This week’s mystery movie was the 1957 film Time Limit, with Richard Widmark, Richard Basehart, Dolores Michaels, June Lockhart, Carl Benton Reid, Martin Balsam, Rip Torn, Yale Wexler, Alan Dexter, Kaie Deei, Manning Ross and Joe Di Rida.
Screenplay by Henry Denker. Based on the play by Henry Denker and Ralph Berkey.
As produced by the Theatre Guild.
Music composed and conducted by Fred Steiner.
Photography by Sam Leavitt.
Art direction by Serge Krizman.
Set decorations by Victor Gangelin.
Technical advisor Victor D. Baughman.
Sound by Fred Lau and Roger Heman.
Sound editing by Robert G. Carlisle.
Edited by Aaron Stell.
Makeup by Harry Maret Jr.
Hairstyles by Lillian Ugrin.
Wardrobe by Henry West.
Script supervisor Kathleen Fagan.
Dialogue director Peter Simon.
Assistant director Emmett Emerson.
Production manager James T. Vaughn.
Music editor William Lloyd Young.
Titles by Pacific Title.
Produced by Richard Widmark and William H. Reynolds.
Directed by Karl Malden.
Further information on Time Limit is available from the AFI Catalog.
Time Limit is available on DVD and Blu-ray from Critics’ Choice Videos.
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I picked Time Limit because it looked interesting (Karl Malden’s directorial debut) and because it hasn’t aired on TCM since 2013.
I’m going to guess Bosley Crowther gave this at least an OK review because it originated on Broadway. Of the Broadway cast, with Arthur Kennedy and Richard Kiley in the lead roles, only Khigh Dhiegh (as Kaie Deei) appears in the film.
Half-right. It was Abe Weiler, one of the New York Times’ alphabet soup critics (Oct. 24, 1957):
The complex of cowardice and heroism, so often glibly glossed over in literature and the theater, is arrestingly exposed in Time Limit, which opened at the Victoria Theatre yesterday.
No less than the shattering drama that gave Broadway playgoers pause last year, this screen dissection of men’s minds under the stress of war, is both tense melodrama and incisive drama. What Time Limit has to say is sobering, important and exciting and, though its principals are caught in circumstances that are extraordinary, it meticulously arrives at terrible truths that are timeless and universal.
For Monday, we have a mystery fellow.
Update: This is Khigh Dhiegh.
For “Tricky Tuesday,” we have a mystery woman. Her mystery companion has been cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness.
Update: For Friday, we add our mysterious leading man. He’s also the mystery producer.
Update: This is Richard Widmark and June Lockhart.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and mysterious colonel), Incredible Inman (mysterious colonel), Jenny M. (mystery colonel), Robert Morrissey (mystery colonel), Earl Boebert (mystery movie and mysterious colonel), B.J. Merholz (mysterious colonel), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and mysterious colonel), Dan (mysterious colonel), Rick (mysterious colonel), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and mystery colonel), Tucson Barbara (mystery movie and mysterious colonel), Sylvia E. (mystery movie and mystery colonel) L.C. (mystery movie and mystery cast), Benito (mysterious colonel), Sheila (mysterious colonel), Matt Berger (mysterious colonel) and Sarah (mystery colonel).
Note: Quite a few people ended up in the trash or in the spam folders this week. I have no idea why.
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mysterious woman.
Update: This is Dolores Michaels.
Brain Trust roll call: Floyd Thursby (mystery movie and Monday’s mysterious colonel), Mary Mallory (Monday’s mysterious colonel), Sylvia E. (Tuesday’s mystery woman and cropped-out officer), Howard Mandelbaum (Tuesday’s mystery woman), Incredible Inman (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mystery woman), Mike Hawks (Tuesday’s mystery woman), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mystery woman), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mystery woman), Robert Morrissey (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mystery woman), Greg (Monday’s mysterious colonel) and Sarah (mystery movie).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have two mystery fellows.
Update: This is Martin Balsam, left, and Rip Torn.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery women), Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery woman), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery woman), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery woman), Sylvia E. (Wednesday’s mystery woman).
Note to Douglas: You’re on the right track.
For Friday, we add a mysterious prisoner of war with some mysterious companions.
Update: This is Khigh Dhieghm, left, and Richard Basehart.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery guests), Sylvia E. (Thursday’s mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guests), Jenny M. (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests) and Benito (mystery movie and Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests).
ladailymirror.com 
Khigh Dhiegh in TIME LIMIT (1957).
