Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)

Director:

Anatole Litvak

Writers:

Lucille Fletcher (radio play)
Lucille Fletcher (screenplay)

Release Date:

1 September 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

Tagline:

She overheard the plans for her own destruction!

Plot:

Whilst on the telephone, an invalid woman overhears what she thinks is a plot to murder her.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Telephone | Apartment | Trapped | Police

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Barbara Stanwyck	...	Leona Stevenson
Burt Lancaster	...	Henry J. Stevenson
Ann Richards	...	Sally Hunt Lord
Wendell Corey	...	Dr. Philip Alexander
Harold Vermilyea	...	Waldo Evans
Ed Begley	...	James 'J.B.' Cotterell
Leif Erickson	...	Fred Lord
William Conrad	...	Morano
John Bromfield	...	Joe - Detective
Jimmy Hunt	...	Peter Lord
Dorothy Neumann	...	Elizabeth Jennings
Paul Fierro	...	Harpootlian
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bill Cartledge	...	Page Boy (uncredited)
Cliff Clark	...	Police Sergeant Duffy (uncredited)
Joyce Compton	...	Cotterell's Blonde Girlfriend (uncredited)
Ashley Cowan	...	Clam Digger (uncredited)
Yola d'Avril	...	French Maid (uncredited)
Suzanne Dalbert	...	Cigarette Girl (uncredited)
Igor Dega	...	Dance Team Member (uncredited)
Neal Dodd	...	Minister (uncredited)
Jimmie Dundee	...	Morano's Henchman (uncredited)
Mary Field	...	Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Jesse Graves	...	Bingo Hall Page (uncredited)
Holmes Herbert	...	Wilkins (uncredited)
Louise Lorimer	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Kristine Miller	...	Dolly: Doctor Alexander's Girlfriend (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Waiter at Wedding Reception (uncredited)
Garry Owen	...	Bingo Caller (uncredited)
Grace Poggi	...	Dance Team Member (uncredited)
Alexander Pollard	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Albert Pollet	...	Maurice - Waiter (uncredited)
Pepito Pérez	...	Boat Operator (uncredited)
George Stern	...	Drug Store Proprietor (uncredited)
Brick Sullivan	...	Policeman at New Rochelle Train Station (uncredited)
Dorothy Vernon	...	Woman in Subway (uncredited)
Tito Vuolo	...	Albert, the Waiter (uncredited)

Directed by
Anatole Litvak

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Lucille Fletcher		radio play
Lucille Fletcher		screenplay

Produced by
Anatole Litvak	....	producer
Hal B. Wallis	....	producer (as Hal Wallis)

Original Music by
Franz Waxman

Cinematography by
Sol Polito		(director of photography)

Art Direction by
Hans Dreier
A. Earl Hedrick		(as Earl Hedrick)

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Bertram C. Granger		(as Bertram Granger)

Costume Design by
Edith Head

Makeup Department
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Richard Blaydon	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard McWhorter	....	assistant director

Art Department
Gene Lauritzen	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gene Merritt	....	sound recordist
Walter Oberst	....	sound recordist

Visual Effects by
Farciot Edouart	....	process photography
Gordon Jennings	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Mal Bulloch	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Al Green	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Fred True	....	grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Warren Low	....	editorial supervisor

Music Department
Sidney Cutner	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
George Parrish	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leonid Raab	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leo Shuken	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Marvin Weldon	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Hal Wallis Productions

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1948) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount (1950) (France) (theatrical)
• Paramount (1951) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1969) (USA) (TV)
• Paramount Home Video (1991) (USA) (VHS) (1998)
• Paramount Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Flash Pictures (2013) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Paramount Films (195?) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Ruser  Miss Stanwyck's jewels

Also Known As:

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | Norway:16 (1949) | USA:Approved (PCA #12493) | West Germany:16 (nf) | Netherlands:18 (re-rating) (1951) (original rating: banned) (1950)

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Hal Wallis Productions

Trivia:

Agnes Moorehead, who created the role of Mrs. Stevenson on the radio, was offered a small role in the film. Insulted, she turned it down.

Goofs:

Continuity: Shortly before the end of the movie the bedside telephone is shown in closeups and the paint is chipped in several places. However, at the end of the film, the telephone is pristine.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Leona Stevenson:Operator! Operator! Operator!
Voice of Operator:Your call please?
Leona Stevenson:Operator, I've been ringing Murray Hill 35097 for the last half hour and the line is always busy. Will you ring it for me, please?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Bob Newhart Show: Sorry, Wrong Mother (#3.5)" (1974)

Soundtrack:

June in January

A Great Film Noir with Splendid Performance, Direction and Screenplay

Leona Stevenson (Barbara Stanswick, in a splendid performance), an invalid wife of a VP of a pharmaceutics industry (Burt Lancaster, also in an excellent performance), through a 'cross-wire', became aware of a murder that would be committed in the late night. The story of her life since the first encounter with her husband is presented through flashbacks. Facts will show her that she might be the intended victim. This movie is a great thriller: performance, direction and screenplay are excellent and keep the attention of the viewer until the end of the last scene. It deserves to be watched more than once. This movie is indicated for fans of film noir. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "A Vida Por Um Fio - O Clássico" ("The Life for One Line - The Classic")