Sorry, Wrong Number

Rating:
Summary: By the Numbers - Stanwyck: 10+ ... Script: 5
Review: Barbara Stanwyck never gave a bad performance. Even when her material was second-rate, the lady herself was always first class. Such is the case with "Sorry, Wrong Number", the story of a woman terrorized by what she accidently hears over a telephone. In adapting and expanding her tightly-written and suspenseful radio play for the screen, author Lucille Fletcher manufactured a complicated series of flashbacks (and flashbacks within flashbacks!) intended to provide the audience with some background into the Stanwyck character's crisis. Unfortunately, the added scenes, which primarily focus on some uninteresting secondary characters, only served to interrupt and thus dilute the effectiveness of Stanwyck's magnificent portrayal of a selfish socialite slowly descending into a state of frenzied hysteria and unbridled fear.

According to legend, director Anatole Litvak gave Stanwyck the option of shooting her demanding emotional scenes with the telephone in segments spaced throughout the production schedule, or filming them all at once and in sequence. Stanwyck, ever the perfectionist, chose the latter course and spent almost two weeks on the climactic bedroom set, each morning having to work herself back into the state of terror and anxiety in which she had ended the prior day's scenes. Stanwyck always maintained that her hair started to gray during this time period, and sure enough!, alert viewers will note that tiny wisps of silver begin to show up in the actress' hair by the end of the movie. Stanwyck's consummate professionalism ultimately paid off handsomely; despite the weakness of the screenplay adaptation, her characterization is among her best, and she received her fourth Oscar nomination as Best Actress in a Leading Role for her amazingly raw and gritty performance.

The DVD presentation of this nail-biter is adequate at best. The original film elements are splendidly well-preserved, as anyone who has seen the movie on cable TV or VHS cassette can attest. But at the beginning of the DVD, a stray hair shows up at the bottom of the screen, goes away, and then reappears thoughout the credits. This is inexcusable in this day and age of digital restoration; the film deserves a cleaner, crisper transfer. The only extra feature is the film's Original Theatrical Trailer, which apparently was taken from a British source, since it carries an "Unsuitable for Children" warning. Despite its flaws, the DVD presentation is still worth a look, if only to see the supremely talented Stanwyck at the top of her game.

Rating:
Summary: By the Numbers - Stanwyck: 10+ ... Script: 5
Review: Barbara Stanwyck never gave a bad performance. Even when her material was second-rate, the lady herself was always first class. Such is the case with "Sorry, Wrong Number", the story of a woman terrorized by what she accidently hears over a telephone. In adapting and expanding her tightly-written and suspenseful radio play for the screen, author Lucille Fletcher manufactured a complicated series of flashbacks (and flashbacks within flashbacks!) intended to provide the audience with some background into the Stanwyck character's crisis. Unfortunately, the added scenes, which primarily focus on some uninteresting secondary characters, only served to interrupt and thus dilute the effectiveness of Stanwyck's magnificent portrayal of a selfish socialite slowly descending into a state of frenzied hysteria and unbridled fear.

According to legend, director Anatole Litvak gave Stanwyck the option of shooting her demanding emotional scenes with the telephone in segments spaced throughout the production schedule, or filming them all at once and in sequence. Stanwyck, ever the perfectionist, chose the latter course and spent almost two weeks on the climactic bedroom set, each morning having to work herself back into the state of terror and anxiety in which she had ended the prior day's scenes. Stanwyck always maintained that her hair started to gray during this time period, and sure enough!, alert viewers will note that tiny wisps of silver begin to show up in the actress' hair by the end of the movie. Stanwyck's consummate professionalism ultimately paid off handsomely; despite the weakness of the screenplay adaptation, her characterization is among her best, and she received her fourth Oscar nomination as Best Actress in a Leading Role for her amazingly raw and gritty performance.

The DVD presentation of this nail-biter is adequate at best. The original film elements are splendidly well-preserved, as anyone who has seen the movie on cable TV or VHS cassette can attest. But at the beginning of the DVD, a stray hair shows up at the bottom of the screen, goes away, and then reappears thoughout the credits. This is inexcusable in this day and age of digital restoration; the film deserves a cleaner, crisper transfer. The only extra feature is the film's Original Theatrical Trailer, which apparently was taken from a British source, since it carries an "Unsuitable for Children" warning. Despite its flaws, the DVD presentation is still worth a look, if only to see the supremely talented Stanwyck at the top of her game.

Rating:
Summary: BRAVURA STANWYCK PERFORMANCE
Review: Based upon the radio play by Lucille Fletcher (it was originally performed with verve by the great Agnes Moorehead on radio), this film earned Stanwyck the last of her four Oscar nominations. As the self-centered Leona, Stanwyck gives a terrific performance as the constantly nagging woman who keeps herself bedridden because she believes herself to have a weak heart (she doesn't). Could Leona - perchance - be what is called a hypochondriac? Lancaster is good as her husband who learns the truth about his wife's "condition" from her doctor (he becomes enraged and decides to seek sweet revenge for all the emotional pain he's been put through due to Leona's hypochondriac fantasy). The photography is excellent, and while the simple plot is stretched into movie length, the performances keep the viewer watching until the inevitable conclusion. Lucille Fletcher adapted her own 22-minute radio play for the screen and in so doing created a complex background for the characters who bring the heroine to the point of the original. This was often accomplished in flashback technique by the brilliant director Anatole Litvak. Stanwyck couldn't have been better in the part of the neurotic and selfish wife who so dominates her husband that he turns to crime for self-expression.......Lancaster is grimly persuasive as the homicidal husband...........Many consider this to be one of Stanwyck's top performances; it seems to me that the film as a whole is underrated in that it IS indeed a filmization of a radio play; therefore it doesn't quite come off as everyone's cup of tea! In my opinion, this holds up better, for instance, than the obvious and mechanical filmed play in which Hitchcock filmed in 1954 entitled DIAL M FOR MURDER!

