Sorry, Wrong Number

Last updated
Sorry, Wrong Number
Sorrywrongnumber.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Anatole Litvak
Screenplay by Lucille Fletcher
Based onSorry, Wrong Number
by Lucille Fletcher
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Sol Polito
Edited by Warren Low
Music by Franz Waxman
Production
company
Hal Wallis Productions
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date
  • September 1, 1948 (1948-09-01)
Running time
89 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$2.8 million (U.S. rentals) [1]

Sorry, Wrong Number is a 1948 American thriller and film noir directed by Anatole Litvak, [2] from a screenplay by Lucille Fletcher, based on her 1943 radio play of the same title.

Contents

The film stars Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster. It follows a bedridden woman who overhears the plot of murder while on the telephone. By phone, she attempts to contact switchboard operators, police, or others who might help her prevent the crime. Stanwyck was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

It is one of the few pre-1950 Paramount Pictures films which remained in the studio's library (the rest are currently owned by NBCUniversal). [3]

Radio play

Lucille Fletcher's play originally aired on the Suspense radio program on May 25, 1943, essentially a one-woman show with Agnes Moorehead as Mrs. Stevenson.

Plot

Mrs. Stevenson, an imperious invalid, accidentally intercepts a phone call between two men plotting a murder for that evening. She tries to enlist the help of the telephone operator, the police, and a hospital, becoming more frantic as the time passes. In the final moments of the play, she realizes that she is the intended victim.

Broadcast history

The play was performed seven more times, on August 21 of the same year and again in 1944, 1945, 1948, 1952, 1957 and 1960. The final broadcast was on February 14, 1960. Orson Welles called Sorry, Wrong Number "the greatest single radio script ever written". [4] In 2014, the broadcast was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for inclusion in the National Recording Registry. [5]

Movie Plot

The film version of Sorry, Wrong Number is about three times as long as the original radio play and includes flashbacks to previous events in Mrs. Stevenson's life and marriage, as well as scenes showing events involving other characters.

In the film, Leona Stevenson is a spoiled, bedridden daughter of wealthy businessman James Cotterell. Using her phone, she tries to reach her husband, Henry. The servants are absent and she is alone in the apartment. On a crossed telephone connection, she overhears two men planning a murder. The call is cut off without Leona learning much, other than that the deed is scheduled for that very night. When she calls the telephone company and the police, they do not believe her about the murder.

While attempting to reach Henry, Leona recalls her past. Through various telephone calls, she learns that the secretary met Henry that day with an attractive woman named Sally Lord and did not return to the office. Leona recognizes the woman as Sally Hunt, a college friend in love with Henry, who at the time was poor and working in a drugstore. Leona took Henry from Sally, and married him against her father's wishes. Sally later married Fred Lord, a lawyer in the district attorney's office. From overheard conversations, Sally learns her husband was close to resolving an investigation about Henry. Sally is concerned; she follows Henry and two associates to a mysterious meeting of three men, including Henry, at an abandoned house on Staten Island. The house sign indicates the owner is Waldo Evans, later revealed to be a chemist working for Leona's father. Sally arranged to meet Henry to warn him about what she had seen, but he received a phone call, left the table and did not return. Sally later learns that the house was destroyed, "Morano"--an apparent gangster--has been arrested by the police, and Waldo escaped them.

Leona receives a message from Henry, stating he left town to complete some work he had forgotten about and will return on Sunday. Leona calls Dr. Phillip Alexander, the specialist she came to New York to see regarding her lifelong heart troubles. Alexander reveals that he gave Henry her prognosis ten days ago, something Henry kept from her. A flashback shows Leona had occasional cardiac episodes for a number of years before she married Henry, something Henry realized a few years into their marriage, when she suffered a cardiac arrest during a quarrel. It becomes clear Leona tries to use Henry, insisting he work for her father even though he is bored. As their troubles become severe, Leona's attacks become more frequent until she is bedridden. However, Alexander diagnoses the problems as purely psychosomatic. Nothing is wrong with her physically, but he thinks she needs psychiatric help.

Waldo calls Leona with a message for Henry. He discloses that Henry recruited him to steal chemicals from the Cotterell Drug Company and sell them for Morano. Henry tried to bypass Morano when Waldo was transferred. However, Morano coerced Henry into signing an IOU for $200,000 in three months to compensate for a lost profit. When Henry protested he had insufficient money, Morano pointed out that Leona had a large insurance policy. With Morano in custody, Waldo stresses that Henry no longer needs to raise the sum. He gives Leona a number to reach Henry, but when she calls she discovers that it is for the city morgue. The distraught Leona calls a nurse at the hospital. A frantic Henry calls Leona from a telephone booth. She hears an unnamed intruder sneaking inside the house, and tells Henry that she is the victim of the murder plot. Henry tells Leona to leave the house; but, paralyzed by fear, she is killed by the intruder and the phone line goes dead. As the police prepare to arrest Henry, he re-dials the phone, and the killer answers and replies: "Sorry, wrong number".

