this seldom see and nearly forgotten gem stand out a a precursor to many movie motif now take for grant . a deranged young man and gunther wyckoff ( whacko with a gun and play menacingly by marshall thompson in perhaps his best performance ) and shoot a city bus driver with the driver own pistol and then hold up in a local bar use the patron a hostage . in those long ago day when such occurrence be rare and there be no professional police negotiator . ironically and wyckoff do his own negotiating with the law and demand to see the psychiatrist that be in charge of treat him . what a crew of hostage represent a barfly willing to bed anyone who buy her a drink and an old married fool make arrangement for a weekend tryst with a sweet young thing and a young man whose wife be in delivery at the hospital and a zealous reporter whose newspaper editor think he a joke and and chuckle and the bartender and play by the dour william conrad of radio gunsmoke and later tv cannon fame . maybe he get his moniker for be the opposite of chuckle and such a call a big guy and tiny . the interaction of this motley crew with each other and with the criminally insane killer make up the big part of the flick . an alternate title be the violent hour and which basically describe the plot of the film and approximately an hour standoff between the psycho and the police who work to free the hostage unharmed . a young andré previn provide the appropriate atmospheric music . what a splendid cast . even workhorse charles lane and who be today 101 and say he be still available to do a show and be see briefly on the tube in a man on the street interview . and do not blink and miss june cleaver ( barbara billingsley ) in a walk on part . item you do not see around anymore represent a cigarette machine and a weight scale on the sidewalk and a pay telephone that cost a nickle to dial 1119 ( no push button ) . item that be curiosity at the time but be now part of everyday life represent a flat panel big screen tv and tv news hype and and and ala and crazy that for no reason shoot patron who be total stranger . the chosen title and dial 1119 and which today remind the viewer of call 911 and be a fit one . label the location terminal city and however and be a bit much .