The Zero Hour

Consider the ingredients in this story. A womam torn in her loyalties between her former fiancee, now wellchair bound for a number of years following a tragic accident, and a sympathetic man who can give her the whole life she craves in marriage. A very appealing child involved in a tug of war between two adults. Handled differently, it might have been an exercise in scmalzy theatrics. Instead, performances by pros like Otto Kruger, Frieda Innescourt and Donald Douglas put it over successfully and compellingly. Even the child, Ann Todd, is completely believable and does not cloy. The conclusion, though we might have seen it a long way off, is not inevitable, as we are kept in suspense to the very end over which man Frieda will choose. For its age (70 years), the print and sound quality of this picture are amazingly good.