Tags
1940's, Anatole Litvak, Ann Richards, Barbara Stanwyck, Burt Lancaster, Ed Begley, Film Noir, Harold Vermilyea, Sorry Wrong Number, Thriller, Wendell Corey, William Conrad
Film Title
Sorry, Wrong Number
Director
Anatole Litvak
Starring
- Barbara Stanwyck as Leona Stevenson
- Burt Lancaster as Henry Stevenson
- Ann Richards as Sally Hunt Lord
- Wendell Corey as Dr. Alexander
- Harold Vermilyea as Waldo Evans
- Ed Begley as James Cotterell
- William Conrad as Morano
A well paced and inventively structured film noir thriller, Sorry, Wrong Number makes fantastic use of its setting and unfolding of dark mystery to form a tight and tense movie. Expanding on a famous radio play yet keeping a certain flair for drama in a limited setting, plus a fine cast headed by Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster, Sorry, Wrong Number is recommended viewing for noir and thriller fans who will no doubt find it very satisfying.
Leona Stevenson is a demanding, selfish heiress who is largely bed-ridden and when we meet her, alone in her Manhattan apartment. She gets more than she bargained for when she accidentally overhears a phone conversation(thanks to a telephone glitch) between two men, plotting and arranging a woman’s murder that very night. Leona has been trying to reach her husband Henry, who works for her father’s pharmaceutical chain, but hasn’t been able to locate. Panicking over the horrible plot she overhears, she becomes desperate to stop it happening. The fact that she only caught little bits of the conversation doesn’t help when she calls the police, due to a lack of clear evidence. Calling whoever she can think of for attempted help or news on Henry, through various flashbacks, revealing events and machinations fall into place regarding everyone it covers. We see Sally Hunt Lord, who was once romantically linked with Henry, Leona’s Doctor Alexander who holds important information about her, her controlling father James, a chemist named Waldo Evans, a mysterious gangster Morano and of course Henry himself, who we glimpse as feeling emasculated and weak thanks to his overbearing spouse. An underhand and malevolent scheme is also found here, but just how does it link to Leona and the planned murder? Growing more anxious and distressed as pieces slowly come into fruition but still remain confusing, Leona is left to decipher them before it is too late.
Anatole Litvak dials up the suspense with skill, letting the film play out largely in real-time and lets us discover many alarming things without spoon-feeding them to us. His control over ambience is also evident in how the mystery is gradually evinced and how it turns out differently than one might have wondered. Often times in some movies, flashbacks can often feel more than a bit redundant and overused. The same can’t be said of Sorry, Wrong Number, as the dips into the past are crucial to our understanding of the characters and their reasons for actions that may come back in some dark form. Sorry, Wrong Number provides a great exercise in visual style with panoramic and gliding camera shots that take in important details that tell parts of the story in a teasing but imperative way. The characters have a sense of change in them from the flashbacks to present, further giving a level of both distrust and curiosity. There is a heightened paranoia and isolation as Leona is prone to overreacting but thus time is telling the truth and all alone in her apartment. The home is often somewhere we consider safe which is reversed here. Then again, the nefarious and murky atmosphere of outside as the various facets of the puzzle come together is equally as dark. There is no real place of safety, which plays beautifully into the sinister heart of film noir and allows the film to have the feelings of a pitch-black noir. The twists are complex and unexpected, yet only sometimes confusing, thankfully the shocking nature of it all is intact and on display. Drama and genuine menace can be heard in the fine score by the amazing Franz Waxman, who really knew how to ramp up tension and suspense with his music.
Barbara Stanwyck impressively heads the cast as the pampered heiress Leona, whose night is turned into waking hours of terror once she hears the murder plot. Stanwyck strongly gets across the various mood swings and changes from past to present of the character, that are very intriguing to watch. Moving from self-absorbed and entitled to terrified and near mental collapse as everything unravels, Stanwyck covers it all with the assurance of the great pro she was. Her biggest achievement is that she telegraphs that Leona is not just some innocent victim in all of this, but a manipulative and petulant woman who we still feel some form of sympathy for in her time of horror. Burt Lancaster plays with his somewhat tough guy image to find something spineless and tired within husband Henry. While there is darkness to him, we aren’t quite sure to what extent it will emerge, mainly due to the excellence of Lancaster in the part. He may just be misunderstood or possibly to easily lead into something fishy , Lancaster suggests a mixture of both. There is a good ensemble of supporting characters played by great actors, who somehow or another slot into this mystery. Ann Richards is quietly convincing as a former flame of Henry’s, while Wendell Corey supplies us with much knowledge as the doctor. Probably the most sympathetic character is the chemist who is somehow sucked into the dark web of dealings, and played with understated gravitas by Harold Vermilyea. Ed Begley and William Conrad flesh out the other two people who have bearing on the complex story.
