is a remake of the 1936's "Two in the Dark". This version is much better. Primarily due to Tom Conway's charm and Ann Rutherford's spunk. I don't think this one is quite as good as most of the "Falcon" series, but Conway never really got the credit or the opportunities he deserved.

This came before Anthony Mann's famous, unique and quirky noir. By the time it was made, there had already been many authentic films noir. However, this updates what had been a formula throughout the thirties: the romantic/comic/mystery. There is romance. There is some comedy. But instead of mystery: We have here a true film noir. (The difference between this and other entries in the genre makes the importance of a good director very clear.) It begins with Tom Conway, in an excellent performance, looking at a sign noting an intersection of two streets. He doesn't know where there are, where he is. Or, even, who he is. Amnesia, yes indeed.

Now the comedy: Ann Rutherford, a female cab driver, happens by and helps him out. She calls her taxi Harry and, later, people get confused and think Harry might be the name of a suspect.

Though this has its light moments, it is a dark little movie. (And little it is, at just a bit longer than an hour.) We have a comic newspaperman and a semi-comic police officer. But we have some genuine bad guys too, and some women who are right out of the noir canon as well.

Among these is Jane Greer in a very early appearance. Though her role is small, she grabs out attention. The camera loves her, almost in the way it was to love a very different sort of performer: Marilyn Monroe. Though Greer doesn't have a lot to do or a whole lot of screen time, when she's around, we can't take our eyes off her. Now, there was real (and sadly underused) star!

Catch that noirish opening—Ted (Conway) wandering around in the fog with an even bigger fog inside his head, not knowing who he is or where he came from. Good thing girl cabbie (it's still war time) Patty (Rutherford) helps him out since the cops think he's murdered someone. These look like classic elements of noir, especially with master of the genre Anthony Mann in charge. But this is early in his career when he was still doing programmers.

There may be some interest here for film historians since the movie appears to straddle two genres— the humorous murder mysteries of the 30"s and early 40's and the emerging noir crime dramas of the post-war period. Note how Mann uses a noirish close-up to dramatize Ted's recovering memory. Looks like his darker artistic side is looking for opportunities to surface.

Still, thick-headed cop (Parnell) and fast-talking reporter (Lane) remain anchored in Charlie Chan's and Falcon's of the earlier period. But however you cut it, the movie's still a fun diversion, with a bouncy Rutherford, a polished Conway, and a pay-me-by-the-word Lane. Just don't try to figure out the mystery. I lost track somewhere between the butler-did-it and the gorgeous Jane Greer's revealing gowns.

**SPOILERS** Walking around the almost empty streets in the dead of night "The Man", Tom Conway, is almost hit by a taxi cab driven by pretty taxi driver Patty Mitchell, Ann Rutherford. It turns out that "The Man's" mind is as blank as a fresh sheet of typewriter paper with him in a complete fog to who he is and what he did and what caused that gash that he had on his head when Patty first picked him up.

Seeing the evening papers "The Man" and Patty see the headline banner news of theater producer Robert Dilling being murdered in Oceanview where "The Man" was just hobbling around. The description of Dilling's killers matches the description of "The Man" right down to his pin-striped suit that he's wearing. "The Man" together with Patty slowly uncover his identity by backtracking to where he was that evening before he fell, or was hit, on his head. Putting everything together "The Man" at first finds that he's called "Step" by his friends. Later with the unexpected help of "Step's" forgotten friend and associate Mark Evens, Lester Matthews, finds out that his real name is Ted "Step" Allison and that he checked into the Recency Hotel where Ted and Patty just came from to check out who he was in the first place.

Ted finds in his hotel room a letter from a friend of his, the late Larry Tenny, about a play that he wrote called "Two O'Clock Courage" and that the play seems to be the reason that Dillings was murdered.Ted himself is almost killed later in the film, as he gets too close to who the killer is, with a bullet to his head but it was that attempt on Ted's life that brought back his memory and with that the identity of the person who murdered Dilling.

