Anyone that knows and understands the Giallo subgenre of fright flicks will see right through this made for t.v., wants-to-be-a-giallo terror tale. Watered down telefilm has a 'Cat O' Nine Tails' plotted murder on a train and the identity of the killer as the catalyst of the female protagonist's dilemma. There is some style to spare in this film with a staircase scene in a restaurant that has the beautific visual style of Mario Bava and the camera movements of Dario Argento but alas THIS is the ONLY scene where any true workmanship is to be found. The makers of this little flick no doubt stayed up all night perusing older Giallo murder tapes to get this scene right. Otherwise this is routine yet watchable fare with Telly Savalas as the menace and Lynda Day George as the prey.
13 Reviews
Not a bad movie, but not great
wkirkpatrick515 October 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I was glad to see this movie on YouTube...I thought it had disappeared forever. I actually appeared as Cop #2 for a few brief seconds on screen. The film originally was a Movie of the Week on CBS. I enjoyed hanging around the production and talking to Telly Savalas. He told me that he was going to have a cop show of his own....he was right! Kojack was a hit for several seasons. And, look what Mike Farrell became......BJ Hunnicutt! I believe all the filming was done in Toronto and, as a resident, it was fun to see the subway as the main character...they didn't even bother changing the subway station sign, such as York Mills. Lynda Day George was cute, but not very strong actress. Anyway, it was all fun.
Love these 70s TV movies
Delrvich9 April 2020
Murderous Chase
hillari15 April 2004
I saw this made for TV movie when I was in grade school. It was a suspenseful cat-and-mouse story, and Savalas was very scary as the bad guy. I'm still trying to figure out why no one else in that busy subway station saw Savalas push that woman onto the tracks other than Ms. George. The murder that sets the story off is mean and horrific, even by today's standards. The fun is in watching Ms. George become more and more desperate as Savalas closes in on her. The final chase scene is a nail biter! As far as made for TV suspense flicks from the seventies go, this was one of the good ones. I wonder what ever happened to Lynda Day George? She was all over TV back in the day.
When being chased through a building by a killer, it isn't wise to wait for the elevator...
moonspinner5517 July 2016
TV-made woman-in-distress nonsense starring Lynda Day George (practically a staple of the 1970s movie-of-the-week) involves a model in New York City, the only witness to a murder in the subway station, who realizes the killer is actually a cop once two police inspectors show up to get her story. Despite the work of four writers, tepid melodrama is seldom engaging because it is so brainless, with nearly every character behaving stupidly just to keep the plot in motion. Telly Savalas plays the crooked cop, looking pained--must have been from chasing Lynda up and down stairs and fire escapes, through a theater and a subway station, and across railroad tracks. Lots of leg-work, but no suspense.
Rather splendid, speedy and simple thriller fun
Bloodwank21 April 2012
It's pretty rare that I watch simple, straightforward thrillers, let alone particularly enjoy them, so She Cried Murder was quite a treat to me. As simple as they come, without a speck of fat, this is lean, keen stuff even by made for television standards, clocking in at around 66 minutes in length, a good six or seven minutes shorter than the average. The action starts immediately with model Sarah Cornell witnessing a man push a lady to her death in front of a subway train, and her nightmare really begins when encounters said murderer later, the nefarious individual being rather keen to keep her quiet after having seen her see him. From then on the film takes the form of a constant chase, mixed with a dash of paranoia and a few explanatory digressions providing context without slowing down the main pulse. The lovely Lynda Day George makes a good fist of the main role, she isn't the most convincing as an actress but looks the part and throws herself into the action with an agreeable determination that grows effectively frayed and desperate as her pursuer proves frightening tenacious. Telly Savalas is excellent as said pursuer, playing things low key, soft faced and even superficially charming, he menaces through the contrast of his actions and demeanour rather than playing things up as a baddie and is all the better for it. Nobody else really has big enough roles to make an impression, but Mike Farrel (BJ from M.A.S.H.) does have a nice turn as a sympathetic police officer. There's little more to say about this that would stray into the realms of spoilers, but director Herschel Daughtery does a sterling job with both the pace and set pieces, there are several moments of seat edge suspense and the finale is a minor marvel. At times the film is even somewhat reminiscent of Italian gialli, though the film only very seldom approaches the same heights of style and has almost none of the same twisted verve. As one might expect of a made for television production things are rather tame, and there are one or two nagging loose ends, but on the whole this is a splendid ride, one that never wears out its excitement and is hence well worth a look for vintage thriller fans.