A tense and efficient noir, Sorry, Wrong Number is just the ticket for when you want some murky thriller of complex motives, nice performances and atmosphere to watch.
beetleypete said:
Must be over 40 years since I saw this, but it’s a good film noir.
Nice pick, V.
Cheers, Pete.
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vinnieh said:
It;s a real good one. I really liked Barbara Stanwyck in it. She covered a lot of emotional changes.
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renxkyoko said:
I suspect the female protagonist , Susan Hayward, just heard a plot of her own murder.
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vinnieh said:
You’ll have to watch to find out.
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renxkyoko said:
Where can I find the movie ? Netflix ?
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vinnieh said:
I saw it on Netflix, but I don’t know whether it’s still on there. Barbara Stanwyck was excellent in the lead.
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renxkyoko said:
I’ll check this out.
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vinnieh said:
Hope you find it. It’s a very worthy film noir.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
I wound up buying this because I thought it was brilliant!
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vinnieh said:
That’s what I like to hear, Kim. I really enjoyed it.
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raistlin0903 said:
Great review. I haven’t seen this one myself, but will try to track it down. Classic movies are usually very hard to find here, and it isn’t on Netflix currently. Like the premise for it for sure 😊
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vinnieh said:
I do hope you can track it down and see it. It’s a movie well worth your time for the film noir atmosphere and acting. Plus, it’s flashbacks actually have bearing on the plot and hold importance, unlike some flicks that use them pointlessly.
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kmSalvatore said:
It’s stanwyck week on the classic movie channel I saw this movie years ago. I love Her, I could watch her movies over and over. Such a great actor Never disappoints .
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vinnieh said:
What a coincidence. I still have some of her movies, but from what I’ve viewed, she was a real force of nature.
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kmSalvatore said:
She really had a wide range, as far as I’m concerned she could do anything, I’m never disappointed, and what a looker !!!
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vinnieh said:
She had real talent. I’m definitely seeking out more of her movies. I must say, it’s swell hearing from you. I apologise for being absent from your site, will get back into the groove again.
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kmSalvatore said:
Oh Vman no apology necessary I’m only on about once a month . More in Stanwyck., I’m sure your too young to know but she ever had a series on tv years ago, a western the name escapes me at the moment.. she was great in that also , and even as a much older woman.. wow she was still a looker .
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vinnieh said:
I’ve read she had a very long and illustrious career. That doesn’t surprise me because she was a real performer and really got into part.
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kmSalvatore said:
Here’s s little trivia for you V.. she is one of the first movie stars to come out of the closet 😉 bet u didn’t know that
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vinnieh said:
No I didn’t know that.
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kmSalvatore said:
Now ya do;)
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vinnieh said:
Good to learn something new each day. By the way, did I tell you I had set up a second blog?
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Colin said:
That’s well written up and touches on most of the film’s positive aspects. The flashbacks and the fluidity of the camera make this feel very cinematic, and it’s therefore a bit strange to think of this as originally a radio drama – the visuals are important, the seemingly vast, oppressive opulence of Leona’s home for one thing.
Stanwyck was good in just about every part I’ve seen her play, a blend of toughness and vulnerability that feels credible. While the focus remains firmly on her, Lancaster, especially in these early stages of his career, was equally adept at capitalizing on the apparent contradictions of his screen persona – physical bulk and presence built around a soft center.
I’m glad you gave a mention to Vermilyea, whose role is played to perfection. He manages to make it touching yet also pathetic, and with relatively little screen time.
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vinnieh said:
I really dug this film both from a filmic perspective and a story one. Really loved the cinematography and camera moving around like a predator. Stanwyck got that feeling of tough yet vulnerable woman excellently, finding sympathy even if the character was selfish. Thanks for commenting.
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The Telltale Mind said:
Haven’t seen this on in a while, need to watch it again. Great review!
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vinnieh said:
I was very impressed by the visual aspects and the performances. Was good to see flashbacks actually have some importance on the story too.
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Buffy Devane said:
Barbara Stanwyck was very good in a lot of 1940s (and probably ’30s) films that I’ve seen: I can’t remember seeing this but it’s going on my list. Thanks Vinnieh (!)
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vinnieh said:
She was a hugely commanding actress who was extremely versatile too.
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Sue said:
Don’t think I ever saw this, I must see if I can get hold of it!
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vinnieh said:
It’s well worth your time, Sue.
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Programming Lang said:
Here’s s little(a) trivia for you V. .
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vinnieh said:
Thanks for commenting here.
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