Two Crowded Hours

Two Crowded Hours
John Longden (right) and Jerry Verno (centre)
Directed by	Michael Powell
Produced by	Jerome Jackson Henry Cohen
Written by	Joseph Jefferson Farjeon
Starring	John Longden Jane Welsh Jerry Verno
Cinematography	Geoffrey Faithfull
Edited by	Arthur Seabourne
Distributed by	Fox Film Company (UK) Twentieth Century-Fox (USA)
Release date	8 July 1931 (London) 28 December 1931 (UK)
Running time	43 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Two Crowded Hours is a 1931 British comedy drama film directed by Michael Powell. It was made as a Quota quickie and is the first film where Powell is credited as the director.

A murderer is on the run from prison and is out to get everyone, especially the girl (Jane Welsh), who put him there. The detective (John Longden) gives chase with the help of a London cabbie (Jerry Verno) who has aspirations of becoming a policeman himself.

Michael Powell's first feature as director, Two Crowded Hours was produced by Jerry Jackson for the Film Engineering Company and distributed by the British arm of Fox Pictures. With accomplished players John Longden (star of Blackmail) and Cockney character actor Jerry Verno, shooting was completed in 12 days in April 1931 in and around London's Soho. "It was played for laughs and thrills", Powell said, "and we were paid £1 per foot by Fox. We got £4,000 on delivery so obviously we had to make it for £3,000". Although a few stills survive, there is no known print of Two Crowded Hours in existence.

Two Crowded Hours has been declared to be "Missing, Believed Lost" by the British Film Institute. It is listed as one of their "75 Most Wanted" lost films, along with two later Powell films The Price of a Song (1935) and The Man Behind the Mask (1936).