Shelley Winters, Gary Merrill, Keenan Wynn in "Phone Call from a Stranger" (1952) -feat. Bette Davis
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- Опубліковано 24 чер 2024
- After his wife Jane (Helen Westcott) admits to an extramarital affair, Iowa attorney David Trask (Gary Merrill) abandons her and their daughters and heads for Los Angeles. His flight is delayed, and while waiting in the airport restaurant he meets a few of his fellow passengers. Troubled alcoholic Dr. Robert Fortness (Michael Rennie), haunted by his responsibility for a car accident in which a colleague, Dr. Tim Brooks (Hugh Beaumont) was killed, is returning home to his wife Claire (Beatrice Straight) and teenage son Jerry (Ted Donaldson), and plans to tell the district attorney the truth about the accident.
Aspiring actress Binky Gay (Shelley Winters) is hoping to free her husband Mike Carr (Craig Stevens) from the clutches of his domineering mother, former vaudevillian Sally Carr (Evelyn Varden), who looks down on Binky. Boisterous traveling salesman Eddie Hoke (Keenan Wynn), who is always ready with a bad joke or a silly idea, shares a photograph of his young, attractive wife Marie (Bette Davis) wearing a swimsuit. When a storm forces the aircraft (Douglas DC-3) to land en route, they continue to share their life stories during the unexpected four-hour layover. They exchange home phone numbers with the idea that they may one day have a reunion.
Upon resuming their journey, the aircraft crashes and Trask is one of a handful of survivors; including Trask's three acquaintances.
Claire confides that Jerry has run off because he blames her for his father's frequent absences and drinking. Trask finds the young man and convinces him to return home, to hear what he has to say about his father. Claire objects to Jerry learning about how she went along with a lie to protect both her husband and her son, but when Trask explains Fortness' deep sense of guilt and his determination to right the wrong he had committed, Jerry has a change of attitude.
Hoping to change Sally's opinion of her late daughter-in-law, he tells her Binky had been cast as Mary Martin's replacement in South Pacific on Broadway and had recommended Sally for a role. Mike thanks Trask for giving Binky "such a beautiful success. The kind she always dreamed about, but never could have".
Trask's final visit is to Marie. He discovers she is not the beautiful girl of Eddie's photograph, but an invalid paralyzed from the waist down. Marie reveals that early in her marriage she had left Eddie, whom she found to be vulgar and tiresome, for another man, Marty Nelson (Warren Stevens). The two planned to drive to Chicago, and enjoy their new freedom together. During a stopover at a lake, however, Marie hit her head on the underside of a dock while swimming and received her paralyzing injury. Marty initially saved her life, but when he found out she would be paralyzed, he abandoned her. While Marie was in the hospital, confined to an iron lung and feeling hopeless, Eddie, completely forgiving her and saying, "Hiya, beautiful," came to take her home. Marie tells Trask that despite his often obnoxious behavior, Eddie was the most decent man she had ever known, and had taught her the true meaning of love.
Marie's story teaches Trask a lesson about marital infidelity and true reconciliation; he calls Jane to tell her he is returning home.
A 1952 American Black & White film-noir drama film directed by Jean Negulesco, produced by Nunnally Johnson, screenplay by Nunnally Johnson, based on I. A. R. Wylie's 1950 novelette of the same name, cinematography by Milton Krasner A.S.C., starring Shelley Winters, Gary Merrill, Michael Rennie, Keenan Wynn, Evelyn Varden, Warren Stevens, Ted Donaldson, Craig Stevens, Helen Westcott, and Bette Davis. Screen debut appearances of Betty Francine and Broadway actress Beatrice Straight.
Hugh Beaumont appears uncredited as Dr. Tim Brooks.
Keenan Wynn was borrowed from MGM and Shelley Winters was borrowed from Universal.
This was the third and final on-screen pairing of real life husband and wife Gary Merrill and Bette Davis. The other two pictures are "All About Eve" (1950) and "Another Man's Poison" (1951).
When Gary Merrill's wife Bette Davis read the script, she asked if she could play the small role of Marie Hoke, feeling "it would be a change of pace for me. I believed in the part more than its length. I have never understood why stars should object to playing smaller parts if they were good ones. Marie Hoke was such a part."
The plane used in the film is a former U.S. Army Air Force Douglas C-47A, no. 42-23853, built in 1943. After the war it was converted to civilian use with registration NC79077 as seen in this film.
The New York Times, Bosley Crowther said, "So slick, indeed, is the whole thing-so smooth and efficiently contrived to fit and run with the precision of a beautifully made machine-that it very soon gives the impression of being wholly mechanical, picked up from a story-teller's blueprints rather than from the scroll of life ... that is the nature of the picture - mechanically intriguing but unreal." - Фільми й анімація
Shelley Winters characters always bring an ease to the movies she's in. She was a natural and endearing.😊
Well her ease slacked off a bit in “ Bloody Mama”. 😂 versatile actress she was.
