The Unguarded Hour

"Too bad, Dearden, I can't retain you as my counsel. You think fast and you take chances."
"We all at times have our unguarded hour, when everything is against us." On first impression, that observation seems to apply strictly to the murder trial of which ambitious London barrister, Sir Alan Dearden (Franchot Tone), is the lead prosecutor. Some details of the case: A man is accused of shoving his wife off the Dover cliffs. The accused claims that a witness can prove his innocence, except that this witness hasn't come forward. Dearden thinks it an open and shut case. It's anything but.

Sir Alan Dearden has got it all. He's happily married to the lovely Lady Helen (a glowing Loretta Young). Any minute now he anticipates an appointment as the next attorney general, a position for which he'd strived most of his life. But then, one evening, a self-confessed blackguard propositions Lady Helen with blackmail: Two thousand pounds or else he'll expose a series of compromising love letters her husband had written so indiscreetly in his youth. Lady Helen adores her husband...

This Movie Contains Style, Elegance, and a Vanishing Way of Life
I saw this movie when a teenager and liked it very much. Since then I have seen it several more times and have come to appreciate it more and more. The interior design work is outstanding and Loretta Young's costumes were exceptional for the mid 1930's. The location is supposedly London and the Dover. I believe most of the filming was in and around Hollywood, but the movie staff selected areas very much like Dover and the London parks.

The movie plot is full of surprises and keeps one guessing to the very last scenes. And the whole feel of the film is one of sophistication and elegance from a World just about to disappear with World War II. I am very happy to have this film in my collection and have already watched it several times.

OUTSTANDING MOVIE!
The title nor the packaging do justice of what mystery this movie can bring to mystify your thoughts in who the murderer is and why it happened. Unless your one to critically tear apart movies but are one like me who look for good story lines and acting I'd say go for it! Enjoy!

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