Barbara Stanwyck – 18 Cinema Lane

Film Noir is a genre that is infrequently covered on 18 Cinema Lane. This fact, along with the desire to expand my cinematic horizons, is why I joined Back in Black: Another Film Noir Blogathon! For this event, I wanted to select a film recommendation from one of my readers. Fortunately, I had seven suggestions that would have fit the blogathon’s criteria. Out of those titles, I chose 1948’s Sorry, Wrong Number, recommended by a reader named Noel! But this is not the only reason why I selected Sorry, Wrong Number for the event. The 1948 movie shares a similar premise to the Murder, She Wrote episode, ‘Crossed Up’. In both stories, the protagonist hears about an upcoming murder over the phone. I have reviewed the aforementioned Murder, She Wrote episode on my blog. While I thought it was ok, I think it would have made more sense to have put that episode somewhere in season one. Will I have similar feelings about Sorry, Wrong Number? Keep reading my review to find out!

*Sorry, Wrong Number* (1948) poster created by Hal Wallis Productions and Paramount Pictures

Things I liked about the film:

Barbara Stanwyck’s performance: While the cast of Sorry, Wrong Number was solid, I want to specifically bring up Barbara’s performance, as the movie rested on her shoulders. Portraying the protagonist, Leona Stevenson, Barbara perfectly captured how frightening her character’s situation would be for anyone. Whether her voice was wavering due to being scared over the whereabouts of her husband, Henry, or her eyes becoming very wide when she discovers information about her past, Leona’s reactions appeared realistic because of the fluidity of Barbara’s acting talents. There was even a shot where only her hand was shown as she was dialing the phone, visibly shaking as she’s trying to make a call. Reactions like this one emphasized the suspense found in Sorry, Wrong Number.

How character development was established: Sorry, Wrong Number shares a major similarity with the Murder, She Wrote episode, ‘Crossed Up’; the protagonist discovers an upcoming murder over the phone. This discovery leads Leona to learn more about the mystery through various phone conversations. These conversations helped establish character development, as the audience learns more about the characters the longer they talk. Visuals also provided opportunities for the audience to discover more about the characters. One great example is when Leona calls her dad, James. As James talks with his daughter, the camera pans over the walls and the rest of his office. Pictures of Leona are placed around the room, with a portrait of Leona as a young girl hanging over the fireplace. Not only are guns mounted on the wall, taxidermic animals are also displayed as office décor. Through the cinematography, the things and people important to James are on full display, presenting a capsule of his life. The example I just described perfectly represented the concept of “showing instead of telling”.

An engaging presentation: Like I just mentioned in this review, Leona’s discovery of an upcoming murder over the phone leads her to learn more about the mystery through various phone conversations. This discovery happens almost immediately in the story, which allows the mystery to start right away. Leona receives details about the mystery as Sorry, Wrong Number progresses. Having the protagonist try to solve the mystery as she’s learning about it gives the audience a chance to solve the mystery alongside her, creating an interaction between the audience and the character. Even when Leona makes shocking discoveries, the audience experiences those moments with her as if the moments are shared. The creative decisions I just referenced make Sorry, Wrong Number an engaging presentation!

A balance between slow burn and sense of urgency: Film noir stories typically adopt a “slow burn” approach to storytelling, which allows the story to take its time being told. On the other hand, mystery stories usually incorporate a sense of urgency, especially if the story involves the characters racing against the clock. Sorry, Wrong Number is, in my opinion, one of those rare times when a balance between slow burn and sense of urgency is achieved! Even though the 1948 film is classified as “film noir” (according to IMDB), the majority of the story would be considered “slice of life” because of the focus on Leona’s life and her interactions over the phone. Yet her desire to discover what’s going on with Henry as well as the upcoming murder discovery gave Sorry, Wrong Number a sense of urgency. Lucille Fletcher, the screenwriter of the 1948 movie, held an understanding for how to balance these two different storytelling approaches, which was effectively showcased through her writing!

