The Hour of 13

The Hour of 13
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Harold French
Screenplay by	Leon Gordon Howard Emmett Rogers
Based on	X v. Rex 1933 novel by Philip MacDonald
Produced by	Hayes Goetz
Starring	Peter Lawford Dawn Addams Roland Culver
Cinematography	Guy Green
Edited by	Raymond Poulton Robert Watts
Music by	John Addison
Production company	MGM-British
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date	27 October 1952 (1952-10-27)
Running time	88 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	$873,000 [1]
Box office	$756,000 [1]

The Hour of 13 is a 1952 British historical mystery film directed by Harold French and starring Peter Lawford, Dawn Addams and Roland Culver. It was made at Elstree Studios by the British subsidiary of MGM. The film's sets were designed by the German-born art director Alfred Junge. Some location shooting took place around London including Kensington Gardens. The film is a remake of the 1934 thriller The Mystery of Mr. X , based on the novel X v. Rex by Philip MacDonald. ^[2]

Plot

Reminiscent of the Jack The Ripper school with a period setting in gaslit London, but this time the mysterious killer is The Terror who is murdering policemen. Lawford plays the handsome gentleman thief Nicholas Revel who gets himself involved in the murders, and the theft of a valuable emerald. The treatment is seldom serious yet is smartly resolved with a supporting cast of British stalwarts.

Cast

• Peter Lawford as Nicholas Revel
• Dawn Addams as Jane Frensham
• Roland Culver as Connor
• Derek Bond as Sir Christopher Lenhurst
• Leslie Dwyer as Ernie Perker
• Michael Hordern as Sir Herbert Frensham
• Colin Gordon as MacStreet
• Heather Thatcher as Mrs. Chumley Orr
• Jack McNaughton as Ford
• Campbell Cotts as Mr. Chumley Orr
• Fabia Drake as Lady Elmbridge
• Michael Goodliffe as Anderson
• Moultrie Kelsall as Magistrate of Court
• Peter Copley as Cummings
• Richard Shaw as The 'Terror'
• Sam Kydd as Reporter

Reception

According to MGM records the movie earned $344,000 in the US and Canada and $412,000 elsewhere, making a loss to the studio of $424,000. ^[1]

See also

• The Mystery of Mr. X (1934)

References

1. The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
2. "The Hour of 13 (1952) - Harold French | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie".

External links

• The Hour of 13 at IMDb
• The Hour of 13 at the TCM Movie Database
• The Hour of 13 at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films