Art by Boris Grisson
Hagen (George Macready) tries to cover up for his boss
Stroud hides out inside the clock
The Big Clock was remade in 1987 as No Way Out. The setting was changed to Washington, D.C., and the emphasis was less on murder mystery and more as a political thriller/romance. Kevin Costner stars as Navy Lieutenant Commander Tom Farrell, who is introduced to the Secretary of Defense, David Brice (Gene Hackman) by a college friend (Will Patton) at an inaugural ball. At the same event he meets Susan Atwell (Sean Young). The two begin an intense, passionate affair, but Farrell soon learns that Susan is also the mistress of a powerful man ... guess who? After seeing a shadowy male figure leave Susan's home, a jealous Brice accidentally kills her, and as in The Big Clock, Farrell is put in charge of the investigation to find the "real" killer. The rest of the film takes place in the claustrophobic halls and offices of the Pentagon, as Farrell tries to avoid capture while proving that Brice is the true culprit. No Way Out is not as stylish as The Big Clock, but it is fast-paced and exciting, and Costner and Young are very sexy in their scenes together. The political setting also provides the filmmakers with some additional twists and turns featuring a Russian spy subplot.
Both films are great to watch and favorites when I'm in the mood for a paranoid thriller.