Ted really had some night for himself in the movie "Two O'Clock Courage"; he loses and finds himself he ends up being arrested by the police for the murder of Robert Dillings talks his way out of being put behind bars and later solves the Dilling murder and the reason that he was killed. There's also the secondary emotional plot-line that erupts at the end of the film between the killer and his jilted girlfriend. To top it all of Ted meets falls in love with and marries lovely taxi driver Patty Mitchell; all this happens to Ted before the night was even over.

Besides Richard Lane playing the bumbling reporter Haley who in the end drove his boss news editor Brant, Charles C. Wilson, almost into the loony bin the police inspector Bill Brenner, Emory Parnell,on the Dilling murder case was even funnier in a dangerous sort of way. Insp. Brenner had a very bad habit of holding his revolver pointed at almost everyone that he came in contact with in the movie. It was sheer luck that everyone in the film made it to the end without unconsciously getting themselves shot or killed by this absent-minded policemen.

Incongruously lighthearted early noir from Mann, involving a familiar premise (the film is actually a remake of the obscure TWO IN THE DARK [1936]) – an amnesiac finds himself the chief suspect in a murder case and, while attempting to trace his identity, he also contrives to expose the guilty party. The lead role is played by Tom Conway, not the most likely noir hero perhaps – his overall stilted performance suffers most when striving for comedy; much more natural (and appealing) is Ann Rutherford as the spirited female cabbie helping him out, even if she's just as much at odds with established genre conventions!

The plot is fairly convoluted: also involved, among others, are Lester Matthews (from THE RAVEN and WEREWOLF OF London {both 1935}), Jean Brooks (from the Val Lewton-produced THE LEOPARD MAN and THE SEVENTH VICTIM {both 1943}) and Jane Greer (soon to graduate to full-fledged femme fatale with OUT OF THE PAST [1947]); just as prominent, however, albeit merely for comic-relief purposes are a Police Inspector and a nosy reporter (who gets on his boss' nerves when he keeps changing the scoop i.e. the identity of the murderer). All in all, this emerged a pleasant and trim 66 minutes – but, clearly, a very minor footnote in the genre and the career of one of its most notable exponents.

A rather rushed whodunit, with the plot weaving all over the place littering the screen with suspects, motives and distractions. At the end we have an anti-climax solution followed by the real killer being revealed. Bewildering? Thankfully Mann's direction is solid and the main leads Tom Conway and Ann Rutherford do a good job putting over the somewhat unlikely plot.

The Noir Festival programmer at the American Cinematheque in his comments before the screening (where I saw this gem) quipped like many RKO b pictures this one has story contrivances that cut costs like most of the characters staying in the same hotel. But it gets a bit much when Conway's character gives the police the slip to search a room elsewhere in the hotel which results in a fight that the cops can hear through the ceiling. Talk about plot contrivance!

Fast-paced mystery as Tom Conway unravels his past life following an injury to the head and amnesia. Tom is believable as is the storyline. Ann Rutherford serves as an adequate sidekick, Jane Greer looks beautiful in one of her very early films, and we see Jean Brooks in one of her last. Although shot in the middle of the Falcon series, and much resembles same, this is actually a re-make of the 1936 movie "Two in the Dark." The plot has lots of twists and turns and it will not be obvious "who done it" until the very end. Enjoyable light entertainment.

Remake of Two in the Dark from RKO starring the unlikely duo of Tom Conway and Ann Rutherford. Conway plays a guy with a head wound and amnesia who searches for the truth about who he is and whether or not he committed murder. Rutherford is the spunky female cabbie who helps him. This is an entertaining enough picture. Nothing exceptional but a good time-passer. Conway, debonair as ever, is the kind of actor they just don't make anymore. Adorable Ann Rutherford is a little miscast as a street-smart cabbie. This is a part more suited for a Farrell, Blondell, or Sothern. Rutherford's just too sweet. Still she's always a treat to watch, even if it does feel a bit like she's trying on her big sister's clothes. Conway/Rutherford chemistry isn't exactly sizzling, either. Also featuring noir great Jane Greer in a small part and RKO favorite Jean Brooks, who was in quite a few Tom Conway films during the 40s. Directed by Anthony Mann but you would never know it as it's a pretty routine B movie with no discernible style or craft to brag about.

