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Sorry Wrong Number (1948)
A flashy performance by Barbara Stanwyck in the starring role anchors an intense 1948 melodrama called Sorry Wrong Number, that was, honestly, nothing like I expected, but provided solid entertainment with more than a couple of surprises along the way.
Stanwyck plays Leona Stevenson, a sickly woman who is trying to reach her husband Henry (Burt Lancaster) to find out when he's coming home. The operator misdials the number and Leona finds herself connected to a phone conversation between two people who are planning a murder and though it takes awhile, Leona comes to believe that these two men are planning to murder her.
The screenplay is by Lucille Fletcher, adapted from her own radio play, which apparently allowed Fletcher to flesh out the story for the movie screen. From what I've heard about this movie, I expected Stanwyck's character to be the only one onscreen, unable to walk, and spending ninety minutes trying to get someone on the phone to believe that someone is breaking into her house and that she can't walk. For this film, a lot of this turns out not to be the case. Once Leona is unable to reach her husband, the film flashes back to the beginning of their relationship in order to give the viewer insight into the Stevenson marriage and why Leona might be in danger.
This flashback is nicely detailed and unrolls methodically, showing us that the Stevenson marriage is not the bed of roses Leona would like us and everyone around her to believe. A couple of unexpected plot twists reveal themselves along the way that we don't see coming that make it clear that this marriage is seriously damaged and both the husband and wife have done their part in its implosion.
There is the funniest screen introduction talking about the power of the telephone. but the story pretty quickly loses its humor. Barbara Stanwyck delivers a highly th okeatrical performance of such intensity that it earned the film it's only Oscar nomination (losing to Jane Wyman for Jonny Belinda). Burt Lancaster is slick and sexy as her husband, Henry and I also liked Ed Begley as her dad. There's also a very early film appearance from William Conrad (Cannon) as a bad guy. Yeah, it's a little dated, but Stanwyck and Lancaster keep this one on sizzle.
A flashy performance by Barbara Stanwyck in the starring role anchors an intense 1948 melodrama called Sorry Wrong Number, that was, honestly, nothing like I expected, but provided solid entertainment with more than a couple of surprises along the way.
Stanwyck plays Leona Stevenson, a sickly woman who is trying to reach her husband Henry (Burt Lancaster) to find out when he's coming home. The operator misdials the number and Leona finds herself connected to a phone conversation between two people who are planning a murder and though it takes awhile, Leona comes to believe that these two men are planning to murder her.
The screenplay is by Lucille Fletcher, adapted from her own radio play, which apparently allowed Fletcher to flesh out the story for the movie screen. From what I've heard about this movie, I expected Stanwyck's character to be the only one onscreen, unable to walk, and spending ninety minutes trying to get someone on the phone to believe that someone is breaking into her house and that she can't walk. For this film, a lot of this turns out not to be the case. Once Leona is unable to reach her husband, the film flashes back to the beginning of their relationship in order to give the viewer insight into the Stevenson marriage and why Leona might be in danger.
This flashback is nicely detailed and unrolls methodically, showing us that the Stevenson marriage is not the bed of roses Leona would like us and everyone around her to believe. A couple of unexpected plot twists reveal themselves along the way that we don't see coming that make it clear that this marriage is seriously damaged and both the husband and wife have done their part in its implosion.
There is the funniest screen introduction talking about the power of the telephone. but the story pretty quickly loses its humor. Barbara Stanwyck delivers a highly th okeatrical performance of such intensity that it earned the film it's only Oscar nomination (losing to Jane Wyman for Jonny Belinda). Burt Lancaster is slick and sexy as her husband, Henry and I also liked Ed Begley as her dad. There's also a very early film appearance from William Conrad (Cannon) as a bad guy. Yeah, it's a little dated, but Stanwyck and Lancaster keep this one on sizzle.