Sorry, Wrong Number

Sorry, Wrong Number

So, this is not my normal movie selection; however, I have to thank Mitzi for this review request. I most likely would never have stumbled across this lost treasure, if it had not been brought to my attention. Everyone should dial this movie up at least once, I don’t think you will regret it!

This Anatole Litvak directed piece stars Barbara Stanwick and Burt Lancaster. These two superstars are called upon to carry the film with acting prowess seldom seen in feature films of today. In addition, the film is entirely in black and white, which seems to add to the creepiness of the picture.

The film begins with Leona (Stanwick) in bed and trying to contact her husband, Henry (Lancaster), who some how seems to be eerily missing. She is frantically attempting to contact her husband because he was supposed to arrive home before her nurse left for the day. As time continues to pass, Leona begins to make a series of phone calls in order to track down her long lost mate. In the process, she is accidentally connected to a call where she overhears two men planning the murder of an unknown woman.

As she hangs up on the call, Leona begins her whirlwind attempt to track down the phone call and find her husband in the process. She has multiple flashbacks, which gives us a deeper understanding of her and the relationship with Henry. The two are as different as oil and water, yet they attempt to mix and hope for the best.

He comes from humble beginnings and she is a daughter of privilege. The two marry and Henry accepts a position in her father’s company. They move into dear old dad’s home and all is well. Uhm, not really…how many of you have moved in with the In-laws and all went well? That’s what I thought! Immediately, the resentment began to grow as Henry starts to feel that he is a kept man unable to provide for his wife or even himself. He wants to be a free spirit and strike out on his own only to have his wife nix the idea each and every time.

Not only is Leona a self-centered spoiled brat, but she is the ultimate daddy’s girl. Whatever Leona wants, Leona will get! The problem is that Leona continues to fight an illness, which leads to yet more issues for our bedridden hypochondriac. She becomes completely dependent on others for help.

The film continues with Leona making more calls as she slowly pieces together the disturbing phone call and her husbands recent disappearance. She begins to think that the unknown woman may be her. Could she be right or does she just have an overactive imagination, which perhaps may explain her illness as well? You will have to watch the film to find out! But, I believe you will be pleasantly surprised by the ending…I was!

This film was wonderfully produced, filmed, acted and written. I give Sorry, Wrong Number 4.5 stars. The actors were outstanding and Stanwick gives an amazing performance. The film has a creepy factor, which is enhanced with both the music and cinematography. The use of shadow and music is unbelievable and allows our imaginations to run wild. If you haven’t had a chance to see this film, I would recommend it highly even if you are not a fan of black and white pictures. Sorry, Wrong Number is right on target!

That’s How Matt Sees It!