Tom Conway and Ann Rutherford star in "Two O'Clock Courage," a 1945 film. Rutherford plays Patty, a taxicab driver who picks up an injured man (Conway) with amnesia. She attempts to help him, and the two are drawn into the murder of a producer. Her fare may or may not have had something to do with it.

This film is more of a mystery/comedy, done with a light touch and a perky Ann Rutherford. She's pretty and bubbly, perhaps a little too much at the beginning of the film. Conway, who somehow, despite a similar voice, never had his brother George Sanders' smoothness, is good as a confused man trying to fake his way through a situation where he doesn't even know his own name.

"Two O'Clock Courage" has plenty of suspects and twists and goes on just a little longer than it needs to, but it's still a fun watch.

Out of respect for its great director, Anthony Mann, I have several times tried to watch this film only to be abruptly halted twenty to thirty minutes in both by the too jokey proceedings as well as the terminally perky Ann Rutherford. Of all the numerous noir killers, such as optimism, hope, and happiness, none is more effective than perky. It is kind of like drawing a smiley face on a Caravaggio or, to extend the analogy into the realm of music, like having Mitch Miller produce a Tom Waites album. And Ms. Rutherford embraces perky the way a junkie would a two week paid vacation to Amsterdam. As for the humor, it is pitched way too far toward the good natured end of the spectrum for a noir to sustain it or vice versa. Either the jokes must go or the noir must go and in this film it is the latter. Solid C.

Finding himself with a bloodied head, and suffering from amnesia, suave Tom Conway is nearly run over by pretty cab driver Ann Rutherford (as Patty Mitchell). Riding around, Mr. Conway discovers clues to his identity, including five hundred dollars in his suit pocket. A news flash connects Conway to recent murder, but Ms. Rutherford doesn't think her passenger is guilty. The pair try to solve the murder mystery while love blooms. Director Anthony Mann isn't as artful as in later years. "Two O'Clock Courage" turns out to be the name of a play that figures in the plot. By the time the mystery is solved, it's not very interesting. Fortunately, the well-endowed Rutherford, Jane Greer (as Helen Carter), and Jean Brooks (as Barbara Borden) are around to keep it looking good.

****** Two O'Clock Courage (4/13/45) Anthony Mann ~ Tom Conway, Ann Rutherford, Jane Greer, Jean Brooks

The movie appears to straddle two genres -- the humorous murder mysteries of the 30"s and early 40's and the emerging noir crime dramas of the post-war period. It really Film Noir light .

Bonus ! Featuring noir great Jane Greer in a small part as a drunk floosy !

Very well done who-done-it. Primarily due to Tom Conway's(George Sanders brother) charm and Ann Rutherford's bubble zest. This is really acted like a stage play , it really interesting how many these films from the 30's and 40's how "the stage" influences the movies style more so than films of today. All-in-all great cinematic fun time capsule to visit 1945 ! This a little B gem of a film. 7/10

Story Line; After nearly running over him with her cab, cabbie ,Patty Mitchell picks up a fare who claims to have amnesia. As he fumbles to remember the basic facts of his identity, Patty becomes interested in the stranger and decides to help him in his search. But as the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place, and Patty's interest becomes more personal, the stranger finds that he is the prime suspect in a murder case .

A man (Tom Conway) stumbles into the street and almost gets hit by cabbie Patty Mitchell (Ann Rutherford). He's been hit over the head and has no memories at all. She helps him to regain his memories and his connection to a recent murder.

