...tick...tick...tick...

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...tick...tick...tick...
Tick Tick Tick 1970.jpg
1970 movie poster
Directed by Ralph Nelson
Produced by James Lee Barrett
Ralph Nelson
Written by James Lee Barrett
Starring Jim Brown
George Kennedy
Fredric March
Music by Jerry Styner
Cinematography Loyal Griggs
Edited by Alex Beaton
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • January 9, 1970 (1970-01-09)
Running time
100 min.
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$2,144,000 (US/ Canada rentals) [1]

...tick...tick...tick... is a 1970 American crime drama film directed by Ralph Nelson. It was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. [2] Racially provocative for its time, it stars Jim Brown in the role of an African American man elected as the sheriff of a rural county in the American South. It has become something of a cult classic for its cutting-edge portrayal of racial relations and its tense narrative.

Ralph Nelson Film actor, director, producer

Ralph Nelson was an American film and television director, producer, writer, and actor. He was best known for directing Lilies of the Field (1963), Father Goose (1964), and Charly (1968), films which won Academy Awards.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer American media company

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of feature films and television programs. One of the world's oldest film studios, MGM's headquarters are located at 245 North Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills, California.

Jim Brown American football running back, Pro Football Hall of Famer

James Nathaniel Brown is a former professional American football player and actor. He was a running back for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1957 through 1965. Considered to be one of the greatest football players of all time, Brown was a Pro Bowl invitee every season he was in the league, was recognized as the AP NFL Most Valuable Player three times, and won an NFL championship with the Browns in 1964. He led the league in rushing yards in eight out of his nine seasons, and by the time he retired, he had shattered most major rushing records. In 2002, he was named by The Sporting News as the greatest professional football player ever.

Contents

Plot

In a small Southern town, Jim Price is elected sheriff over John Little, the incumbent. Racial tensions exist in the community, and Price gets little assistance from Little, leaving office, or from Mayor Parks, who insists he be consulted on any decision the new sheriff makes.

A white man, John Braddock, is arrested on a manslaughter charge after his drunken driving causes the death of a young girl. Braddock's father carries considerable influence and demands his son be freed. Price's deputy, Bradford Wilkes, is beaten by Little's former deputy, Bengy Springer.

Another arrest is made, this time of a black man, George Harley, accused of rape. The townspeople's mood turns uglier by the minute, particularly when Braddock's father threatens to spring his son by force if necessary.

Little's conscience gets the better of him. He agrees to become Price's new deputy. Together, they try in vain to persuade other men in town to side with them against Braddock's vigilantes and to convince the mayor to call in the National Guard for help. Alone against the mob, Price and Little form a barricade and prepare for the worst when their fellow townsmen suddenly join them in the street.

Cast

Jim Brown and Janet MacLachlan in ...tick...tick...tick... - publicity still, 1970 ...tick...tick...tick... (1970) 1.jpg
Jim Brown and Janet MacLachlan in ...tick...tick...tick... - publicity still, 1970
George Kennedy American actor

George Harris Kennedy Jr. was an American actor who appeared in more than 100 film and television productions. He played "Dragline" opposite Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke (1967), winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the role and being nominated for the corresponding Golden Globe. He received a second Golden Globe nomination for portraying Joe Patroni in Airport (1970).

Fredric March American actor

Fredric March was an American actor, regarded as "one of Hollywood's most celebrated, versatile stars of the 1930s and '40s." He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) and The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), as well as the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for Years Ago (1947) and Long Day's Journey into Night (1956).

Lynn Carlin is an American actress.

Production

Writing

Screenwriter and producer James Lee Barrett also created the television adaptation of In the Heat of the Night .

James Lee Barrett Tony Award winner, screenwriter and United States Marine

James Lee Barrett was an American author, producer and screenwriter.

<i>In the Heat of the Night</i> (TV series) TV series

In the Heat of the Night is an American drama television series based on the 1967 film and the 1965 novel of the same title. It starred Carroll O'Connor as police chief William Gillespie and Howard Rollins as police detective Virgil Tibbs, and was broadcast on NBC from March 6, 1988 until May 19, 1992, then on CBS from October 28, 1992 until May 16, 1995. Its executive producers were Fred Silverman, Juanita Bartlett and O'Connor.

Casting

The film's lead was played by Jim Brown, who had recently retired as a professional football player. Brown and George Kennedy had previously appeared together in the war film The Dirty Dozen . Another co-star, Bernie Casey, had played in the National Football League from 1961-68, his career intersecting with that of Brown, who was an NFL star from 1957-65.

<i>The Dirty Dozen</i> 1967 film by Robert Aldrich

The Dirty Dozen is a 1967 American war film directed by Robert Aldrich, released by MGM, starring Lee Marvin. The picture was filmed at MGM-British Studios and features an ensemble supporting cast including Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Robert Ryan, Telly Savalas, Robert Webber and Donald Sutherland. The film is based on E. M. Nathanson's novel of the same name that was inspired by a real-life group called the "Filthy Thirteen". In 2001, the American Film Institute placed the film at number 65 on their 100 Years... 100 Thrills list.

Bernard Terry Casey was an American actor, poet, and professional football player.

National Football League Professional American football league

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world. The NFL's 17-week regular season runs from early September to late December, with each team playing 16 games and having one bye week. Following the conclusion of the regular season, six teams from each conference advance to the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament culminating in the Super Bowl, which is usually held in the first Sunday in February, and is played between the champions of the NFC and AFC.

It was the penultimate film appearance of screen legend Fredric March.

Filming

It was made in and around the Colusa, California. The town's central courthouse square was remodeled to appear like those found in the American South. The same courthouse was also used for exterior shots in the 1962 classic To Kill a Mockingbird .

Colusa, California City in California, United States

Colusa is the county seat of Colusa County, California. The population was 5,971 at the 2010 census, up from 5,402 at the 2000 census. Colusi originates from the local Coru Native American tribe, who in the 1840s lived on the opposite side of the Sacramento River.

<i>To Kill a Mockingbird</i> (film) 1962 film by Robert Mulligan

To Kill a Mockingbird is a 1962 American drama film directed by Robert Mulligan. The screenplay by Horton Foote is based on Harper Lee's 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. It stars Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch and Mary Badham as Scout. To Kill a Mockingbird marked the film debuts of Robert Duvall, William Windom, and Alice Ghostley.

Release

The film was released theatrically in the United States by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in January 1970. [5] The same year as Nelson's Soldier Blue . It was shown in an anamorphic in 2.40:1 aspect ratio. [6] A radio advertisement for the film summarized the story simply: "tick...tick...tick is the sound of time...running out."

Home media

The film was never given an official VHS release in the United States. It was released on DVD in 2012 via the Warner Archive on-demand service.

See also

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References

  1. "Big Rental Films of 1970", Variety, 6 January 1971 p 11
  2. "...tick...tick...tick..." Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  3. "Janet MacLachlan". IMDb.
  4. "Richard Elkins". IMDb.
  5. "Company Credits for ...tick... tick... tick..." imdb.com. Retrieved 2012-04-26.
  6. "Tick...Tick...Tick... (1970)". wbshop.com. Retrieved 2012-04-26.