Cinquante millions pour Johns

An international co-production from the ubiquitous Harry Alan Towers, 24 HOURS TO KILL stars Lex Barker as an airline pilot whose plane, bound for Athens, has engine trouble and is forced to land in Beirut. The mechanics tell him they can have the plane repaired and ready to fly in 24 hours--the 24 hours "to kill" of the title. Mickey Rooney plays a member of the flight crew who, upon landing, is watched and followed by a number of people...and who acts quite suspiciously himself. The question of why Rooney is being followed and what he has done in the past to explain his being followed provides the suspense in the film. The script does not give the always-excellent Barker much particularity of character--he basically has to look handsome and act authoritative. His attitude toward the Rooney character changes throughout the film, and he is entangled in a relationship with a female member of the crew, so there are a few elements in the script that give the character some depth, but not enough. Mickey Rooney is given a far meatier role. Rooney is perfect as "Jonesy", affable on the surface, but complex underneath and with a BIG chip on his shoulder. There's not a lot of action in the film, and the few fight scenes are--as usual for Harry Alan Towers productions--unconvincingly staged. Although made in English, the film has the feel of any number of continental co-productions and an international cast. The ending can be viewed as either ironic or unsatisfying, but it certainly wasn't what I expected! There are a few interesting middle-eastern-looking shots that could either be location shooting or sleight-of-hand involving stock footage, but in any event the film does have a distinct middle-eastern flavor that keeps it from being generic or run of the mill. Overall, this is an entertaining b-movie worth watching for fans of Lex Barker (one of his last English-language starring roles) and for a colorful character role by Mickey Rooney (see PULP with Michael Caine sometime for another fine Rooney performance). If you have two free hours and want a standard-issue dose of b-movie international intrigue, it's worthwhile, but nothing worth seeking out.

When a passenger plane makes an emergency landing in Beirut, the pilot, Jamie Faulkner (Lex Barker) and his crew become caught up in criminal activity. Faulkner quickly discovers that his co-pilot (Mickey Rooney) is involved, and that his fellow crooks have reason to be extremely angry with him.

24 HOURS TO KILL is a rather slow-paced "thriller". There are several points where it seems as though something intriguing or exciting is about to happen, only to result in the opposite.

Barker does his best with the tepid material, while Rooney spends his time looking pensive and suspicious by turns. Modern action film-lovers will find few enthralling moments here. It's not terrible, just don't expect a James Bond movie...

Really good movie except the Production Flaws!

First Rate plot a 60's Bond movie without a Bond!

Biggest mistake was not Getting John Barry or anyone to put a soundtrack behind it. Really needed tension in soundtrack to get a viewer on edge.

50's Tarzan wasn't going to do it The girls except Marla Rhom more suited for Bonds girl. The other eye candy were fashion model we're ok as Bond Girls Slezak is too likeable as the villain. He as his girls too! Chauffeur "Rohm" should have been Bonds girl Rooney does good job as pathological liar

Any script Writer looking for a plot to redo?

Need different locations while Film used Excellent Ancient scenery as back drop, it's been ruined by civil war.

Had all the elements failed execution.

A passenger plane is forced to make an emergency landing in Beirut. The plane needs 24 hours to make repair. Norman Jones (Mickey Rooney) gets entangled with a murderous smuggling ring.

The movie is a bit of a mess. The directing is weak. The opening landing should be a lot more exciting. I guess the lady screaming into the cockpit is suppose to be that. I don't like Norman and I don't really care about his predicament. The only truly compelling aspect is seeing this city, this culture, and this country before it gets destroyed by the civil war. Maybe it serves as a reminder of the time and place.

Despite the exotic location, tried-and-tested leading actor and bevy of beautiful European actresses, 24 HOURS TO KILL is a real chore to sit through. It's a spy thriller produced on the cheap by Harry Alan Towers, shot in Beirut when it was still considered an exotic holiday destination (although that perception was to change, somewhat considerably, in the 1980s!).

The main actor is former Tarzan Lex Barker, who appears as a pilot whose holiday is cut short when he becomes involved in a conspiracy storyline involving fellow crew member Mickey Rooney. What follows is a slightly Bond-style with lots of location photography, glamorous women appearing in bikinis, and a handful of fist fights to keep things rolling along. Unfortunately it's all rather stately, slow, and uninvolving, with little to recommend it other than the scenery. It's one of those films you end up forgetting about just five minutes after watching.