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Khigh Dhiegh today. But surely this can’t be “The Manchurian Candidate” …
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Khigh Dhiegh
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I think that’s Khigh Dhiegh. According to IMDb, he only made nine films, so maybe I’ll be able to figure out which one this pic is from, lol!
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If it’s not Khigh Dhiegh in “The Manchurian Candidate” it should be.
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Ah, Woke up and had some coffee. Betcha suckered us. Khigh Dhiegh alright, but in 1957’s “Time Limit.”
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Khigh Dhiegh
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Khigh Dhiegh in Time Limit (1957)
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Monday’s mystery fellow sure looks a lot like Harold Sakata (Odd Job) but my movie search doesn’t back me up.
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Martin Balsam, Rip Torn.
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Richard Widmark.
Khigh Dhiegh, Richard Basehart.
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Khigh Dhiegh, presumably in The Manchurian Candidate.
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looks like the original Wo Fat from Hawaii 5-0 Khigh Dhiegh
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Khigh Dhiegh in TIME LIMIT 1957.
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I’ll take a wild guess –
Khigh Dhiegh in “Time Limit”
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I’m pretty sure that Monday’s guy is Khigh Dhiegh (favorites of mine: Seconds, Manchurian Candidate and Hawaii Five-0).
The movie might be “Time Limit” 1957.
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Time Limit (1957) w/Khigh Dhiegh, Richard Widmark, Rip Torn, Richard Basehart, June Lockhart, Dolores Michaels, Carl Benton Reid, Martin Balsam…
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Khigh Diegh, best known as Dr Yen Lo in THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE 1962
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Khigh Dhiegh for Monday?
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Khigh Dhiegh in TIME LIMIT 1957.
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Not sure if he is, but he reminds me of Khigh Diegh, who plays Dr. Yen Lo in the brilliant THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE. RIP, Angela Lansbury.
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It’s Thigh Dhiegh.
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Oops. **Khigh** not thigh, although that’s sort of funny.
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For Monday we have Khigh Dhiegh. The movie is “Time Limit .”
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MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE. Khigh Dhiegh Monday and Frank Sinatra oc and Estelle Etterre today.
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Tuesday – Pretty sure that our ‘peeking’ lady is “Lassie’s mother”, June Lockhart. Guessing that the ‘cropped for lack of mysteriousness’ hat brim belongs to Richard Widmark.
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June Lockhart.
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Half of June Lockhart’s face today, and the movie is “Time Limit.”
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June Lockhart.
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That looks like June Lockhart peering through the door in Time Limit (1957)
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If That’s June Lockhart peeking out the door then her limited time is up.
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That’s June Lockhart, so this is Time Limit, from 1957. Thanks IMDb, and also to the fact that Ms. Lockhart didn’t make too many movies!
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Khigh Dhiegh is Monday’s mystery soldier in The Manchurian Candidate.
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The movie is “Time Limit” (1957).
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TIME LIMIT. June Lockhart Tuesday and Dolores Michaels today.
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Dolores Michaels.
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Wednesday: Dolores Michaels in Time Limit (1957)
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Dolores Michaels.
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Wednesday – Delores Michaels
Seeing that Karl Malden directed the movie, I was curious to learn more. Apparently this was the only feature he directed, with the exception of stepping in for a while when the director of “The Hanging Tree” became ill during filming.
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I detect a Manchurian Candidate atmosphere, but don’t know this actor’s name.
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Martin Balsam and Rip Torn.
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Martin Balsam and Rip Torn.
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Martin Balsam and Rip Torn.
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Time Limit with Martin Balsam and Rip Torn.
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For “Aha Thursday”, we have Martin Balsam and Rip Torn in Time Limit (1957)
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Dolores Micheals, Martin Balsam and a young Rip Torn. Gotta be TIME LIMIT 1957
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Richard Widmark Tuesday, Khigh Dihiegh and Richard Basehart today.
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How about Martin Balsam and Richard Baseheart in Time Limit…directed by Karl Malden.
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Khigh Dhiegh and Richard Basehart.
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Friday
A sideview reveal of Richard Widmark.
Khigh Dhiegh, sans his Monday chapeau on screen left, Richard Basehart in the middle and, I think,one of the Soo Hoo brothers on screen right. Both Willie and Walter Soo Hoo are listed as being in the film in the cast list on the TCM site, but apparently uncredited as to named characters. Their own credit lists on IMDb don’t list this film. Still, I’ll guess that it’s Walter. His age would be a better match for the year of the movie than Willie.
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Khigh Dhiegh and Richard Basehart in Time Limit (1957)
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