It's a comedic noir murder mystery. The screwball comedy has a few laughs. It's fun to have the bumbling reporter and cop repertoire. The comedy starts right from Harry. The plot doesn't really make sense. Patty should take him to the hospital or the police right away no matter what the guy says. He needs medical help even if he's not a murder suspect. The situation may work better if the cabbie is a man and a damsel in distress has amnesia. In that case, the guy could be thinking with his little brain rather than the big brain. This works better as a comedy than a noir mystery. The two genres don't coexist easily together.

(1945) Two O' Clock Courage THRILLER/ MYSTERY/ COMEDY

Adapted from the novel by Gelett Burgess, as well as a remake from a movie called "Two in the Dark" made in 1936. Another conventional amnesiac film starring Tom Conway as the victim who is trying to recollect everything that has happened that lead up to his memory loss. He does this with a help from a female cab driver, Patty Mitchell played by Ann Rutherford she had almost hit with her cab, which upon his investigation may have led to a possible murder. The term "Two O' Clock Courage" is a title of a stage play written by Lawrence Tenny.

Out of several films made on people who has loss of memory- this is one of the weakest, but because I like my films to have happy endings, I did not mind! Not better than Hitchcock's "Spellbound", "Mirage" and "High Wall" or but like this film on the same same level as "Charade"

When taxi-driver Patty Mitchell picks up a man found wandering the streets, she becomes involved in a murder investigation where all the evidence points to her mysterious passenger as the culprit.

A solid and nifty thriller that is a mix of comedy, mystery and intrigue, but then again it's directed by Anthony Mann who makes his debut here, and weaves his magic here. Unlike his later films, the tone isn't dark, but is light and convivial. Tom Conway plays an amnesiac trying to figure out whether he is or is not responsible for a murder, but he is still got that silky smooth persona Conway projected in his long-running Falcon series. The pretty Ann Rutherford is great as a taxi cab driver who helps Conway learn who he is. Her rapport and teamwork with Conway is really good - there's some excellent comedy by hardboiled reporter Haley (Richard Lane) who drives his boss crazy by updating who the killer is every few seconds towards the end. The mystery is good, the suspense quite well maintained, which mixes well with the light tone.

Tom Conway stumbles out of nowhere into Ann Rutherford's taxicab. He can't remember who he is.

He should have taken a look at his previous movie, one of the Falcon series, in which his also teams up with a taxi-driving gal, as well as several of the cast, including Richard Lane. The director is Anthony Mann, borrowed from Republic, and this remake of 1936's TWO IN THE DARK is a noir. Sort of. There's an awful lot of goofy humor, from Lane and Miss Rutherford's landlady. Sarah Edwards. At RKO, which was arguably the most noir-prone of the studios, this one matched Eddie Muller's definition of the genre as an attitude, starting with a lush musical introduction in a minor key, followed by Conway in silhouette staggering out of an alley to clutch at a lamp post in the fog, and wiping the blood from his temple.

After that it settles down, alternating comedy and suspense, just as you might expect from a movie based on a Gelett Burgess story. It's not a great movie, but it fills up sixty-eight minutes interestingly enough, and probably made a decent profit for the studio. With Jane Greer in her credited debut.

Typical Conway vehicle, which isn't a bad thing but this could easily have been a Falcon entry. Tepid pace but a definite curio to see Jean Brooks & beautiful ingenue Jane Greer in her first screen credit. Classic Out Of The Past would cement her place in Noir history. Brooks, as a blond, is a huge departure from her cult classics, The Seventh Victim & Lepoard Man. Sadly, another in a long list who drank themselves to death.

Directed by Anthony Mann before Western fame adds intrigue along with Ann "Polly" Rutherford rounds out a few more reasons to watch. Forgettable but has its moments for film buffs.

Interesting story of an amnesiac's quest to discover his identity with the help of a pretty female, while trying to avoid the suspicions of the police, who are investigating a murder. Unfortunately, this remake doesn't have the cast of the original, which featured Walter Abel, Alan Hale Sr., Eric Blore, etc.,and suffers a bit as a result.