| Tick, Tick, Tick | |
|---|---|
 1970 movie poster | |
| Directed by | Ralph Nelson |
| Written by | James Lee Barrett |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Loyal Griggs |
| Edited by | Alex Beaton |
| Music by | Jerry Styner |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2,144,000 (US/Canada rentals)[1] |
Tick, Tick, Tick, stylized as...tick...tick...tick..., is an Americancrime drama film directed byRalph Nelson and released byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1970.[2] Racially provocative for its time, the film starsJim Brown in the role of a black man elected as thesheriff of a rural county in theAmerican South. It has become something of a cult classic for its cutting-edge portrayal of racial relations and its tense narrative.
In a small Southern town, a black man, Jim Price is elected sheriff over John Little, the white incumbent. Racial tensions exist in the community, and Price gets little assistance from Little, who is 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.
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Screenwriter and producerJames Lee Barrett also created the television adaptation ofIn the Heat of the Night.
The film's lead was played by Jim Brown, who had recently retired as a professional football player. Brown andGeorge Kennedy had previously appeared together in the war filmThe Dirty Dozen. Another co-star,Bernie Casey, had played in theNational Football League from 1961 to 1968, his career intersecting with that of Brown, who was an NFL star from 1957 to 1965.
It was the penultimate film appearance of screen legendFredric March.
It was made in and aroundColusa, 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 classicTo Kill a Mockingbird.
The film was released theatrically in the United States byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer in January 1970,[5] the same year as Nelson'sSoldier Blue. It was shown in ananamorphic 2.40:1 aspect ratio.[6] A radio advertisement for the film summarized the story simply: "tick...tick...tick is the sound of time...running out."
The film was never given an officialVHS release in the United States. It was released onDVD in 2012 via theWarner Archive on-demand service.