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Call Northside 777 (1948)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
1 February 1948 (USA) moreTagline:
Reporter Uncovers New Clues In Wiecek Case moreAwards:
1 win & 2 nominations moreUser Comments:
Solid Cinematic Effort moreCast
(Complete credited cast)| James Stewart | ... | P.J. 'Jim' McNeal | |
| Richard Conte | ... | Frank W. Wiecek | |
| Lee J. Cobb | ... | Brian Kelly | |
| Helen Walker | ... | Laura McNeal | |
| Betty Garde | ... | Wanda Skutnik | |
| Kasia Orzazewski | ... | Tillie Wiecek | |
| Joanne De Bergh | ... | Helen Wiecek (as Joanne de Bergh) | |
| Howard Smith | ... | K.L. Palmer | |
| Moroni Olsen | ... | Parole Board Chairman | |
| John McIntire | ... | Sam Faxon | |
| Paul Harvey | ... | Martin J. Burns |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
111 minCountry:
USAColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 moreSound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)Certification:
Norway:A (1948) | UK:U | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #12397) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario)Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Thelma Ritter's role as the police captain's secretary was mostly deleted from the released print, but she can still briefly be seen and heard in one scene in which she tells James Stewart the captain will see him in his office. moreGoofs:
Continuity: Various characters refer to the murdered police officer as John W. Bundy, but the police record of the case shows his name as W.W. Bundy. moreQuotes:
P.J. McNeal: [to warden, after trying to talk Tomek into confessing to get parole] You must run a nice jail: this guy doesn't want to get out either! moreFAQ
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Based on a true story, "Call Northside 777" follows P.J. McNeal, a newspaper reporter played by James Stewart, as he investigates a decade old murder case. The setting is Chicago in the 1930s and 40s.
Frank Wiecek (Richard Conte) has been convicted of a cop killing and sentenced to 99 years in prison. Convinced of her son's innocence, Frank's mother, an elderly and lowly cleaning lady, takes out an ad in the newspaper for information that will help free her son. McNeal grudgingly looks into the case, but doubts Wiecek's innocence. As the film moves along, McNeal slowly changes his perception of Wiecek.
Some viewers consider this to be a film-noir. To me, it is more of a docudrama, a staging of a real life story. The dialogue seems realistic. And the acting is low-key and credible. The film also highlights the technology of the era, including the use of the printing press, the polygraph, and a miniature camera.
But what impressed me most was the use of the Chicago locations where the real life story took place. Further, the B&W visuals are appropriately drab, dreary, and depressing, which reflects the tone of the actual events. There's very little background music, which also adds authenticity to the film. The only downside is the matter-of-fact procedural style in which the story is told, especially relative to the fatherly VO narration at the film's beginning and end. The film comes across at times as dry, and lacking emotional depth.
Devoid of cinematic hype, and told in a straightforward and plodding manner, "Call Northside 777" will appeal to people who seek realism in films. And, of course, the film's basis in fact, vis-a-vis fiction, adds to its credibility.