Cause for Alarm! (1951)

Mr. Jones is a invalid husband who wrongly thinks his wife and doctor are conspiring to kill him and outlines that suspicion in letter, which causes a serious concern when he ends up dying anyway.

Director:

Tay Garnett

Writers:

Mel Dinelli (screenplay), Tom Lewis (screenplay),

Stars:

Loretta Young, Barry Sullivan, Bruce Cowling

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Loretta Young	...	Ellen Jones
Barry Sullivan	...	George Z. Jones
Bruce Cowling	...	Dr. Ranney Grahame
Margalo Gillmore	...	Mrs. Edwards
Brad Morrow	...	Hoppy - Billy (as Bradley Mora)
Irving Bacon	...	Mr. Carston - Postman
Georgia Backus	...	Mrs. Warren
Don Haggerty	...	Mr. Russell
Art Baker	...	Superintendent
Richard Anderson	...	Lonesome Sailor

Storyline

Invalid George Jones is both physically and mentally ill. He mistakenly believes his wife Ellen and his doctor are having an affair and also planning to kill him. He writes a letter to his lawyer detailing their alleged murder plot. After he has Ellen give the letter to their postman, he reveals its contents to her and then threatens her with a gun. The excitement proves to much and George suffers a fatal collapse. Now Ellen must find a way to retrieve the incriminating letter.

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Plot Keywords:

craziness | crime wave | jealousy | husband wife relationship | lieutenant | 

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Taglines:

This Girl Is In Trouble!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 August 1951 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

Grund zur Aufregung

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:

74 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Was shot in a very short period of time and rehearsed the same way that Loretta Young's television show, The Loretta Young Show, would be rehearsed several years later

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Connections

Spoofed in Claws for Alarm (1954)

User Reviews

Film Noir for Loretta Young fans

This film must be what passed for a 'chick flick' in the 1950's. It helps if you are a Loretta Young fan, and their are many of us. She is ably supported by Barry Sullivan and by the capable direction of Tay Garnett. Maybe 'tense drama' would be a better way to describe this picture as it barely falls under the heading of Film Noir - no violent confrontations, no dark, wet back alleys here, just sustained suspense, especially in the second half of the film. Miss Young is in almost every scene and the production seems almost stage-bound as it takes place mostly in the home of Young and Sullivan, with a few exterior shots thrown in.

Still, Miss Young gives a good performance and the movie holds the interest throughout, and is very worth watching.