starring Jimmy Stewart
directed by Henry Hathaway
screenplay by Jerome Cady and Jay Dratler
McNeal: I went into this thing believing nothing. I was skeptical. I figured Wiecek was using his mother to spring him. But I've changed my mind. This man is innocent, Mr. Palmer. I know that without any doubt.
screenplay by Jerome Cady and Jay Dratler
McNeal: I went into this thing believing nothing. I was skeptical. I figured Wiecek was using his mother to spring him. But I've changed my mind. This man is innocent, Mr. Palmer. I know that without any doubt.
Based on a true story, in Prohibition-era 1932, a cop is killed while drinking at a speakeasy and a man named Frank Wiecek is arrested, convicted of murder, and sentenced to 99 years in prison. Ten years later, Wiecek's mother, convinced of his innocence, buys a classified ad in the Chicago Times posting a $5000 reward for any information leading to a reversal of her son's conviction. Intrigued by the ad, skeptical newspaper reporter P.J. McNeal investigates the ad and discovers that everything may not have been kosher in the conviction of Wiecek.
The story is kind of trite. It's basically a cut-and-dry "investigation-type" movie. It's simply a newspaper reporter hunting down facts and figures. In that sense, it's weak plotwise. The film begins, ends, and is scattered throughout with an odd voiceover narration that makes it seem like a newsreel from the 30s or 40s. Completely unnecessary, it takes you out of the story entirely.
Additionally, this film was apparently one of the first times that a lie detector was seen onscreen and they seriously spent 10 minutes explaining what a lie detector does, how it works, and how they determine the validity of a person's responses. Similarly, at the film's climax, the 1940s audience saw an "early fax machine" (so to speak) detailing how photos were transmitted over a phone line (I think...something like that). When that's your climax, you've got a problem.
Now, it wasn't all bad by any means. Jimmy Stewart alone is enough to be worth a watch. He does nothing special here, but it's Jimmy Stewart. How can you not like this everyman? There are additionally some rather touching scenes involving the convicted Wiecek, his mother, and his wife that at least provide some emotional impact in an otherwise "by-the-book" storyline.
Another plus is the fact that many of the scenes were shot on location. While I've complained about the "newsreel" feeling of the film, the location shots at least provided a sense of realism. It reminded me of a low-budget indie film of today -- shot on a low budget, the real locations and the character actors (Jimmy Stewart is really the only person I had ever heard of before) definitely were a plus.
Unfortunately, Call Northside 777 wasn't a hit in my book. It was an okay flick that I'd really only recommend if you're a Jimmy Stewart fan. If you are, definitely give it a look...but this one doesn't quite stand the test of time.
The story is kind of trite. It's basically a cut-and-dry "investigation-type" movie. It's simply a newspaper reporter hunting down facts and figures. In that sense, it's weak plotwise. The film begins, ends, and is scattered throughout with an odd voiceover narration that makes it seem like a newsreel from the 30s or 40s. Completely unnecessary, it takes you out of the story entirely.
Additionally, this film was apparently one of the first times that a lie detector was seen onscreen and they seriously spent 10 minutes explaining what a lie detector does, how it works, and how they determine the validity of a person's responses. Similarly, at the film's climax, the 1940s audience saw an "early fax machine" (so to speak) detailing how photos were transmitted over a phone line (I think...something like that). When that's your climax, you've got a problem.
Now, it wasn't all bad by any means. Jimmy Stewart alone is enough to be worth a watch. He does nothing special here, but it's Jimmy Stewart. How can you not like this everyman? There are additionally some rather touching scenes involving the convicted Wiecek, his mother, and his wife that at least provide some emotional impact in an otherwise "by-the-book" storyline.
Another plus is the fact that many of the scenes were shot on location. While I've complained about the "newsreel" feeling of the film, the location shots at least provided a sense of realism. It reminded me of a low-budget indie film of today -- shot on a low budget, the real locations and the character actors (Jimmy Stewart is really the only person I had ever heard of before) definitely were a plus.
Unfortunately, Call Northside 777 wasn't a hit in my book. It was an okay flick that I'd really only recommend if you're a Jimmy Stewart fan. If you are, definitely give it a look...but this one doesn't quite stand the test of time.
The RyMickey Rating: C
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