Is 'The Night Holds Terror' a true story? Details about the 1955 crime noir

The Night Holds Terror is a 1955 crime thriller based on true events written and directed by Andrew L. Stone. The movie shows the kidnapping of Gene Courtier, played by Jack Kelly, as he gets kidnapped by 3 gangsters and is held for ransom. The movie also features actors like Vince Edwards, John Cassavetes and Hildy Parks. get to know what is The Night Holds Terror true story.

Is The Night Holds Terror a true story?

The Night Holds Terror is based on the true incident of Eugene M. Courtier, an Edwards Air Force Base technician who was kidnapped. The criminals responsible for this were Leonard Daniel Mahan, James Bartley Carrigan, and Don Eugene Hall. 

The Night Holds Terror movie review

One night, Gene Courtier picks up hitchhiker Victor Gosset, a wanted criminal who is a part of a gang of three robbers. When the gang realises that Gene has only a few dollars in cash, they force Courtier to sell his expensive car and give them the money. When they go to sell the car, the dealer isn't able to pay such a large amount of money so soon. The gang decides to stay at Gene's house and take the money in the morning.

The night becomes a terror of fear and tension for Courtiers, the couple is sacred for their two young children. In the morning, the gang leaves with Gene to take the money and before they can murder him, Logan suggests holding Gene for ransom as he had discovered that Courtier's father owns a chain of stores. The gang decides to demand $200,000. Gene's father is given one night to hand over the money.

Gene's wife calls the police and the police start tracing calls. There is conflict within the gang, and Logan and Gene try to escape together. But Logan ends up being shot dead by Batsford and Courtier gets caught again.

Ultimately, Gene's wife stalls the gang's call long enough for the police to successfully trace it. The police are ready, police squad cars close in on the target area. There is a shootout near a phone booth in a deserted factory area, robbers Basford and Gossett are injured, and Courtier is safely reunited with his family.

The movie is rated 6.2 on IMDb, with many viewers calling it "fascinating" and "gritty". Many have also praised the cast and their performance, with one viewer commenting on how the "characters in the film are well-played" and "entertaining enough" to make the overall experience "enjoyable".