The Devil at 4 O'Clock
Encyclopedia
The Devil at 4 O'Clock is a 1961 disaster film with elevated themes, starring Spencer Tracy
and Frank Sinatra
and directed by Mervyn LeRoy
. Based upon an eponymous novel by Max Catto
, film was a precursor to the disaster movies of the 1970s, such as The Poseidon Adventure, Earthquake
, and The Towering Inferno
.
), has been relieved of his duties by Father Perreau (Kerwin Mathews
). Father Doonan has fallen out of favor with the island's residents because he stumbled on the island's carefully hidden secret (Hansen's Disease or leprosy) among the children of the islands. He built a hospital for the children up the island's volcano. Meanwhile, three convicts Harry (Frank Sinatra
), Charlie (Bernie Hamilton
) and Marcel (Gregoire Aslan
), enroute to Tahiti, make an unexpected stop on the island and they are put to work at leper hospital. All is seemingly normal, until the island's volcano begins to erupt and the Governor (Alexander Scourby
) orders an evacuation. The governor cannot reach the freighter that just left the island and plans to evacuate the island with one seaplane and a schooner. The children are still on the slope of the volcano in the hospital and Father Doonan is desperate to rescue them. When the freighter suddenly appears back at the island. Father Doonan convinces the island's governor to drop some men to rescue the children. The schooner agrees to wait until 4:00 PM the next day for them before he has to leave due to the tides.
The convicts agree to parachute to the hospital with Father Doonan to rescue the children and staff of the hospital in hopes of getting their sentences commuted by the authorities. They face fire, lava, earthquakes, and dwindling time to escape to safety. All must work together if any are to survive.
Eventually, most of the children and the staff are rescued and board the schooner. Prisoner Marcel drowns in a mud pit. Charlie is fatally hurt when the bridge he is holding up to reinforce, collapses and fatally injures him after everyone else is across. Father Doonan stays with him. Harry sees the children and staff to the schooner and goes back to wait with his friends. He is trapped on one side of the chasm while Father Doonan and Charlie are on the other side. Father Doonan gives Charlie the last rites when he dies and begins to ask for forgiveness for his sins as the entire island explodes (à la Krakatoa) in a volcanic paroxysm.
and California
, a "volcano
" had to be specially built on farmland outside of Fallbrook, California, which was detonated using almost a ton of explosives. The explosion nearly killed the helicopter pilot and camera man while filming the explosion. The effects were considered so good that they have been re-used as stock footage over the years.
commented on the "exceptional special effects" and praised the acting, noting that "Tracy delivers one of his more colorful portrayals in his hard-drinking cleric who has lost faith in his God, walloping over a character which sparks entire action of film. Sinatra's role, first-class but minor in comparison, is overshadowed in interest by Aslan, one of the convicts in a stealing part who lightens some of the more dramatic action."
NME
would say that "Although slightly sentimental, the films comes off well thanks to messrs Tracy and Sinatra."
Spencer Tracy
Spencer Bonaventure Tracy was an American theatrical and film actor, who appeared in 75 films from 1930 to 1967. Tracy was one of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, ranking among the top ten box office draws for almost every year from 1938 to 1951...
and Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
and directed by Mervyn LeRoy
Mervyn LeRoy
Mervyn LeRoy was an American film director, producer and sometime actor.-Early life:Born to Jewish parents in San Francisco, California, his family was financially ruined by the 1906 earthquake...
. Based upon an eponymous novel by Max Catto
Max Catto
Maxwell Jeffrey Catto was born Mark Finkell in Manchester, England and was an English playwright and novelist.-Writing career:...
, film was a precursor to the disaster movies of the 1970s, such as The Poseidon Adventure, Earthquake
Earthquake (film)
Earthquake is a 1974 American disaster film that achieved huge box-office success, continuing the disaster film genre of the 1970s where recognizable all-star casts attempt to survive life or death situations...
, and The Towering Inferno
The Towering Inferno
The Towering Inferno is a 1974 American action disaster film produced by Irwin Allen featuring an all-star cast led by Steve McQueen and Paul Newman.A co-production between Twentieth Century-Fox and Warner Bros...
.
Plot
Set on fictional tropical island of Talua (about 500 miles from Tahiti), Father Doonan (Spencer TracySpencer Tracy
Spencer Bonaventure Tracy was an American theatrical and film actor, who appeared in 75 films from 1930 to 1967. Tracy was one of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, ranking among the top ten box office draws for almost every year from 1938 to 1951...
), has been relieved of his duties by Father Perreau (Kerwin Mathews
Kerwin Mathews
Kerwin Mathews was an American actor best known for playing the titular heroes in The 7th Voyage of Sinbad , The Three Worlds of Gulliver and Jack the Giant Killer .-Life and career:...
). Father Doonan has fallen out of favor with the island's residents because he stumbled on the island's carefully hidden secret (Hansen's Disease or leprosy) among the children of the islands. He built a hospital for the children up the island's volcano. Meanwhile, three convicts Harry (Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
), Charlie (Bernie Hamilton
Bernie Hamilton
Bernie Hamilton was an American actor.Hamilton was born in East Los Angeles and attended Oakland Technical High School, where he first became interested in acting. In films from 1950, he laboured in bit roles for years before getting noticed in the film One Potato, Two Potato , the story of an...