Cast

Production

Sorry, Wrong Number conforms to many of the conventions of film noir. The film plays in real time with many flashbacks, and adds more characters and backstories. The bedroom window overlooks the night skyline of Manhattan. The film is shot very dark, with looming shadows and a circling camera used to maintain a high level of suspense. [6] Hollywood's Production Code Administration initially objected to elements of Fletcher's screenplay, including its depiction of drug trafficking, and the script was significantly revised to win approval. [7]

Reception

Variety listed the film as one of the top grossers of the year, earning $2,850,000 in the U.S. alone. [1] Although not as well received as the radio play, with some critics noting the plot is too padded out, the movie adaptation is considered a classic of the film noir genre. Its twist ending is often cited as one of the era's most memorable. Stanwyck's performance was highly acclaimed, and garnered her a fourth Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a score of 86%. [8]

Adaptations

Parody

On October 17, 1948, Stanwyck did a parody of Sorry, Wrong Number on The Jack Benny Program . [15]

Other media

Clips from Sorry, Wrong Number were used for the 1982 comedy-mystery Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid , the 1991 thriller Dead Again and the 2014 action-thriller Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit .

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Stanwyck</span> American actress (1907–1990)

Barbara Stanwyck was an American actress and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career she was known for her strong, realistic screen presence and versatility. She was a favorite of directors, including Cecil B. DeMille, Fritz Lang, and Frank Capra, and made 85 films in 38 years before turning to television.

<i>Double Indemnity</i> 1944 American film by Billy Wilder

Double Indemnity is a 1944 American film noir directed by Billy Wilder and produced by Buddy DeSylva and Joseph Sistrom. Wilder and Raymond Chandler adapted the screenplay from James M. Cain's novel of the same name, which ran as an eight-part serial in Liberty magazine in 1936.

<i>Suspense</i> (radio drama) Radio drama series (1940 to 1962)

Suspense is a radio drama series broadcast on CBS Radio from 1940 through 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agnes Moorehead</span> American actress (1900–1974)

Agnes Robertson Moorehead was an American actress. In a career spanning five decades, her credits included work in radio, stage, film, and television. Moorehead was the recipient of such accolades as a Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for four Academy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucille Fletcher</span> American dramatist

Violet Lucille Fletcher was an American screenwriter of film, radio and television. Her credits include The Hitch-Hiker, an original radio play written for Orson Welles and adapted for a notable episode of The Twilight Zone television series. Lucille Fletcher also wrote Sorry, Wrong Number, one of the most celebrated plays in the history of American radio, which she adapted and expanded for the 1948 film noir classic of the same name. Married to composer Bernard Herrmann in 1939, she wrote the libretto for his opera Wuthering Heights, which he began in 1943 and completed in 1951, after their divorce.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellen Drew</span> American actress (1914–2003)

Ellen Drew was an American film actress.

<i>Conflict</i> (1945 film) 1945 film with Humphrey Bogart directed by Curtis Bernhardt

Conflict is a 1945 American black-and-white suspense film noir made by Warner Brothers. It was directed by Curtis Bernhardt, produced by William Jacobs from a screenplay by Arthur T. Horman and Dwight Taylor, based on the story The Pentacle by Alfred Neumann and Robert Siodmak. It starred Humphrey Bogart, Alexis Smith, and Sydney Greenstreet. The film is the only pairing of Bogart and Greenstreet of the five in which they acted together where Bogart rather than Greenstreet is the villain or corrupt character. There is also a cameo appearance of the Maltese Falcon statue.

<i>Beware, My Lovely</i> 1952 film by Harry Horner

Beware, My Lovely is a 1952 American crime film noir directed by Harry Horner starring Ida Lupino, Robert Ryan and Taylor Holmes. The film is based on the 1950 play The Man by Mel Dinelli, who also wrote the screenplay.

"Sorry, Right Number" is a teleplay written by author Stephen King for an episode of the horror anthology series Tales from the Darkside. It is the ninth episode of the fourth season. It was later included in King's 1993 short story collection Nightmares & Dreamscapes, and is the only such work that King has included in any of his anthologies. It appears in script format, and begins with an authors' guide for screenplays and abbreviations.

<i>No Man of Her Own</i> (1950 film) 1950 film

No Man of Her Own is a 1950 American film noir drama directed by Mitchell Leisen and featuring Barbara Stanwyck, John Lund, Phyllis Thaxter, Jane Cowl and Lyle Bettger. Made and distributed by Paramount Pictures, the production is the second film Stanwyck made with director Mitchell Leisen. Its screenplay was adapted from Cornell Woolrich's 1948 novel I Married a Dead Man. Woolrich is cited in the film's opening credits by one of his commonly used pseudonyms, "William Irish".