Looks Like A Bad Cops Show - Minus Telly Savalas
Rainey-Dawn22 January 2017
Telly Savalas is the only good thing about this film. Looked like a very bad "B" cop TV show. Acting is just a lame too, again minus Telly Savalas.
So this woman is looking out of a subway train - right at the very beginning of the film. She sees someone push a woman right in front of the train. Naturally the train stops, she gets off, and sees Brody (Savalas) and he sees her. Inspector Joe Brody walks on. She reports what see saw and tries for the rest of the movie to convince the police that Inspector Joe Brody is the man she saw pushing the woman. Of course no 1970s cop show is complete without a few action chase scenes.
I dislike these types of movies - even TV Movies filmed in this style. I am not a fan of action "B" police shows. I also dislike a boring story and this one is Bore-ring! 1/10
So this woman is looking out of a subway train - right at the very beginning of the film. She sees someone push a woman right in front of the train. Naturally the train stops, she gets off, and sees Brody (Savalas) and he sees her. Inspector Joe Brody walks on. She reports what see saw and tries for the rest of the movie to convince the police that Inspector Joe Brody is the man she saw pushing the woman. Of course no 1970s cop show is complete without a few action chase scenes.
I dislike these types of movies - even TV Movies filmed in this style. I am not a fan of action "B" police shows. I also dislike a boring story and this one is Bore-ring! 1/10
Who stalks ya, baby?
mark.waltz27 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
No innocent or humorous "Kojak, bang bang!" in this Toronto set thriller where Telly Savalas is witnessed pushing a woman onto a train track by Lynda Day George who was in the front car. Of course he turns out to be a cop, assigned to the case along with Mike Farrell, and he arranges to kidnap the troubled George's son so he can keep her in line. He claims the woman was blackmailing him and wouldn't stop so he had no choice, but an accident has George thinking that he's been killed. Of course that's not true so there's a treck all over the city as George desperately tries to keep from being captured by him.
This certainly is action-packed and non-stop from beginning to end, and fortunately, it's just over 70 minutes. George is a bit of a neurotic mess so it's easy for Savalas to make her look naughtier by planting heroine in her apartment. When she speaks to the department heads, they seem to think that she's got a vivid imagination but behind the scenes, Ferrell begins to wonder if she could be correct.
So she's got someone from the police force out to get her and one on her side, and that makes this really predictable. But, being allegedly filmed on location in Toronto, this benefits from location scenery, even though it didn't go to places in the city that I was familiar with. The script isn't exactly strong even though it's a dire situation, but the fact that it ends up being a race against time does add a bit of excitement to it.
This certainly is action-packed and non-stop from beginning to end, and fortunately, it's just over 70 minutes. George is a bit of a neurotic mess so it's easy for Savalas to make her look naughtier by planting heroine in her apartment. When she speaks to the department heads, they seem to think that she's got a vivid imagination but behind the scenes, Ferrell begins to wonder if she could be correct.
So she's got someone from the police force out to get her and one on her side, and that makes this really predictable. But, being allegedly filmed on location in Toronto, this benefits from location scenery, even though it didn't go to places in the city that I was familiar with. The script isn't exactly strong even though it's a dire situation, but the fact that it ends up being a race against time does add a bit of excitement to it.
