Cry Wolf (1947)

Recently widowed Sandra Demarest arrives at the isolated home of her late husband for his wake, but his uncle will not allow her to view the corpse.

Director:

Peter Godfrey

Writers:

Catherine Turney (screenplay), Marjorie Carleton (novel)

Stars:

Errol Flynn, Barbara Stanwyck, Geraldine Brooks

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Errol Flynn	...	Mark Caldwell
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Sandra Marshall
Geraldine Brooks	...	Julie Demarest
Richard Basehart	...	James Demarest
Jerome Cowan	...	Sen. Caldwell
John Ridgely	...	Jackson Laidell
Patricia Barry	...	Angela (as Patricia White)
Rory Mallinson	...	Becket
Helene Thimig	...	Marta (as Helen Thimig)
Paul Stanton	...	Davenport
Barry Bernard	...	Roberts - Groom

Storyline

Sandra Demarest arrives at the Caldwell estate, and announces to Mark Caldwell that she was secretly married to his nephew James, who recently died. Mark does not believe her, but allows her to remain at the manor while a search is made for a missing will that would prove her claim. Sandra befriends James' sister, Julie, who tells of strange noises and agonized screams from the laboratory wing of the estate. Between verbal duels with Mark, Sandra secretly investigates the lab and learns that ominous things really are happening.

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Plot Keywords:

laboratory | wake | crime wave | horse | falling to death | 

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Taglines:

The howl in the night is the voice of danger.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 August 1947 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amargo recelo

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Thomson Productions, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The final of three film collaborations between director Peter Godfrey and Barbara Stanwyck; the other two films they worked on together were Christmas in Connecticut (1945) and The Two Mrs. Carrolls (1947). The pair developed a strong, lasting friendship while working on these films.

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Quotes

Mark Caldwell: You know, if I was to bring this battle of the wits down to direct insults, I'd say you were one of the most cold-blooded, scheming women I've ever met in my life!
Sandra Marshall: You've already said that.

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Connections

Referenced in Law & Order: Cry Wolf (2004)

User Reviews

You may not believe it - but this was once a happy house.

Cry Wolf is directed by Peter Godfrey and adapted to screenplay by Catherine Turney from the novel of the same name written by Marjorie Carleton. It stars Errol Flynn, Barbara Stanwyck, Geraldine Brooks and Richard Baseheart. Music is by Franz Waxman and cinematography by Carl E. Guthrie.

Effective old dark house mystery picture boasting star appeal and class from Guthrie and Waxman, Cry Wolf is an enjoyable failure. The story finds Babs Stanwyck as Sandra Marshall, who turns up at a creaky old mansion investigating the death of her husband. Met with a frosty reception by the lord of the manor, Mark Caldwell (Flynn), it's not long before Sandra is neck deep in intrigue and suspicious behaviours.

Flynn and Stanwyck aren't asked to stretch themselves for this plot, in fact Flynn garnered unfair criticism for his portrayal of the shifty Mark Caldwell (wooden/miscast etc). Unfair because the character is meant to be restrained and sombre, keeping his cards close to his chest, you can certainly see why Flynn took the part, it was a chance to tackle something away from the flamboyant roles he was so iconically known for.

As the main characters move through the standard plotting of such fare; what's the secrets of the house, what is going on in the locked room? And etc, the house is the major player. Again it's standard stuff, a place of creaky doors, shadowy rooms, ominous clock chimes and things that go bump in the night. Guthrie (Backfire/Caged/Highway 301) brings his awareness of film noir visual conventions to the piece, where all the night time sequences carry atmospheric punch. While Waxman at times scores it like a Universal Studios creature feature, which is just dandy, the string arrangements delightfully menacing.

Some back projection work is poor, and although the twisty finale worked for me, I personally can understand it being a disappointment to others, while there's definitely the feeling of wasting the stars hanging over proceedings. Yet there's a nice old fashioned feel to the movie that charms, even if the stars and technical purveyors are bigger than the material handed to them. An enjoyable failure, indeed. 6/10