Dial 1119 Reviews

Grim thriller about an escaped maniac Thompson (cast against type), who is bent on killing a police psychiatrist, Levene, because he knows too much about his illness. The killer boards a bus, steals the driver's gun and kills him. He then waits in a tavern across the street from Levene's home, where he is recognized by the bartender (Conrad) who sees his face on a television news bulletin. Thompson shoots Conrad as he tries to call the police, and holds the rest of the patrons hostage. Tension builds as the cops try to trick the killer out into the open, but Thompson demands that Levene be sent to him, lest he kill all his captives. Levene bravely enters the bar and is killed by Thompson, who is then jumped by one of his hostages, giving the cops an opportunity to gun him down. A taut and powerful programmer, and much was made of the clever use of television newscasts to further the narrative (television then being a fresh and rarely exploited plot device).