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	...	Capt. Dan Taggart
Brian Donlevy	...	Capt. 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.

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Plot Keywords:

investigation | hostage | teenager | psychopath | based on novel | 

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Taglines:

THE TEEN-AGE DATE IN LOVERS' LANE THEY'LL NEVER LET HER FORGET! (original print ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 August 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Cry in the Night

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?

Trivia

Owen's car that he takes Elizabeth in to "Lover's Loop" is a 1956 Ford Fairlane Sunliner. Original MSRP was $2,459 ($21,850 in 2016). Despite being very popular with over 58,147 being made, in excellent condition at auction in 2016 one can easily fetch over $60,000.

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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.

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Quotes

Capt. Dan Taggart: I just wanna know what's bothering Madge.
Helen Taggart: She isn't married, that's what's bothering her. She's 37 years old and she isn't married.

User Reviews

For once, I didn't like Edmund O'Brien's performance...

Edmund O'Brien is one of my favorite actors. He was able to play cynical and he was able to play tough. And, with his rather ugly mug, he was the perfect film noir hero or anti-hero. However, "A Cry in the Night" is the rarest of films--an Edmund O'Brien film that I did not particularly like--or at least his character. He was, in my opinion, the weakest link in the film.

The film begins with two young lovers (Richard Anderson and Natalie Wood) out at lover's lane when they notice some strange man lurking in the bushes--staring at them. Anderson goes to see who this guy is and sees a much larger and very crazy Raymond Burr--who proceeds to beak the stuffing out of Anderson. And, following this attack, Burr e kidnaps Wood and drags her away to his secret lair. His motivation and character, though not realistic, is pretty cool--and fun to watch unfold throughout the film.

Naturally, the police eventually get involved--especially since Wood turns out to be the daughter of tough cop O'Brien. But, as he's not on duty and this crime strikes close to home, Brian Donlevy plays the detective who is in charge of the case--and I liked his character. But O'Brien--what a rather one-dimensional and annoying guy. He is, at times, almost cartoon-like--with his snarling and growling...and not acting the least bit like a professional. He is, to put it bluntly, pretty annoying.

Overall, the film has some interesting moments and is worth seeing--just don't expect a particularly inspired movie. For fans of noir or O'Brien, it's worth seeing---for all others, it's just a time-passer.