Back in Black: Another Film Noir Blogathon banner created by Hamlette from Hamlette’s Soliloquy and Quiggy from The Midnite Drive-in

What I didn’t like about the film:

A dialogue heavy story: As I mentioned in the introduction of this review, Sorry, Wrong Number shares a similar premise to the Murder, She Wrote episode, ‘Crossed Up’, where the protagonist hears about an upcoming murder over the phone. Even though I was aware of this prior to watching Sorry, Wrong Number and even though the story allowed the audience to learn about the mystery alongside Leona, the 1948 film is dialogue heavy. This means viewers are forced to actively pay attention to what they’re watching or else they’ll miss important context. There were a few times when I had to rewind the movie in order to hear what the characters were saying, so I could catch essential information. Because I did that, however, it was kind of disruptive to my movie-viewing experience.

An ignored part of the script: Through one of her many phone conversations, Leona connects with Sally, a woman she knew in college. Both Leona and the audience not only learn Sally married a district attorney lawyer named Fred, he has been working on a case related to Leona. This part of the script adds intrigue to Sorry, Wrong Number as well as provides a “cat and mouse chase” for the movie. But as the story progresses, Fred and his case become forgotten about. In fact, after Leona’s phone conversation with Sally, Fred’s investigation isn’t brought up again. I wish this part of the script had been referenced, at least, another time in Sorry, Wrong Number, especially since the movie was released during the Breen Code era, when a theme like good vs. evil was typically adopted.

Vintage detective desk photo created by Olivier Bourgeois at freeimages.com. Photo by <a href=”/photographer/ornicar69-54520″>Olivier Bourgeois</a> from <a href=”https://freeimages.com/”>FreeImages</a> Image found at freeimages.com.

My overall impression:

I have brought up in this review how Sorry, Wrong Number and the Murder, She Wrote episode, ‘Crossed Up’ share a similar premise where both protagonists hear about an upcoming murder over the phone. I also addressed how I thought the episode was ok. Though it isn’t fair to compare Sorry, Wrong Number to ‘Crossed Up’, I found myself enjoying the movie more than the tv episode. The 1948 picture is an effective film, achieving this sentiment through several creative channels. Thanks to Lucille Fletcher’s screenwriting, the story effectively balanced a slow burn and sense of urgency. The screenwriting also allowed the overall presentation to be engaging, such as giving the audience a chance to solve the mystery alongside the protagonist. Barbara Stanwyck’s performance helped present a frightening situation that could happen to anyone due to how believable Leona’s reactions were. While I found Sorry, Wrong Number to be a good movie, I can’t say it was great, as the film was held back by two major flaws. However, I would definitely recommend this film, especially as an introductory title to the genre!

Overall score: 7.8 out of 10

Have you seen 1948’s Sorry, Wrong Number? Are there any movies from the Film Noir genre you’re interested in checking out? Let me know in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

When I joined Pale Writer’s Barbara Stanwyck Blogathon, I had never seen any of Barbara’s movies. Despite this, I had heard good things about her as an actress. For my submission, I knew I wanted to review one of Barbara’s films from the Breen Code Era. Because I signed up for this blogathon and the Clean Movie Month Blogathon, which both take place in July, I figured it’d be the best of both worlds! After searching through her filmography and seeing the choices of the other participants, I chose the 1947 picture Cry Wolf! It’s no secret that mysteries are a staple on 18 Cinema Lane. In fact, the most popular review on my blog is for Hailey Dean Mysteries: A Will to Kill, which has over a thousand views! When I read the synopsis for Cry Wolf, I knew I had to select it for the blogathons. It sounded like a mysterious retelling of Frankenstein, which would be an interesting concept to explore during the Breen Code Era. What did I think of this film? That mystery will be solved when you read this review!

*Cry Wolf* poster created by Warner Bros. and Thomson Production. Image found at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Crywolf1947.jpg

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: As I said in the introduction, I had never seen any of Barbara’s films prior to Pale Writer’s blogathon. Therefore, I didn’t really know what to expect from her performance in Cry Wolf. What stood out in Barbara’s portrayal of Sandra was how confident she appeared! In every scene, she seemed sure of herself, never letting doubt stand in her way. When Sandra interacted with Julie, she took charge of the situation and displayed a sense of leadership. Speaking of Julie, I enjoyed seeing Geraldine Brooks’ portrayal of this character! It reminded me of the performances of Judy Garland, where she is presented as acting like her age with a dose of innocence. This can be seen when Julie meets Sandra for the first time. Errol Flynn’s performance was consistent throughout the film! His portrayal of Mark always had a sinister undertone, giving away the impression he was always enveloped in a cloud of suspicion. This character fit within the nature of the project because of what Errol brought, talent-wise, to the role.

