36 Hours (1953)

Also Known As: Terror Street

Directed by: Montgomery Tully

This review contains a slight Kitty Carnage Warning!

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains a major spoiler for this film!

Synopsis: American pilot Major Bill Rogers (Dan Duryea) sneaks into London to find his missing wife only to end up accused of her murder with only thirty six hours to uncover the truth.

Purr Blur: Rogers visits a low rent apartment building to find the man working the switchboard of the building where his wife was living. In the hallway, a black cat is sitting by a door eating something off the floor.

36 Hours - black cat on floor in hallway behind Bill Rogers Dan Duryea
36 Hours - black cat on floor in hallway behind Bill Rogers Dan Duryea

Cat Burglars (Scene Stealers): Next Rogers visits the home of a customs agent named Orville Hart (John Chandos) who we know is the killer. The scene begins with the camera focused on a basket of kittens.

36 Hours - man reaching into basket of kittens

Hart reaches down and picks up a bicolor tabby kitten and holds the tiny ball of fur in the crook of his arm.

36 Hours - man picking up bicolor tabby kitten by scruff from basket of kittens
36 Hours - man picking up and holding bicolor tabby kitten from basket of kittens animated gif
36 Hours - Orville Hart John Chandos holding bicolor tabby kitten on crook of arm

Hart’s wife (Christine Adrian) comes out to tell him he has a visitor.

36 Hours - Orville Hart John Chandos holding bicolor tabby kitten on arm with wife Christine Adrian

Rogers introduces himself and acts friendly at first. Hart dismisses his wife and continues to hold the kitten as Rogers asks questions.

36 Hours - Orville Hart John Chandos holding bicolor tabby kitten on arm with Bill Rogers Dan Duryea and wife Christine Adrian
36 Hours - Orville Hart John Chandos holding bicolor tabby kitten on arm with Bill Rogers Dan Duryea

Their conversation becomes antogonistic when Rogers reveals he knows Hart was somehow involved with his wife. The kitten remains calm, sitting on Hart’s bent arm.

36 Hours - Orville Hart John Chandos holding bicolor tabby kitten on arm with Bill Rogers Dan Duryea
36 Hours - Orville Hart John Chandos holding bicolor tabby kitten on arm with Bill Rogers Dan Duryea
36 Hours - Orville Hart John Chandos holding bicolor tabby kitten on arm while walking with Bill Rogers Dan Duryea animated gif

Slight Kitty Carnage Warning! Ending their discussion, Rogers walks away. Hart turns to leave, grabbing the kitten by the scruff and seemingly just drops the poor baby down as he walks away.

36 Hours - Orville Hart John Chandos holding bicolor tabby kitten on arm with Bill Rogers Dan Duryea

Final Mewsings: You can really judge a man’s character by how he treats kittens when he thinks no one is watching.

Many thanks to Wahrhaftig for letting us know about the kittens in this film.

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