Before Kojak Savalas played a rogue copy!!
elo-equipamentos3 February 2024
It was made before Kojak series that boosted Telly Savalas into stardom, in other hand the gorgeous actress Lynda Day George floating around in minor roles mostly in TV series, even she was so attractive, then the time finally came, she shares this small thriller with Savalas that already paved a solid career in previous movies, made for TV whereby starts pop up in early seventies due the movie industry was in bankrupt process.
Meanwhile back home thru metro at front car Sara Cornell (Lynda Day George) witnessed a woman been murder pushed on tracks, she saw the killer and is willing call the police aiming for to give her statement concerning the man that he saw there, well guess who appears there? Keep with up Detective Stepanik (Mike Farrell) the Inspector Joe Brody, the same guy that she supposed be the real killer, baffled she goes off on a tangent afraid such man makes her life going in hell, such feeling is granted!! Aftermaths the untiring Joe Brody tracks down her wherever she goes in an everlasting chase.
Of course it's a brainless movie, at first glance Sara Cornell surely a jinxed woman, no one comes to her aid, anywhere she stays, upon this odd premise the movie decreases itself, pure nonsense, shot in Toronto, I watched this one in far off 1985, now I've found a fine print on Youtube, it brings good memories despite the offering is so low profile.
Thanks for reading.
Resume:
First watch: 1985 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-Youtube / Rating: 5.5.
Meanwhile back home thru metro at front car Sara Cornell (Lynda Day George) witnessed a woman been murder pushed on tracks, she saw the killer and is willing call the police aiming for to give her statement concerning the man that he saw there, well guess who appears there? Keep with up Detective Stepanik (Mike Farrell) the Inspector Joe Brody, the same guy that she supposed be the real killer, baffled she goes off on a tangent afraid such man makes her life going in hell, such feeling is granted!! Aftermaths the untiring Joe Brody tracks down her wherever she goes in an everlasting chase.
Of course it's a brainless movie, at first glance Sara Cornell surely a jinxed woman, no one comes to her aid, anywhere she stays, upon this odd premise the movie decreases itself, pure nonsense, shot in Toronto, I watched this one in far off 1985, now I've found a fine print on Youtube, it brings good memories despite the offering is so low profile.
Thanks for reading.
Resume:
First watch: 1985 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-Youtube / Rating: 5.5.
A to-the-point TV thriller.
OllieSuave-00723 August 2018
With just over an hour's worth of movie time, this is a to-the-point thriller where a commercial actress witnesses a murder committed by a rogue cop. What results is a cat-and-mouse chase with some suspenseful police detective work mixed in. Not bad TV movie overall, with some entertaining moments. The acting was fine for the most part.
Grade B
Grade B
Despite Some Logical Issues, A Good Movie
Michael_Elliott28 August 2015
She Cried Murder (1973)
*** (out of 4)
Sarah Cornell (Lynda Day George) is riding the first cart of a subway when she sees a woman get pushed onto the tracks. The train comes to a stop and when she gets off she gets a very clear look at the man who pushed her. Later in the day she decides to call and tell the police but when they show up to get her story she's shocked to see that Inspector Joe Brody (Telly Savalas) is the one who pushed the lady. The rest of the film is the cat and mouse chase as he tries to kill her to keep her shut.
SHE CRIED MURDER is a good but at times frustrating made-for-television movie that manages to have a lot of good things going for but at the same time you're going to need to turn your brain off. I say this because there are so many logical issues that you've pretty much got to overlook including the fact that this woman is running miles and miles screaming and begging for help yet no one ever does. A quick call to the police at any moment probably would have helped. There is a sequence where the cops are involved but of course they don't believe anything she says. A slight bit of investigating on their part would have gone a long way.
As for the good, the film moves pretty quickly and really plays like a silent movie because there's not too much dialogue. The majority of the picture features George running while Savalas tries to catch her. There are some nice tense scenes throughout and director Herschel Daugherty certainly makes this fun throughout. Savalas is certainly good in the role of the psychopath and George is alright as well. SHE CRIED MURDER isn't the greatest film ever made but it's slight and quick entertainment.