The atmosphere: Because Cry Wolf is classified as a mystery film, the overall atmosphere is going to be darker in tone. It should also be noted that the atmosphere was consistent throughout the project. This was accomplished through a collection of film-making techniques. One of them is the use of shadows. In scenes that were more mysterious, shadows could be seen on the walls. The scene where Sandra and Julie make their initial trek to the lab is a great example of this, as the audience can see Sandra’s shadow on the wall in the hallway. Another technique involves music. Scenes with sinister undertones featured orchestral tunes that sounded ominous. It really matched the tone the movie’s creative team was striving for!

The interior design: The majority of this story takes place inside the Caldwell-Demarest family home, with the interior design effectively matching the wealth of the family. A noticeable design choice was the wrap around balcony overlooking the foyer. Some homes feature one balcony section that looks down on a particular room. The fact that the balcony in Cry Wolf was larger than one section showcases how expansive this space is. Wood was a prominent material found in the interior design. It not only served as wall paneling; it was also used as detailed crown molding in the library. Even though the kitchen was only in one scene, the detailed art on the walls made it a memorable space. The overall design within this location enhanced the visual appeal of the house!

The Queen of Sass: Barbara Stanwyck Blogathon banner created by Pale Writer from Pale Writer. https://palewriter2.home.blog/2020/06/20/announcing-the-queen-of-sass-barbara-stanwyck-blogathon/

What I didn’t like about the film:

Julie’s relationship with Ronnie: One of the components of Julie’s subplot involved a secret relationship with a young man named Ronnie. This part of her story was meant to correlate with her feelings of isolation and entrapment. However, it seemed like it was there for the sake of being there. The relationship didn’t lead anywhere and Ronnie was never mentioned again after Julie’s interaction with him while horse-riding. It makes wonder why it was included in the story at all?

Mark’s attempts to charm Sandra: There were a few moments in Cry Wolf where Mark attempts to charm Sandra. To me, these attempts felt out of character for him. Throughout the film, Mark uses influence and control to gain power. When it comes to Sandra, however, he ends up overstepping boundaries. During one conversation, Mark kisses Sandra. She responds appropriately by expressing displeasure and slapping him in the face. It’s as if he completely forgot that Sandra was still mourning her husband.

An unclear resolution: I’m not going to spoil Cry Wolf if you haven’t seen it. But I will say I found the mystery’s resolution to be unclear. The film presents one idea of what happened. Several scenes later, an unreliable source shares another idea of the mystery’s outcome. As the film wraps up, the resolution is not given any explanations. However, I’m not sure if this creative decision was intentional.

Clean Movie Month banner created by Tiffany and Rebekah Brannan from Pure Entertainment Preservation Society. Image found at https://pureentertainmentpreservationsociety.wordpress.com/2020/07/01/cleanmoviemonth2020-is-here/.

My overall impression:

I’m glad I chose Cry Wolf as my introduction to Barbara Stanwyck’s filmography! It was a good film that allowed me to stay invested from start to finish! This was helped by the inclusion of solid acting performances, a consistent atmosphere, and great interior design. While these are components that strengthened the project, the movie also had flaws that held it back from being better. One of these flaws is an unclear resolution, which was unexplained by the end of the film. But, as I said in my review, this choice might have been intentional. Like I said about Goodbye, Mr. Chips and The Wife of Monte Cristo, Cry Wolf is a Breen Code friendly film. However, there was one aspect I was surprised to see. In one scene, a deceased body was shown on screen. As I said in my review of The Wife of Monte Cristo, a death would usually be implied.

Overall score: 7.9 out of 10

Have you seen any of Barbara Stanwyck’s movies? If so, which one is your favorite? Let me know in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen