Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)

While on the telephone, an invalid woman overhears what she thinks is a murder plot and attempts to prevent it.

Director:

Anatole Litvak

Writers:

Lucille Fletcher (radio play), Lucille Fletcher (screenplay)

Stars:

Barbara Stanwyck, Burt Lancaster, Ann Richards

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Leona Stevenson
Burt Lancaster	...	Henry J. Stevenson
Ann Richards	...	Sally Hunt Lord
Wendell Corey	...	Dr. Philip Alexander
Harold Vermilyea	...	Waldo Evans
Ed Begley	...	James 'J.B.' Cotterell
Leif Erickson	...	Fred Lord
William Conrad	...	Morano
John Bromfield	...	Joe - Detective
Jimmy Hunt	...	Peter Lord
Dorothy Neumann	...	Elizabeth Jennings
Paul Fierro	...	Harpootlian

Storyline

Leona Stevenson is sick and confined to her bed. One night, whilst waiting for her husband to return home, she picks up the phone and accidentally overhears a conversation between two men planning a murder. She becomes increasingly desperate as she tries to work out who the victim is so the crime can be prevented.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | police | telephone | invalid | psychosomatic illness | 

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Taglines:

Tangled Wires... Whispering of Murder! Tangled Lives... Fighting to Escape!

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Genres:

Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 September 1948 (USA)

Also Known As:

Du lebst noch 105 Minuten

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hal Wallis Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film noir adaptation of the famous "Suspense" radio play (first broadcast on May 25th 1943) which starred Agnes Moorehead in the lead role. It proved so popular that the series restaged it seven times through to 1960, each production starring Moorehead.

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Goofs

Twice Barbara Stanwyck turns on a radio and they instantly begin to play music. Radios of the film's era would have required some time to warm up.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Leona Stevenson: Operator! Operator! Operator!
Voice of Operator: Your call please?
Leona Stevenson: Operator, I've been ringing Murray Hill 35097 for the last half hour and the line is always busy. Will you ring it for me, please?

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Connections

Referenced in Minder: Sorry Pal, Wrong Number (1984)

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Soundtracks

Bridal Chorus
(uncredited)
Written by Richard Wagner

User Reviews

It starts off very slow but the payoff is there--just keep watching

When I first started watching this film, I wasn't hooked until well into the movie. Seeing the bed-ridden Stanwyck's monologue just didn't hook me--even when she accidentally overheard a plot to kill someone. A lot of this was because her character wasn't very likable--she was a very whiny little "princess" who frankly annoyed me! This is why I rate the movie lower than many on IMDb--I just didn't care much about her and early on I was hoping that SHE would be the one murdered. However, as the story unfolded in a series of flashback, the film became less claustrophobic and very entertaining. None of this really made me hate Stanwyck's character less, but it did help the audience to understand her more--as well as her husband (Burt Lancaster). While the story still was hampered by a long list of unlikable characters (actually, I never really liked any of them--except maybe Wendell Corey), it did excel by being super-creative and for ending on a very powerful note. The film was a lot like the first drop on a roller-coaster--very slow and uphill until a wonderful conclusion. I'd like to say more, but don't want to spoil the film.

The movie had generally good and very creative writing, good direction and excellent acting. It certainly WAS creative, but allowing Stanwyck to be more three-dimensional would have improved the film greatly.