<i>The Two Mrs. Carrolls</i> 1947 film by Peter Godfrey

The Two Mrs. Carrolls is a 1947 American mystery film noir directed by Peter Godfrey and starring Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Stanwyck, and Alexis Smith. It was produced by Mark Hellinger from a screenplay by Thomas Job, based on the 1935 play of the same name by Martin Vale.

<i>Happy Land</i> (film) 1943 film by Irving Pichel

Happy Land is a 1943 film directed by Irving Pichel and starring Don Ameche. A World War II home front drama, it was based on the 1943 novel of the same name by MacKinlay Kantor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Stanwyck on stage, screen, radio and television</span>

Barbara Stanwyck was a prolific American actress and dancer who appeared in a total of 95 theatrically released full-length motion pictures. Orphaned before she was old enough to attend school, she became fascinated by the burgeoning film industry, and actress Pearl White in particular, whom she would mimic on the playgrounds. "Pearl White was my goddess, and her courage, her grace, and her triumphs lifted me out of this world."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Spier</span> American film director (1906–1973)

William Hannan Spier was an American writer, producer, and director for television and radio. He is best known for his radio work, notably Suspense and The Adventures of Sam Spade.

<i>The Accused</i> (1949 film) 1949 film by William Dieterle

The Accused is a 1949 American melodrama film starring Loretta Young and Robert Cummings. It was directed by William Dieterle, produced by Hal Wallis, and written by Ketti Frings, based on Be Still, My Love, a 1947 novel written by June Truesdell. Wendell Corey appears in principal support.

<i>The Lady Gambles</i> 1949 film by Michael Gordon

The Lady Gambles is a 1949 American film noir drama film directed by Michael Gordon and starring Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Preston and Stephen McNally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orson Welles radio credits</span>

This is a comprehensive listing of the radio programs made by Orson Welles. Welles was often uncredited for his work, particularly in the years 1934–1937, and he apparently kept no record of his broadcasts.

Radio is what I love most of all. The wonderful excitement of what could happen in live radio, when everything that could go wrong did go wrong. I was making a couple of thousand a week, scampering in ambulances from studio to studio, and committing much of what I made to support the Mercury. I wouldn't want to return to those frenetic 20-hour working day years, but I miss them because they are so irredeemably gone.

<i>Chicago Deadline</i> 1949 film by Lewis Allen

Chicago Deadline is a 1949 American film noir crime film directed by Lewis Allen and starring Alan Ladd and Donna Reed.

<i>Sorry, Wrong Number</i> (1958 film) 1958 Australian TV series or program

Sorry, Wrong Number is a 1958 Australian television play based on Lucille Fletcher's radio play Sorry, Wrong Number. It starred Georgie Sterling.

References

  1. 1 2 "Top Grossers of 1948". Variety. January 5, 1949. p. 46.
  2. ↑ "The 100 Best Film Noirs of All Time". Paste. November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  3. ↑ Bojalad, Alex (July 1, 2020). "Peacock Cuts Deal with ViacomCBS to Expand Library". Den of Geek. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  4. ↑ "The Hitch-Hiker, June 21, 1946, (at 1:00)". The Mercury Summer Theatre of the Air. 1988-02-24. Retrieved 2014-08-04– via Internet Archive.
  5. 1 2 ""Sorry, Wrong Number" ("Suspense") (May 25, 1943)" (PDF). National Recording Registry. 2014. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  6. ↑ Eifert, Steve (June 29, 2008). "Sorry, Wrong Number" [usurped] . Film Noir of the Week. Accessed July 12, 2013.
  7. ↑ Passafiume, Andrea. "Sorry, Wrong Number". Turner Classic Movies. Accessed November 16, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  9. ↑ "Monday High Spots". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . 1950-01-09. p. 3 (Daily Magazine). Retrieved 2022-06-16.
  10. ↑ Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland. p. 995. ISBN   978-0-7864-6477-7.
  11. ↑ "Television High Spots and Programs". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 1954-11-04. p. 3 (Daily Magazine). Retrieved 2022-06-16.
  12. ↑ "Western heroes revolt". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 26, no. 2. 18 June 1958. p. 13. Retrieved 22 May 2016– via National Library of Australia.
  13. ↑ "NEW FEATURE FOR 2 AD". The Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser. No. 3488. 10 May 1948. p. 2. Retrieved 22 May 2016– via National Library of Australia.
  14. ↑ Sorry, Wrong Number (1989) at IMDb .
  15. ↑ "The Jack Benny Show". The Old Time Radio Network Library. December 8, 2011. Accessed July 12, 2013.

Streaming audio

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.