) and Marcel (Gregoire Aslan
Grégoire Aslan
Grégoire Aslan was an Armenian actor.Born Krikor Aslanian in Switzerland or in Constantinople, according to different sources, Aslan made his professional debut at 18 as a vocalist and drummer with a Paris dance band, then launched an acting career under the name of Koko Aslan. His first film...
), enroute to Tahiti, make an unexpected stop on the island and they are put to work at leper hospital. All is seemingly normal, until the island's volcano begins to erupt and the Governor (Alexander Scourby
Alexander Scourby
Alexander Scourby was an American film, television, and voice actor known for his deep and resonant voice...
) orders an evacuation. The governor cannot reach the freighter that just left the island and plans to evacuate the island with one seaplane and a schooner. The children are still on the slope of the volcano in the hospital and Father Doonan is desperate to rescue them. When the freighter suddenly appears back at the island. Father Doonan convinces the island's governor to drop some men to rescue the children. The schooner agrees to wait until 4:00 PM the next day for them before he has to leave due to the tides.
The convicts agree to parachute to the hospital with Father Doonan to rescue the children and staff of the hospital in hopes of getting their sentences commuted by the authorities. They face fire, lava, earthquakes, and dwindling time to escape to safety. All must work together if any are to survive.
Eventually, most of the children and the staff are rescued and board the schooner. Prisoner Marcel drowns in a mud pit. Charlie is fatally hurt when the bridge he is holding up to reinforce, collapses and fatally injures him after everyone else is across. Father Doonan stays with him. Harry sees the children and staff to the schooner and goes back to wait with his friends. He is trapped on one side of the chasm while Father Doonan and Charlie are on the other side. Father Doonan gives Charlie the last rites when he dies and begins to ask for forgiveness for his sins as the entire island explodes (à la Krakatoa) in a volcanic paroxysm.
Cast
- Spencer TracySpencer TracySpencer Bonaventure Tracy was an American theatrical and film actor, who appeared in 75 films from 1930 to 1967. Tracy was one of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, ranking among the top ten box office draws for almost every year from 1938 to 1951...
– as Father Matthew Doonan - Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
– as Harry - Grégoire AslanGrégoire AslanGrégoire Aslan was an Armenian actor.Born Krikor Aslanian in Switzerland or in Constantinople, according to different sources, Aslan made his professional debut at 18 as a vocalist and drummer with a Paris dance band, then launched an acting career under the name of Koko Aslan. His first film...
– as Marcel - Bernie HamiltonBernie HamiltonBernie Hamilton was an American actor.Hamilton was born in East Los Angeles and attended Oakland Technical High School, where he first became interested in acting. In films from 1950, he laboured in bit roles for years before getting noticed in the film One Potato, Two Potato , the story of an...
– as Charlie - Jean-Pierre AumontJean-Pierre Aumont-Early life:Aumont was born Jean-Pierre Philippe Salomons in Paris, the son of Suzanne and Alexandre Salomons, owner of La Maison du Blanc . His mother's uncle was well-known stage actor Georges Berr. His father was from a Dutch Jewish family and his mother's family were French Jews...
– as Jacques - Kerwin MathewsKerwin MathewsKerwin Mathews was an American actor best known for playing the titular heroes in The 7th Voyage of Sinbad , The Three Worlds of Gulliver and Jack the Giant Killer .-Life and career:...
– as Father Joseph Perreau - Alexander ScourbyAlexander ScourbyAlexander Scourby was an American film, television, and voice actor known for his deep and resonant voice...
– as The Governor - Barbara LunaBarbara LunaBarBara Ann Luna is an American actress with an extensive list of roles in film, television, and shows. Notable roles included Five Weeks in a Balloon and Lt. Marlena Moreau in the classic Star Trek episode "Mirror, Mirror"...
– as Camille - Cathy LewisCathy LewisCathy Lewis was an American actress remembered best for numerous radio appearances but making a number of film and television appearances in the last decade of her life....
– as Matron
Special effects
Shot on location in HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, a "volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
" had to be specially built on farmland outside of Fallbrook, California, which was detonated using almost a ton of explosives. The explosion nearly killed the helicopter pilot and camera man while filming the explosion. The effects were considered so good that they have been re-used as stock footage over the years.
Critical reception
Opening to mostly good, if not glowing reviews, VarietyVariety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
commented on the "exceptional special effects" and praised the acting, noting that "Tracy delivers one of his more colorful portrayals in his hard-drinking cleric who has lost faith in his God, walloping over a character which sparks entire action of film. Sinatra's role, first-class but minor in comparison, is overshadowed in interest by Aslan, one of the convicts in a stealing part who lightens some of the more dramatic action."
NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
would say that "Although slightly sentimental, the films comes off well thanks to messrs Tracy and Sinatra."
External links
- Variety's Review: http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117790397.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&p=0