Tick, Tick, Tick (film)

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***Tick, Tick, Tick***, stylized as ***...tick...tick...tick...***, is a 1970 American crime drama film directed by Ralph Nelson. It was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Racially provocative for its time, it stars Jim Brown in the role of an African American man elected as the sheriff of a rural county in the American South. It has become something of a cult classic for its cutting-edge portrayal of racial relations and its tense narrative.

## Plot

In a small Southern town, Jim Price is elected sheriff over John Little, the incumbent. Racial tensions exist in the community, and Price gets little assistance from Little, leaving office, or from Mayor Parks, who insists he be consulted on any decision the new sheriff makes.

A white man, John Braddock, is arrested on a manslaughter charge after his drunken driving causes the death of a young girl. Braddock's father carries considerable influence and demands his son be freed. Price's deputy, Bradford Wilkes, is beaten by Little's former deputy, Bengy Springer.

Another arrest is made, this time of a black man, George Harley, accused of rape. The townspeople's mood turns uglier by the minute, particularly when Braddock's father threatens to spring his son by force if necessary.

Little's conscience gets the better of him. He agrees to become Price's new deputy. Together, they try in vain to persuade other men in town to side with them against Braddock's vigilantes and to convince the mayor to call in the National Guard for help. Alone against the mob, Price and Little form a barricade and prepare for the worst when their fellow townsmen suddenly join them in the street.

## Cast

 File:...tick...tick...tick... (1970) 1.jpg
* Jim Brown as Jim Price
* George Kennedy as John Little
* Fredric March as Mayor Jeff Parks
* Lynn Carlin as Julia Little
* Don Stroud as Bengy Springer
* Janet MacLachlan as Mary Price
* Richard Elkins as Bradford Wilkes
* Clifton James as D.J. Rankin
* Bob Random as John Braddock
* Mills Watson as Joe Warren
* Bernie Casey as George Harley
* Anthony James as H.C. Tolbert
* Dub Taylor as Junior
* Ernest Anderson as Homer
* Karl Swenson as Braddock Sr.

## Production

### Writing

Screenwriter and producer James Lee Barrett also created the television adaptation of *In the Heat of the Night*.

### Casting

The film's lead was played by Jim Brown, who had recently retired as a professional football player. Brown and George Kennedy had previously appeared together in the war film *The Dirty Dozen*. Another co-star, Bernie Casey, had played in the National Football League from 1961–68, his career intersecting with that of Brown, who was an NFL star from 1957-65.

It was the penultimate film appearance of screen legend Fredric March.

### Filming

It was made in and around Colusa, California. The town's central courthouse square was remodeled to appear like those found in the American South. The same courthouse was also used for exterior shots in the 1962 classic *To Kill a Mockingbird*.

## Release

The film was released theatrically in the United States by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in January 1970, the same year as Nelson's *Soldier Blue*. It was shown in an anamorphic in 2.40:1 aspect ratio. A radio advertisement for the film summarized the story simply: "tick...tick...tick is the sound of time...running out."

## Home media

The film was never given an official VHS release in the United States. It was released on DVD in 2012 via the Warner Archive on-demand service.

## References

1. ↑ "Big Rental Films of 1970", *Variety*, 6 January 1971 p 11
2. ↑ ...tick...tick...tick.... *Turner Classic Movies*. Retrieved on February 29, 2016.
3. ↑ Janet MacLachlan. *IMDb*.
4. ↑ Richard Elkins. *IMDb*.
5. ↑ Company Credits for ...tick... tick... tick.... imdb.com. Retrieved on April 26, 2012.
6. ↑ Tick...Tick...Tick... (1970). wbshop.com. Retrieved on April 26, 2012.

## External links

* *...tick...tick...tick...* at the Internet Movie Database
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* ...tick...tick...tick... at FilmInAmerica.com (formerly Northern California Movies)

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