Cheap Sorry, Wrong Number (DVD) (Barbara Stanwyck, Burt Lancaster) (Anatole Litvak) Price

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Customer Reviews of Sorry, Wrong Number

Classic film noir
"Have you ever been to Staten Island, Leona?" That's my favorite line (besides the clinching "Sorry, wrong number") in this engrossing vintage B&W melodrama. Ride along at night on the ferry to the deserted, moonlit far end of Staten Island as the mystery unfolds in flashback. Or gaze out the window of Barbara Stanwyck's east side apartment toward the Queensboro Bridge, now a silent, sinister prop in a murder plot overheard on crossed phone lines. It's a cold, very disturbing (especially for 1948) murder plot and the tension builds methodically, inexorably toward the climax. As bedridden Leona, Barbara Stanwyck turns in a patented spoiled rich girl act, and Burt Lancaster makes a fine brooding, on-the-make husband. Both characters are ironically likable at film's end. Not a whole lot of action but tons of 40s atmosphere and great shots of NYC.

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"Sorry, Wrong Number"
I have been listening to old radio shows on tape for quite a while, when I heard of a very popular one. It was entitled "Sorry, Wrong Number". Unfortuanetly I couldn't find the tape anywhere, so I did the next best thing. I bought the DVD. I was most certinly not dissapointed. The film's plot is about a woman(Barbara Stanwyck)who is an invalid and is bedridden in her apartment. One night this woman's husband(Burt Lancaster)is working unusualy late at his office. When this woman repeatedly gets a busy signal when trying to phone her husband, she decides to have the operater try the number. That was her huge mistake! Why? Because when the operater trys getting the number she accidently gets her wires crossed and gives this woman the wrong number. However, when the woman starts listening to the conversation on the other line, she finds that the two people on the phone are talking about a murder that they're going to commit! I won't say anymore about the film, for if I said even the littlist detail, it might ruin the ending. So, why did I give this masterpiece only 4 stars? Well, for one I was most unimpressed by the films constant flashbacks. These flashbacks did get annoying after a while and quite boring. In fact the only real exciting part is the last sequence. And the second reason I gave it 4 stars, is that the movie added so many other plot elements that were never in the radio show(which I eventually found and bought). If you watch the movie and then listen to the tape, then you'll know what I mean. However, I wasn't very impressed with the DVD. It had one theatrical trailer and wasn't even widescreen. What's up with that? But, then again this film was made in 1948, so I should be happy that they found, even sometihng so little as a trailer. All in all though, it was quite entertaing and I would recommend it to a friend. However, I wouldn't suqqest anyone watching this movie if they can't stand flashback sequences.

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But the Right Movie
I'll never forget the first time I saw this movie. The quality I was most struck by was it's darkness. I was very young & didn't realise at the time that I was watching one of the best examples in the history of cinema of film noir(nightmare noir even).Darkness, darkness...even the scenes set during the day feel dark. Many of my fellow film lovers have already provided a synopsis so I won't bother you with yet another. Suffice to say this a superbly acted thriller with beautiful elements of melodrama & a knockout climax. I've seen Barbra Stanwyck & Burt Lancaster in SO many films, but this is the one I keep coming back to. Feel the darkness, enjoy the rain, live the nightmare...