Time Table (1956)

In Arizona, a train's baggage car is robbed of a large payroll, prompting an investigation led by a railroad official-insurance investigator team.

Director:

Mark Stevens

Writers:

Robert Angus (original story), Aben Kandel (screenplay)

Stars:

Mark Stevens, King Calder, Felicia Farr

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Mark Stevens	...	Charlie Norman
King Calder	...	Joe Armstrong
Felicia Farr	...	Linda Brucker
Marianne Stewart	...	Ruth Norman
Wesley Addy	...	Dr. Paul Brucker
Alan Reed	...	Al Wolfe
Rodolfo Hoyos Jr.	...	Lt. Castro (as Rudolpho Hoyos)
Jack Klugman	...	Frankie Page
John Marley	...	Bobik

Storyline

As a train speeds through the Arizona night, a man posing as a physician holds up the baggage-car crew and escapes with a $500,000 payroll. The fake doctor, Paul Bruckner, leaves the train with his "patient" and the "patient's wife", who is really Bruckner's wife Linda. The insurance company puts its best investigator, Charlie Norman, on the case to work with the railroad's investigator, Joe Armstrong. The men are friends and Joe is upset that Charlie and his wife, Ruth, will have to postpone their Mexico vacation. Charlie's concern goes beyond the spoiled vacation as he was the brains behind the holdup, who had fallen in love with Linda several months earlier while investigating a claim Bruckner had filed against his insurance company. At first, Joe is unable to find anything out about the flawlessly timetable planning for the robbery other than what Charlie wants him to find out.

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Plot Keywords:

train | fake doctor | baggage car | arizona | robbery | 

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Taglines:

He had everything planned to the last split second in this thrill-a-minute crime...then Fate came a few minutes too late.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first and only feature film of Mark Stevens' own production company.

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Goofs

At the end of the film, when Joe shoots Charlie, he fires way to the left of Charlie. There is no way that his bullet would have hit Charlie with that aim.

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Quotes

Charlie Norman: Why is it so much hotter here in Riverside than L.A.?

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Connections

Featured in The World Famous Kid Detective (2014)

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Soundtracks

Salud, Felicidad y Amor
Music by Walter Scharf
Lyrics by Jack Brooks

User Reviews

well-plotted thriller

This is a neat, no-frills thriller about an intricately planned train heist, the turbulent insurance investigator assigned to the case, and his hard-nosed boss whose motto is "There's no such thing as a perfect crime." Filmed in the flat, greyish TV style of the 50s with occasional expressionist touches, it is rife with plot twists and intriguing characters, and features a supporting cast of familiar faces (Alan Reed, Jack Klugman, etc). It should appeal to those who prefer story over stylishness. Tough-guy Stevens starred in several top-notch noirs of the 40s, and directed a couple of good second-feature thrillers in the 50s, including Cry Vengeance.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 February 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

Timetable

Filming Locations:

California Studios - 5530 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mark Stevens Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1