The Slender Thread (1965)

A college volunteer at the crisis phone gets a call from a suicide caller.

Director:

Sydney Pollack

Writers:

Shana Alexander (article), Stirling Silliphant

Stars:

Sidney Poitier, Anne Bancroft, Telly Savalas

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sidney Poitier	...	Alan Newell
Anne Bancroft	...	Inga Dyson
Telly Savalas	...	Dr. Joe Coburn
Steven Hill	...	Mark Dyson
Edward Asner	...	Det. Judd Ridley
Indus Arthur	...	Marian
Paul Newlan	...	Sgt. Harry Ward
Dabney Coleman	...	Charlie
H.M. Wynant	...	Doctor Morris (as H.N. Wynant)
Bob Hoy	...	Patrolman Steve Peters (as Robert Hoy)
Greg Jarvis	...	Chris Dyson
Jason Wingreen	...	Medical Technician
Marjorie Nelson	...	Mrs. Thomas
Steven Marlo	...	Arthur Foss
Thomas Hill	...	Liquor Salesman

Storyline

Alan is a Seattle college student volunteering at a crisis center. One night when at the clinic alone, a woman calls up the number and tells Alan that she needs to talk to someone. She informs Alan she took a load of pills, and he secretly tries to get help. During this time, he learns more about the woman, her family life, and why she wants to die. Can Alan get the cavalry to save her in time before it's too late?

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Plot Keywords:

attempted suicide | tracing a telephone call | student | telephone | volunteer | 

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Taglines:

When a woman's emotions sway on a slender thread, expect anything ...

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 March 1966 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Call Me Back

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Stephen Alexander Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Originally titled "Cross My Heart And Hope To Die" and slated to star Elizabeth Ashley (who was forced to drop out over a contract dispute).

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Goofs

During the opening titles, in the opening scene where the camera zooms from an aerial shot onto Anne Bancroft, The fountain in the film is played backwards. The water flows up from the bottom of the fountain up to the top and back down into where the water spout appears from. After the aerial shot scene change, the water then runs in the correct direction.

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Quotes

Mark Dyson: [to Inga] Do you think that not getting caught in a lie is the same as telling the truth?

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Connections

Featured in The Directors: The Films of Sydney Pollack (2000)

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Soundtracks

Threadbare
Written and Produced by Quincy Jones
Performed by Quincy Jones

User Reviews

Telephone Extension Taken Literally

Sydney Pollack's first feature directorial debut after years of directing episodic television is crisp, tense, and generally very well-acted. Anne Bancroft plays a woman facing a turning point hard to cope with in her life and Sidney Poitier plays a young college student raking in hours at a suicide hot-line extending a figurative helping hand. Though the two great actors share no scenes together - they have a certain chemistry as they talk, talk, and talk on the phones, and we are given flashback sequences showing us how and why Bancroft is fighting her new found depression. Though the story itself is rather mundane in terms of the impetus for her disposition, the dialog and performances easily make up for any inadequacies. Both Bancroft and Poitier really shine in their roles and the rest of the cast - especially Telly Savalas do fine work. It is evident that Pollack was honing his craft but also possessed a great deal of ability in terms of framing a shot and creating a strong pace and presence throughout the picture.