A Cry in the Night (1956)

A deranged man kidnaps the nubile daughter of a police captain.

Director:

Frank Tuttle

Writers:

David Dortort (screenplay), Whit Masterson (novel)

Stars:

Edmond O'Brien, Brian Donlevy, Natalie Wood

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Edmond O'Brien	...	Captain Dan Taggart
Brian Donlevy	...	Captain Ed Bates
Natalie Wood	...	Elizabeth
Raymond Burr	...	Harold Loftus
Richard Anderson	...	Owen Clark
Irene Hervey	...	Helen Taggart
Carol Veazie	...	Mrs. Mabel Loftus
Mary Lawrence	...	Madge Taggart
Anthony Caruso	...	Tony Chavez
George J. Lewis	...	George Gerrity
Peter Hansen	...	Dr. Frazee
Tina Carver	...	Mrs. Marie Holzapple
Herb Vigran	...	Jensen - Sergeant at Police Desk

Storyline

Owen Marks, parked at Lovers' Loop with girlfriend Liz Taggart, surprises a peeping Tom, who knocks him out and kidnaps Liz. The police leap into action when they learn the victim is a cop's daughter. Kidnapper Harold Loftus, the unhinged product of a smothering mother, makes ineffectual advances toward Liz, who staves him off as the police close in, hindered as much as helped by her overprotective father Capt. Dan Taggart.

---

Plot Keywords:

daughter | kidnapping | based on novel

---

Taglines:

GIRL-STEALER IN LOVER'S LANE! (original print ad - all caps)

---

Genres:

Film-Noir | Crime | Drama

---

Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 August 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

Et råb i natten

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ladd Enterprises, Jaguar Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

75 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Edmond O'Brien is getting ready to watch a movie on TV, he pours himself a glass of beer which is almost entirely foam. When he stands up to turn off the TV, the glass is suddenly full of beer.

User Reviews

Would-be noir, well cast but otherwise insubstantial...

Policeman's daughter, out on Lovers' Loop late one night with her secret boyfriend, is kidnapped by a somewhat simple-minded behemoth with a mommy-complex. Curiously old-fashioned and corny bit of police business masquerading as a gritty noir (and advertised as a juvenile delinquent flick: "18...A nice girl...How did she fall so far?"). As the lonely, tormented abductor, Raymond Burr actually manages a thoughtful performance, however this case is wrapped up so quickly (with the movie clocking in at a scant 75 minutes) that neither Burr nor victim Natalie Wood has a chance at carving out a three-dimensional character. Wood, who faints from a slap across the face, is made to be the stereotypical weak female, while over-protective father Edmond O'Brien and police captain Brian Donlevy overact mercilessly. Poor screenplay, by David Dortort--adapting a book by Whit Masterson, the uncredited "All Through the Night"--doesn't seem to know much about police procedures or personalities, and the sequences set at the station are hopelessly mediocre (what with an eyeball-rolling desk sergeant and a hilariously overeager police psychiatrist). Though distributed by Warner Bros., this doesn't have the solid production values usually associated with the studio; it feels cheap and under-populated, like an early episode of "Dragnet", with only Burr's forceful work and a decent climax putting it above typical television fare. ** from ****