Tomorrow at Ten (1962)

Tomorrow at ten is directed by Lance Comfort. The film stars John Gregson, Robert Shaw,Alec Clunes, William Hartnell, Kenneth Cope, Piers Bishop and Alan Wheatley.A shifty criminal called Marlowe(Robert Shaw)kidnaps young Jonathan Chester(Piers Bishop)the son of a wealthy man. Marlowe takes him to an abandoned house and locks him in.Marlow has put a bomb which is set to go off the following day in a toy left with the boy. Marlowe goes to the boys father (Alec Clunes)and demands fifty thousand pounds, in exchange for the money Marlowe will take Chester to his son. If the police become involved Marlowe won't say where Jonathan is, this will mean he will be killed when the bomb explodes.Jonathan's nanny phones the police when Marlowe comes to speak to Mr. Chester. Tough police Inspector Parnell (John Gregson)is sent to deal with the situation. Parnell tries to intimidate Marlow, he want's to arrest him but is prevented from doing so by his boss (Alan Wheatley). Parnell must try and get Marlowe to reveal some information about where Jonathan is before it's too late.I've never been much of a fan of John Gregson, but he really impressed me in this, playing Parnell as a no nonsense copper who treats criminals exactly how they deserve to be treated. Robert Shaw is very good as the deranged Marlowe, he manages to steal every scene he's in with just a look.The supporting cast all deliver solid performances and there's lots of suspense. Is it believable that Mr. Chester would be allowed to be left alone with Marlowe when time was running out? Probably not, and I think that is a flaw for the film; it doesn't make this any less enjoyable though.Good performances and plenty of suspense help make this well worth a watch.

When I watch a film like TOMORROW AT TEN, I'm a bit bemused because I can't understand why it's not better known. This is a cracking little thriller, one of the best of its era, and it really should be talked about today by film fans instead of being forgotten by all but the most dedicated viewers of the era. It's a pity that B-movie thrillers like this one are so little known as this sort of film more than holds its own against modern fare.There's no padding or fat in this story which gets going from the outset. A delightfully mannered Robert Shaw (on the cusp of stardom in FROM Russia WITH LOVE, although TOMORROW AT TEN was made in 1962 and not released until 1965) plays a kidnapper who abducts the son of a rich businessman and locks him in a room with a bomb hidden inside a Golliwog. The boy's father and a local detective inspector must negotiate before the bomb explodes - 'tomorrow at ten'.It's a great concept and the experienced director Lance Comfort makes a fine job of it. There's suspense in spades here, alongside plot twists you won't see coming and a delightfully tense race-against-the-clock (literally!) climax. The supporting cast includes notable roles for Kenneth Cope, Alec Clunes (father of Martin), Harry Fowler, William Hartnell, and Renee Houston. John Gregson's long-suffering detective inspector is one of the most sympathetic of his career.

The most telling points of this neat little British second feature, are the strong cast of Shaw, Gregson, Clunes, Wheatley and Cope, allied with a lively script and tight direction from Lance Comfort. The plot is tidy and unfussy and proceeds well towards its somewhat novel conclusion. Robert Shaw is excellent as the disturbed kidnapper, Marlow, and sterling support is provided by John Gregson as the police inspector. Some of the scenes are a little over the top, especially the one concerning the dancers in the nightclub, which by today's standards is quite hilarious! Not a classic by any means, but well worth watching in any event.

Robert Shaw kidnaps the child of a wealthy industrialist and stashes the kid in a rented house. He then just walks into the boy's family home and lays out his terms to the boy's father. 50,000 pounds in cash and no calling the police. Of course the police are called and headed by John Gregson put in a quick appearance. They are about to haul Shaw off to jail for a bit of third degree when he pulls out his ace in the hole. Shaws tells them that he has left the boy in a locked room with a time bomb. If he does not get the cash and then allowed on a flight to Rio, the boy will die. They have till ten the next morning to decide. The father loses his temper and supplies several right hands to Shaw. Shaw goes down in a heap smashing his head in on the fireplace. Of course Shaw dies without telling them where the boy is. Now how do they find the boy? It is the old race against time routine. It works though as they track down every possible clue before rescuing the boy in the nick of time. Nice cameo bit by William Hartnel as Shaw's father. Decent time-waster. (b/w)