Sorry, Wrong Number

Directed by Anatole Litvak, Sorry, Wrong Number follows bedridden Leona Stevenson (Barbara Stanwyck) as she attempts to ring up her husband (Burt Lancaster’s Henry) but instead overhears two men plotting a murder – with the picture subsequently detailing Leona’s efforts at solving the mystery behind that ominous phone call. It’s almost inherently compelling subject matter that’s employed to periodically compelling yet mostly underwhelming effect by Litvak, as the filmmaker, armed with Lucille Fletcher’s screenplay, delivers an overwrought and erratically-paced thriller that fare especially poorly within its uninvolving, hopelessly convoluted midsection – with the arms-length atmosphere perpetuated by an emphasis on Leona’s less-than-enthralling investigation and a proliferation of time-killing flashbacks (and flashbacks within flashbacks!) There’s little doubt, then, that Sorry, Wrong Number‘s periodically tolerable atmosphere is due almost entirely to its smattering of compelling sequences and uniformly top-notch performances, with, in terms of the latter, Stanwyck and Lancaster turning in solid work that is, for the most part, far better and more engrossing than the material generally deserves. By the time the tense and impressively grim final stretch rolls around, Sorry, Wrong Number has cemented its place as a far-from-flawless endeavor that feels long even at just an hour-and-a-half in length (ie it’s not surprising to learn that the movie is based on a 22 minute radio play, ultimately).

**1/2 out of ****