*** (out of 4)
Sarah Cornell (Lynda Day George) is riding the first cart of a subway when she sees a woman get pushed onto the tracks. The train comes to a stop and when she gets off she gets a very clear look at the man who pushed her. Later in the day she decides to call and tell the police but when they show up to get her story she's shocked to see that Inspector Joe Brody (Telly Savalas) is the one who pushed the lady. The rest of the film is the cat and mouse chase as he tries to kill her to keep her shut.
SHE CRIED MURDER is a good but at times frustrating made-for-television movie that manages to have a lot of good things going for but at the same time you're going to need to turn your brain off. I say this because there are so many logical issues that you've pretty much got to overlook including the fact that this woman is running miles and miles screaming and begging for help yet no one ever does. A quick call to the police at any moment probably would have helped. There is a sequence where the cops are involved but of course they don't believe anything she says. A slight bit of investigating on their part would have gone a long way.
As for the good, the film moves pretty quickly and really plays like a silent movie because there's not too much dialogue. The majority of the picture features George running while Savalas tries to catch her. There are some nice tense scenes throughout and director Herschel Daugherty certainly makes this fun throughout. Savalas is certainly good in the role of the psychopath and George is alright as well. SHE CRIED MURDER isn't the greatest film ever made but it's slight and quick entertainment.
Lynda Day George was Great
garyldibert3 March 2014
Warning: Spoilers
TITLE: SHE CRIED MURDER aired on TV. on September 25, 1973 and the running time was 74 minutes.
STARRING: Lynda Day George, Telly Savalas, Mike Farrell, Kate Reid, Jeff Toner, Robert Goodier, Aileen Seaton, Hope Garber, Len Birman, Murray Westgate, Richard Alden, Stuart Gillard. Directed by Herschel Daugherty.
SUMMARY: The big city early morning commute on the subway. Actress/model Sarah Cornell is witness to the murder of a young woman pushed on to the tracks by a creepy (but not particularly discreet) assailant. She calls the cops and two detectives venture out to the set of her latest commercial taping to get her story for their report. She recognizes one of the cops – Joe Brody (Savalas) as the same creepy assailant whom she saw murdered the woman (a notorious call girl). She doesn't tell the other cop Detective Stepanec (Farrell) instead leaving a very vague description of the murderer – Inspector Joe Brody. As I said this murderer is not particularly discreet or even endowed with the kind of sense a headless chicken would have. It isn't enough that he made extended eye contact with Sarah in the subway after the murder, he just had to take the case investigating it and go to see her later that morning to watch as his colleague introduces him to her by name. Then after seeing her he just had to follow her to her kid's school, follow both of them to a restaurant, kidnap the kid but wait for her inside a nearby theater to find them before demanding she keep silent about what she saw. After the incident in the theater, one in which she ingeniously escaped with her son and left Brody concussed and unconscious though not dead, Sarah calls the police and relates the whole story. They think she is a few fries short of a happy meal but follow through on a search of the theater find nothing of Brody nor any sign than anyone has been there in years. Detective Stepanec meanwhile turns over the dead call-girl's apartment and finds irrefutable proof that Brody was there in the most intimate of positions with her and was likely being black-mailed by her, facts which Brody himself had recounted in mortifying detail inside the theater with Sarah Cornell and her son Chris. Brody evidently recovered from his mishap in the theater tracks Sarah. She thinks he is trying to kill her. Judging by his self-destructive pattern, he may merely be making sure she knows how to spell his name correctly. This leads to a dramatic chase through an apartment building and the subway system ending in an electrifying finale.
MY THOUGHTS: I like this movie. It had a lot of action and drama that kept you interested. I thought Telly Savalas was good in his role as the evil bad cop. However, I bought this movie because of Lynda Day George and I wasn't disappointed at all. She was excellent in her role as Sarah Cornell. This movie show how good of an actress she was. The only problem I had with this movie is Lynda Day George was in the same outfit throughout the entire movie. Based on that and the action in this picture I give this movie 8 weasel stars.
