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A nuclear bomb test in 85 minutes? These criminals picked the wrong ghost town to die in.
TMDB
63
IMDb
68
Rotten Tomatoes
40
Google
86

Split Second (1953)

ticking-clock terrornoir paranoiadesperate men

Overview

ThrillerCrime

Escaped convicts hold hostages in a ghost town targeted for a nuclear bomb test.

Flag of USUS
Content warning
black and whitefilm noiratomic bomb test

Standout Aspects

Direction

Dick Powell squeezes claustrophobia from wide open desert.

Cinematography

Black-and-white shadows that eat characters whole.

Acting

Jan Sterling's Dottie: tragic, tipsy, unforgettable.

Best for:Solo: Late-night noir binge where nobody can judge your stress-sweating.·Rewatch: Catch every sweaty close-up once you know who survives.
Heads up:Violence: Gun violence and one brutal off-screen death.
Dick Powell

Director

Dick Powell

ReleasedMay 2, 1953
Runtime1h 25m
StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacefast
Intensityhigh
Tonedark
Feelheavy
RKO Radio Pictures

Top Cast

Stephen McNally

Stephen McNally

Sam Hurley

Alexis Smith

Alexis Smith

Kay Garven

Jan Sterling

Jan Sterling

Dorothy 'Dottie' Vale

Keith Andes

Keith Andes

Larry Fleming

Arthur Hunnicutt

Arthur Hunnicutt

Asa Tremaine

Paul Kelly

Paul Kelly

Bart Moore

Robert Paige

Robert Paige

Arthur Ashton

Richard Egan

Richard Egan

Doctor Neal Garven

Frank De Kova

Frank De Kova

Dummy

Ask about Split Second

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Trivia

Filmed in just 10 days on a shoestring budget at RKO's '40 Acres' backlot—same desert later nuked in The Twilight Zone's 'The Shelter.'

Cultural

Released mere months after the Korean War's stalemate, the film weaponizes America's fresh nuclear anxiety for cheap popcorn thrills.

YouTube

Split Second

Split Second

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