Phone Call from a Stranger (1952)

A lawyer, told that his wife had an affair that ended a month ago, sets out to leave her by flying to Los Angeles. The journey becomes fatal for some of the passengers with whose lives he became involved.

Director:

Jean Negulesco

Writers:

Nunnally Johnson (screenplay), I.A.R. Wylie (story)

Stars:

Shelley Winters, Gary Merrill, Michael Rennie

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Shelley Winters	...	Binky Gay
Gary Merrill	...	David L. Trask
Michael Rennie	...	Dr. Robert Fortness
Keenan Wynn	...	Eddie Hoke
Evelyn Varden	...	Sallie Carr
Warren Stevens	...	Marty Nelson
Beatrice Straight	...	Claire Fortness
Ted Donaldson	...	Jerry Fortness
Craig Stevens	...	Mike Carr
Helen Westcott	...	Mrs. Jane Trask
Bette Davis	...	Marie Hoke

Storyline

A lawyer, told that his wife had an affair that ended a month ago, sets out to leave her by flying to Los Angeles. The journey becomes fatal for some of the passengers with whose lives he became involved.

---

Plot Keywords:

lawyer | airplane | invalid | reconciliation | diving accident | 

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 February 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

Appel d'un inconnu

Filming Locations:

Stage 15, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min 96 min (Fox Movie Channel edition)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on Janaury 5, 1953 with Shelley Winters and Gary Merrill reprising their film roles.

---

Goofs

As the plane flies through the air, the wire it is suspended from can be clearly seen.

---

Connections

Version of The 20th Century-Fox Hour: Crack-Up (1956)

---

Soundtracks

"Again"
(uncredited)
Music by Lionel Newman
Lyrics by Dorcas Cochran
Performed by Craig Stevens at the nightclub

User Reviews

Thoughtful and Thought-Provoking Film

"Phone Call from a Stranger" tells the tale of four passengers (Merrill, Rennie, Wynn, and Winters) on a cross-country airplane trip. The four become friends and share personal thoughts before the plane crashes, killing all except Merrill, who sets out to contact the relatives of his dead friends. He finds that each family has a very different story to tell, and each has its own issues arising from the deaths of their relatives.

Extremely well-acted, directed and scripted film also has harrowing airplane footage and a very good ending. Merrill is top form, as is Winters and especially Rennie, who is haunted by an accident in which a colleague was killed years earlier. Unlike many modern movies, this one really leaves you with a profound message--the void that is left behind when someone suddenly dies.

Try to see it if you can, my AMC tape is several years old and I've enjoyed this film many times. Just be warned--people scared of flying may cringe at the nighttime approach to the Vega airport.