Time Table (1956) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The movie takes place in Arizona, primarily aboard a passenger train traveling through the desert and into a remote desert town with a hospital far from any regular stop. The desert setting of heat, dust, and isolation shapes the heist and creates a tense atmosphere throughout.

• arizona desert
• train
• setting
• remote town

The train serves as the central location for the heist, carrying a payroll that becomes the target of the robbery. The action unfolds aboard the moving train as it travels through Arizona, with the robbery going undetected until the train reaches Phoenix hours later.

• train
• heist
• payroll
• phoenix

Deception runs through the caper, with characters posing as doctors and falsely claiming relationships to gain access to the payroll. The plan hinges on fake medical claims, false identities, and precise timing. The twist revealing Charlie Norman as the mastermind exposes how trust can be exploited when greed takes over.

• deception
• false identities
• heist plan
• betrayal

Greed drives the key actions as a half-million dollars becomes the spark for dangerous betrayals. The loot is chased across trains, deserts, and border checkpoints, with each player hoping to outrun the others. The pursuit reveals how money can corrupt professional boundaries and moral judgment.

• greed
• money
• betrayal
• half million dollars

Investigators relentlessly trace clues through a layered timetable, turning a routine insurance claim into a high-stakes chase. The pursuit spans moving trains, desolate deserts, and a tense border crossing. The cat-and-mouse game showcases how determined pursuit can outpace even a meticulously plotted scheme.

• pursuit
• investigation
• cat and mouse
• chase

Paul Bruckner is a licensed surgeon whose medical license was revoked due to alcoholism. He poses as Dr. Sloane aboard the train and joins the heist out of desperation for money, playing a key role in orchestrating the theft despite the risks involved.

• paul bruckner
• surgeon
• dr sloane
• criminal

Charlie Norman appears to be a weary insurance claim investigator but is secretly the mastermind behind the robbery plot. He orchestrates the entire timetable and believes he can outwit both the investigators and the other criminals, though his ambitions threaten everyone involved.

• charlie norman
• mastermind
• insurance investigator
• plotter

Joe Armstrong is a veteran railroad policeman and investigator who methodically pieces together the crime. His persistence and logical approach drive the investigation forward, culminating in the confrontation with the conspirators.

• joe armstrong
• railroad policeman
• investigator
• detective

Linda Brucker pretends to be Lombard's wife and is involved in the plan to escape with the money. She uses charm and pragmatism to navigate the danger, but faces increasing risk as the net tightens around the criminals.

• linda brucker
• lombard wife
• accomplice
• escape plan

Time Table is a 1956 crime film set in the mid-20th century, reflecting the era's attitudes and aesthetics. The setting features period-appropriate trains, transportation, and investigative methods consistent with 1950s America.

• 1950s
• era
• time period
• mid 20th century

The dominant tone is tense, driven by the cat-and-mouse chase and the criminals' desperate attempts to escape. The ending feel is bleak, with the mastermind and his accomplice killed in a shootout and the stolen money effectively lost, offering no redemption or success for any of the criminal protagonists.

• tone
• tense
• bleak ending
• shootout
• no redemption

Time Table follows an insurance detective assigned to investigate a meticulously-planned train robbery in Arizona. As he digs into the case, he encounters numerous surprises and discovers that the truth behind the heist is more complex than it initially appears.

• insurance detective
• train robbery
• investigation
• premise