Following his blacklisting in the McCarthy witch hunts, the American director, Joseph Losey, worked in England and fashioned this gritty noir thriller about David Graham (Michael Redgrave), an alcoholic father who has 24 hours to prove that his son is not guilty of murder, and save him from the gallows. Robert Stanford (Leo McKern) is a car dealer, who knows the truth, but continues to keep Graham on the defensive.

As the clock ticks mercilessly Graham fights a battle against both Stanford as he tries to save his son's life. Time Without Pity was Losey's first film under his own name and retains the director's striking blend of drama and social commentary. The film was also photographed by the legendary Freddie Francis, of Elephant Man fame.