The Unguarded Hour (1936)

A woman tries to save her husband, a prosecutor, from a man who is threatening to blackmail him using letters he has written to an ex-mistress.

Director:

Sam Wood

Writers:

Howard Emmett Rogers (screen play), Leon Gordon (screen play),

Stars:

Loretta Young, Franchot Tone, Lewis Stone

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Loretta Young	...	Lady Helen Dearden
Franchot Tone	...	Sir Alan Dearden
Lewis Stone	...	General Lawrence
Roland Young	...	Bunny
Jessie Ralph	...	Lady Hathaway
Dudley Digges	...	Metford
Henry Daniell	...	Hugh Lewis
Robert Greig	...	Henderson
E.E. Clive	...	Lord Hathaway
Wallis Clark	...	Grainger
John Buckler	...	Defense Counsel
Aileen Pringle	...	Diana Roggers

Storyline

A woman tries to save her husband, a prosecutor, from a man who is threatening to blackmail him using letters he has written to an ex-mistress.

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Plot Keywords:

blackmail | dover | attorney | murder | nobility | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 April 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

Den skæbnesvangre Time

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on December 4, 1944 with Roland Young reprising his film role.

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Quotes

[at the Deardens' party, the guests are discussing the ongoing murder trial at which Sir Alan is the prosecuting attorney]
Lady Agatha Hathaway: My dear, I was at the trial today. Alan was thrilling! How he made that murderer squirm!
[she chooses an hors d'oeuvre from the tray offered by the waiter]
Lord Henry Hathaway: All the fellow did was to push his wife off a cliff.
Lady Agatha Hathaway: [as Lord Henry moves to take a canapé, Lady Agatha stops him] Henry!
[Sir Alan approaches]
Lady Agatha Hathaway: Oh, Alan, I was so proud of you today. How long will it take you to finish that ...
[...]

User Reviews

Go Loretta

Loretta Young, Franchot Tone, Lewis Stone, Roland Young, and Henry Daniell are all involved in "The Unguarded Hour," a 1936 film directed by Sam Wood.

Young plays Lady Dearden, a newlywed whose husband's (Tone) promising career as a prosecutor is threatened by letters he wrote to another woman before he was married. The blackmailer (Daniell) gives Lady Dearden some complicated instructions by which to deliver the money to him. She follows his instructions but in doing so, she becomes the only witness in a case her husband is trying. Though a man's life is at stake, she doesn't want her husband to know of the incident.

Pretty good if talky film, with the 23-year-old young stealing every scene in which she appears with her glorious looks and gentle quality. There are still beautiful actresses, but Young truly had a special look and a gentility we probably won't see again. Franchot does a good job as her handsome husband, and Roland Young is delightful as a family friend. Henry Daniell, who played slimeballs so well, plays a slimeball here.

Enjoyable.