Call Northside 777 (1948)

Director:

Henry Hathaway

Writers:

Jerome Cady (screenplay) and
Jay Dratler (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

1 February 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Film-Noir | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Reporter Uncovers New Clues In Wiecek Case

Plot:

Chicago reporter P.J. McNeal re-opens a ten year old murder case.

Plot Keywords:

Irish American | Chicago Illinois | Illinois | Cop | 1930s

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

James Stewart	...	P.J. McNeal
Richard Conte	...	Frank Wiecek
Lee J. Cobb	...	Brian Kelly
Helen Walker	...	Laura McNeal
Betty Garde	...	Wanda Skutnik
Kasia Orzazewski	...	Tillie Wiecek
Joanne De Bergh	...	Helen Wiecek (as Joanne de Bergh)
Howard Smith	...	K.L. Palmer
Moroni Olsen	...	Parole Board Chairman
John McIntire	...	Sam Faxon
Paul Harvey	...	Martin J. Burns

Also Known As:

Calling Northside 777

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Polish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording) | Mono

Certification:

Norway:A (1948) | UK:U | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #12397, Adult Audience) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Thelma Ritter's role as the police captain's secretary was mostly deleted from the released print, but she can still briefly be seen and heard in one scene in which she tells James Stewart the captain will see him in his office.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When McNeal first visits Tillie, he has no camera nor a photographer with him. The next morning, City Editor Kelly is holding a paper with a photo of Tillie scrubbing the stairs.

Quotes:

Laura McNeal: What's the matter, won't the pieces fit together?
P.J. McNeal: *Some* of them, but they make the wrong picture.
Laura McNeal: Pieces never make the wrong picture. Maybe you're looking at them from the wrong angle.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in High Anxiety (1977)

Like a Newspaper Photo Archive Come to Life, and the Old Town never looked so Good!

Being a native Chicagoan, born, bred and still residing in the City of Chicago, itself-not 'Greater Chicago', or 'Suburban Chicago', this has always been a favourite of the Ryan's household. The story is set in Chicago and filmed in Chicago, Joliet(Stateville Prison) and the Capitol, Springfield, Illinois.

The story, a fascinating story based on a real-life occurrence, all happening in the locations shown in the movie. At this particular time, Color Filming was becoming more and more commonplace. The use of anything less than Technicolor, or some such other color film process, was considered as "B" Film treatment. The black & white photography actually enhances the story, giving the appearance of the photographic archival "morgues", maintained by newspapers as a permanent, historical records' file.

The casting of Jimmy Stewart as the Chicago Times' Reporter, P.J.McNeal assured a heroic, yet realistic portrayal of a real reporter. There is little glamour or actual excitement in the day to day working assignments of a Police Reporter who, much like a Detective, must spend a lot of extra time doing a lot of leg work, talking to as many witnesses as can be found. Then, after a seemingly thousand dead ends, a lead is found. That is quite encouraging, but often means back-tracking and questioning all over again, a lot of the same, often hostile or highly indifferent subjects.

As far as the supporting players in the film, there aren't a lot of actors who one would refer to as being those ever present 'Household Names'. Other than Richard Conte (as Frank Wiecek), Lee J. Cobb (as The Chicago Times' Editor, Brian Kelly), John McIntire(Sam Faxon) and E.G. Marshall(Rayska), not many actors' names could be put to their faces by most movie goers. And it's not as if we would wish to cast any aspersions or to belittle anyone. The talent of this "No Name" bunch of supporting players/character actors makes for an air of realism. One gets the feeling that a documentary is playing, unfolding the actual events right before your very eyes.

One other thing that is accomplished in the filming of CALL NORTHSIDE 777 out here, in the hinterland where it really happened. By using the streets, the busy shopping areas, the commercial and industrial areas and the old mainly ethnic neighborhoods Director,Mr. Henry Hathaway did all of us here in Chicago a big favor by giving us a permanent record of many of the now bygone places of our recent past. In the one early scene of McNeal's visit to the Chicago Police Station, the old New City District Station, located at 47th & Paulina Streets was used. This, like so many other places are gone, alas! Gone, but not forgotten!

* There is just one glaring error of a minor nature and of no consequence to the film or story's credibility. It involves the pronunciation of the Chicago street name, "HONORE". In the movie the name is said as being phonetically, "Ha-nor." The street name is a French Surname in origin, and as any Native Chicagoan could tell you, is pronounced, "On-a-ree." Once again, this is a small transgression and in my former position as a Police Officer in the jurisdiction in question, big, bad old Chicago, I say, you are all forgiven. Now go and mispronounce no more!