Dial 1119 (1950)

A former mental patient murders a bus driver, then takes refuge in a bar, where he holds the patrons hostage.

Director:

Gerald Mayer

Writers:

Hugh King (story), Don McGuire (story),

Stars:

Marshall Thompson, Virginia Field, Andrea King

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Marshall Thompson	...	Gunther Wyckoff
Virginia Field	...	Freddy
Andrea King	...	Helen
Sam Levene	...	Dr. John D. Faron
Leon Ames	...	Earl
Keefe Brasselle	...	Skip
Richard Rober	...	Police Capt. Henry Keiver
James Bell	...	Harrison D. Barnes
William Conrad	...	Chuckles - Bartender
Dick Simmons	...	Television Announcer
Hal Baylor	...	Police Lt. 'Whitey' Tallman (as Hal Fieberling)

Storyline

A young mentally-ill killer, Gunther Wyckoff, escapes from a mental institution, murder a bus driver and, then, takes six hostages in a bar. The gun in Wyckoff's hand kills without emotion or pity wielded by a man bare of emotion. Begins as a moral question whether an insane killer should or should not be sent to the electric, but goes elsewhere before it ends.

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Plot Keywords:

bar | bus driver | murder | killer | hostage | 

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Genres:

Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

3 November 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

Les Ames nues

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

75 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in The Case Against the 20% Federal Admissions Tax on Motion Picture Theatres (1953)

User Reviews

Killer At Large

This is a most effective little thriller from 1950 concerning a disturbed killer who holds a group of people hostage in a bar. It's the sort of story that had been done many times before in films, and which would soon be a staple on television. There are few surprises in this one, as everyone goes through the motions as one expects they would in a movie like this. As the psychopath, Marshall Thompson isn't really up to the job. He's not awful, but he doesn't generate much tension personally. Robert Walker would have been much better. The actors playing the various hostages are capable, however, and there's a nice sense of what city life was probably like at around this time. Slick and artificial as it is, the film has its charms. It's never boring, and director Gerald Mayer maintains a nice pace.