STARRING: Lynda Day George, Telly Savalas, Mike Farrell, Kate Reid, Jeff Toner, Robert Goodier, Aileen Seaton, Hope Garber, Len Birman, Murray Westgate, Richard Alden, Stuart Gillard. Directed by Herschel Daugherty.
SUMMARY: The big city early morning commute on the subway. Actress/model Sarah Cornell is witness to the murder of a young woman pushed on to the tracks by a creepy (but not particularly discreet) assailant. She calls the cops and two detectives venture out to the set of her latest commercial taping to get her story for their report. She recognizes one of the cops – Joe Brody (Savalas) as the same creepy assailant whom she saw murdered the woman (a notorious call girl). She doesn't tell the other cop Detective Stepanec (Farrell) instead leaving a very vague description of the murderer – Inspector Joe Brody. As I said this murderer is not particularly discreet or even endowed with the kind of sense a headless chicken would have. It isn't enough that he made extended eye contact with Sarah in the subway after the murder, he just had to take the case investigating it and go to see her later that morning to watch as his colleague introduces him to her by name. Then after seeing her he just had to follow her to her kid's school, follow both of them to a restaurant, kidnap the kid but wait for her inside a nearby theater to find them before demanding she keep silent about what she saw. After the incident in the theater, one in which she ingeniously escaped with her son and left Brody concussed and unconscious though not dead, Sarah calls the police and relates the whole story. They think she is a few fries short of a happy meal but follow through on a search of the theater find nothing of Brody nor any sign than anyone has been there in years. Detective Stepanec meanwhile turns over the dead call-girl's apartment and finds irrefutable proof that Brody was there in the most intimate of positions with her and was likely being black-mailed by her, facts which Brody himself had recounted in mortifying detail inside the theater with Sarah Cornell and her son Chris. Brody evidently recovered from his mishap in the theater tracks Sarah. She thinks he is trying to kill her. Judging by his self-destructive pattern, he may merely be making sure she knows how to spell his name correctly. This leads to a dramatic chase through an apartment building and the subway system ending in an electrifying finale.
MY THOUGHTS: I like this movie. It had a lot of action and drama that kept you interested. I thought Telly Savalas was good in his role as the evil bad cop. However, I bought this movie because of Lynda Day George and I wasn't disappointed at all. She was excellent in her role as Sarah Cornell. This movie show how good of an actress she was. The only problem I had with this movie is Lynda Day George was in the same outfit throughout the entire movie. Based on that and the action in this picture I give this movie 8 weasel stars.
She Cried Murder
coltras3515 July 2022
A model, while riding in the front car of a subway train, witnesses a woman being pushed in front of the train. But when the police come to interview her, she recognizes one of them as the man who did the pushing.
Lynda Day George is really good as the witness of a woman getting murdered, the desparation is well-enacted as the rogue cop comes closer in some nifty chase scenes. Telly Savalas is his usual reliable self as the cop who kills his blackmailer and is on his way to kill Lynda Day George. It's a straightforward suspense thriller with neat police work and well-directed chase scenes. Train buffs in particular would love the last fifteen minutes. Like all thrillers, there are implausibility and logic issues, but the pace and thrills are high enough for one not to focus on them too much.
Lynda Day George is really good as the witness of a woman getting murdered, the desparation is well-enacted as the rogue cop comes closer in some nifty chase scenes. Telly Savalas is his usual reliable self as the cop who kills his blackmailer and is on his way to kill Lynda Day George. It's a straightforward suspense thriller with neat police work and well-directed chase scenes. Train buffs in particular would love the last fifteen minutes. Like all thrillers, there are implausibility and logic issues, but the pace and thrills are high enough for one not to focus on them too much.
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