Good movie, thanks. During the scenes inside the plane I kept thinking, I wish they had seats like that now! And then it crashes🥴
I really appreciate the human scale philosophy in these period films ... Treating with real issues folks go through in the morals and depth of relationships, loyalties, frailties, and sorry to see the hardness of people's hearts and cynicism evident in some of the comments here.
Wonderful story .Great acting .
It's a really good movie, I enjoyed the whole story
Indubidubly 🙂
Well done movie with good character actors.Very clear print for 1952 black and white film..
When I saw Shelly Winters' name I had to see this. Great cast. Story.
Wonderful wonderful movie great actors and actresses thank you much appreciated❤
I see,Bette Davis name in a movie no matter what I have to watch it (even tho she was only in a small part) Shelly Winters another great actress That voice haha! Good movie 😊 ...
Phone Call from a stranger was one of the top-most excellent films of the 50's. Mind you, there were quite a few like 'All about Eve' too. Terrific cast with Shelley Winters essaying her role with a nervous intensity that makes her stand out in startling shades. Bette Davis' character is bed-ridden, but even in her cameo, she gives the performance of a lifetime, recounting her past with a husband she has just lost in a plane-crash, playing back vignettes of their life together, the happy and the sad times, she introspects and relates with a tenacity that only one with her incomparable stature as an actor could deliver. A true tour-de-force in the acting department. A film not to be missed.
And the confession,
Oh brother. Charitably this film wouldn't be in anyone's top 50 best movies of the 1950s. Tearjerker melodrama with some serious ham-acting. Perfectly enjoyable but don't go overselling it.
A 5 star movie! Simply wonderful!
great movie and great print too!
Good story, great acting! Thank you for posting this movie 🙏
Don’t often watch a movie more than once, but this is the third time I’ve watched this, love it.
Quite the cast! Very interesting story. Some good came out of the deaths of the three, and even for the living fourth of the four musketeers. Thanks Donald for posting this fine 1952 flick.🥰😃😃
A movie that should have been nominated for an academy award.... Not for the acting but for the story itself!!! How soon we realize not what we HAVEN'T got but what WE HAVE!!! I AM ONE WHO HAS OVERCOME A CRUSHED LOWER BACK IN A COAL MINE CAVE IN PARALYZED WASTE DOWN BREAKING MY TAIL BONE, THROWN FROM VEHICLE FLIPPING OVER STRIKING A ROCK BREAKING MY BACK, THEN STRIKING A SHRUB OAK TAKING THE TOP OF MY HEAD OFF (NEVER LOST CONSCIOUSNESS OR WENT INTO SCHOCK EITHER TIME) THEN HAD LAMIDECTOMY THAT WENT SOUTH AGAIN PARAPLEGIC. WENT FROM A PARAPLEGIC TO A QURADAPLEGIC!!!! IN BOTH CASES I LEARNED HOW TO WALK USING NATURAL REFLEXES. I AM STILL LISTED AS A TETRAPLEGIC!!! ALL ALONG I FORGOT & OR DIDN'T KNOW THE IMPORTANT NOT THE MATERIAL THINGS!!!
THIS MOVIE BRINGS OUT SOME OF THESE!!!
Now that's a Great Movie 🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿. Betty was the cherry on the top. Great Cast, a movie with a moral. Very enjoyable!
When are we going to have an Evelyn Vardin film festival? This film, Pinky, Night of the Hunter, The Bad Seed…give the lady some credit - she’s brilliant!!
Wise and touching.
Excellent story. I've watched it several times.
Beautiful film.
Classic film
I have never seen this movie before. Shelly Winters and Bette Davis were wonderful
Great film! Thanks!
So many existential questions!
EXCELLENT!
Sure knew how to tell stories back then... Darn sure knew how to cast a role, and portray the part.. All around gold!
Great.
Really a good movie ❤
Great dialogue , all smoking . Want Shelley to be my mum and Bettie my grandma ! . Have flown in a DC3 from Cleveland to Indionapolis in 60s , got off and everone was shouting . Top of the range flick Ma !!! . Subscribers are blest . ❤ Thanks all. Dave
Wow great Movie Thankyou God Bless all
Thanks!
That plane landing scene was from You Gotta Stay Happy & likely from others as well.
Loved it!
Thankyou 🎉
Good old fashioned movie.
A fantastic film with a great moral story.Betty Davis saved his marriage and his life.They don't make films like that was great.Thank you very much
can you add little egypt 1951 technicolor film, gallant blade 1948 technicolor film and night in paradise 1946 technicolor film
I thought it was a hastily put together " programmer" movies that were shown during Saturday and Sunday matinees. Winters and Davis is the only reason to watch this. Like the moral subject line as well, but it's not any of the actors best effort.
Okay, let's get one thing straight right up front... Jaime is a Goddess of Love.
Note to hubby... forgive & forget. 😃
💫💫💫
Nope Shelly Winters was good
Evelyn Varden's a hoot, as always, but this dreck is strictly television quality.
A phone call from a stranger is just a heavy breathers' booty call.
This movie was so bad and the actors just awful
Pretty poor acting from Shelley Winters. Uff. Bette Davis was not so good either.
Was nice to see how Berkshire Boulevard looked in 1950''s. Thnx.