Rating:
Summary: Hard-edged thriller makes an impression
Review: Even at eighty-some minutes, this feels a little drawn out and in need of tightening up. But, ultimately, this nicely-shot film noir has to be credited with delivering the goods, particularly due to a memorable ending that these days wouldn't have made it past the first draft, especially if a big-name starlet played the central character. There aren't many extras on the DVD, but the sharp, clean print is a pleasure to behold.

Rating:
Summary: "Sorry, Wrong Number"
Review: I have been listening to old radio shows on tape for quite a while, when I heard of a very popular one. It was entitled "Sorry, Wrong Number". Unfortuanetly I couldn't find the tape anywhere, so I did the next best thing. I bought the DVD. I was most certinly not dissapointed. The film's plot is about a woman(Barbara Stanwyck)who is an invalid and is bedridden in her apartment. One night this woman's husband(Burt Lancaster)is working unusualy late at his office. When this woman repeatedly gets a busy signal when trying to phone her husband, she decides to have the operater try the number. That was her huge mistake! Why? Because when the operater trys getting the number she accidently gets her wires crossed and gives this woman the wrong number. However, when the woman starts listening to the conversation on the other line, she finds that the two people on the phone are talking about a murder that they're going to commit! I won't say anymore about the film, for if I said even the littlist detail, it might ruin the ending. So, why did I give this masterpiece only 4 stars? Well, for one I was most unimpressed by the films constant flashbacks. These flashbacks did get annoying after a while and quite boring. In fact the only real exciting part is the last sequence. And the second reason I gave it 4 stars, is that the movie added so many other plot elements that were never in the radio show(which I eventually found and bought). If you watch the movie and then listen to the tape, then you'll know what I mean. However, I wasn't very impressed with the DVD. It had one theatrical trailer and wasn't even widescreen. What's up with that? But, then again this film was made in 1948, so I should be happy that they found, even sometihng so little as a trailer. All in all though, it was quite entertaing and I would recommend it to a friend. However, I wouldn't suqqest anyone watching this movie if they can't stand flashback sequences.

Rating:
Summary: Don't hang up...
Review: I read above about the comparisons between the radio, and film version of this story. I think in most ways they break even, but not in all. First off, the radio version is great. I am priveledged to own a copy of it. Agnes Moorehead (Mrs. Snow from Pollyana) did a wonderful job, and you can take it as far as your imagination allows. But the Film version is so much better. You get a thriller that stands on its own two feet, and a plot that goes deeper than an open grave. Suspense is built with every trick in the book, until it's in your face at the climax. It starts eerily when Stanwyck overhears the plotting of a murder on the phone extension, down to the time when train will be rolling by to muffle the screams. She gets worked up pretty quickly, then after picking apart the details out in her mind, realizes that it is indeed her that will be victim! On top of that she is both alone and bed stricken. She cant walk, so her only possible salvation lies in the connection beside her. But the journey between the lines (Pun intended) is long, horrifying, and blurred. Finding out you are going to be murdered is bad enough, but when you realize who is envolved and why...there is the real terror.

Rating:
Summary: A RELEASE AT LAST
Review: I remember watching this film on British tv in the early 70's.
All i could remember of it years later was the murder scene,
god that never left me.
This film gradualy builds up tension to one of the most rememberable murders ever.As i believe never on laserdisc,nor
vhs in this country anyway.Can't wait for the dvd,best news yet.
This will be one dvd i will wear out (believe me i will )
Get it if you like b&w,Barbara Stanwyck.and nail bitting terror,
and film noir.

Rating:
Summary: But the Right Movie
Review: I'll never forget the first time I saw this movie. The quality I was most struck by was it's darkness. I was very young & didn't realise at the time that I was watching one of the best examples in the history of cinema of film noir(nightmare noir even).Darkness, darkness...even the scenes set during the day feel dark. Many of my fellow film lovers have already provided a synopsis so I won't bother you with yet another. Suffice to say this a superbly acted thriller with beautiful elements of melodrama & a knockout climax. I've seen Barbra Stanwyck & Burt Lancaster in SO many films, but this is the one I keep coming back to. Feel the darkness, enjoy the rain, live the nightmare...

Rating:
Summary: But the Right Movie
Review: I'll never forget the first time I saw this movie. The quality I was most struck by was it's darkness. I was very young & didn't realise at the time that I was watching one of the best examples in the history of cinema of film noir(nightmare noir even).Darkness, darkness...even the scenes set during the day feel dark. Many of my fellow film lovers have already provided a synopsis so I won't bother you with yet another. Suffice to say this a superbly acted thriller with beautiful elements of melodrama & a knockout climax. I've seen Barbra Stanwyck & Burt Lancaster in SO many films, but this is the one I keep coming back to. Feel the darkness, enjoy the rain, live the nightmare...

Rating:
Summary: Sorry for not having seen "Sorry, Wrong Number" DVD
Review: I'm actually writing because I wanted to inform the previous reviwer that the radio broadcast of "Sorry, Wrong Number" starring Agnes Moorehead MAY be available through www.radiospirits.com. I actually own a recording of a radio broadcast of "Sorry, Wrong Number" performed by Stanwyck and Lancaster a year or so after the movie was released. Anyway, I do love the movie and Barbara's performance (isn't hard to believe she never won an Oscar other than the Honorary Award she was given in March '82?). I intend to buy the DVD soon!