The Wrong Man

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The Wrong Man

Released Dec 22, 1956

1h 45m

Crime

Drama

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93%

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28 Reviews

75%

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5,000+ Ratings

Musician Manny Balestrero (Henry Fonda) needs money to pay for his wife Rose's (Vera Miles) dental procedure. When he tries to borrow money from their insurance policy, someone at the office mistakes him for a man who had robbed them twice at gunpoint. After Manny is arrested, his defense attorney, Frank O'Connor (Anthony Quayle), works to demonstrate that Manny has an alibi for the crimes. The stress of the case, however, threatens to destroy Manny's family before his name can be cleared.

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Brandon Judell

IndieWire

[O]ne of the master's must overlooked offerings. . . . But Henry Fonda's performance as the accused and our own current events keep this Wrong Man very pertinent. (Be aware the studios forced a happy coda onto the feature.)

Jun 15, 2021

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

Hitchcock's ultimate point evokes cosmic terror: innocence is merely a trick of paperwork, whereas guilt is the human condition.

Jun 29, 2015

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A.H. Weiler

New York Times

Frighteningly authentic, the story generates only a modicum of drama.

Rated: 2.5/5

Mar 25, 2006

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

[Alfred Hitchcock] uses his skill to create a conventional life with mundane detail, an observant, unobtrusive camera, and patient direction, and then turn it into a real-life nightmare.

Apr 26, 2025

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Jean-Luc Godard

Cahiers du Cinéma

With each shot, each transition, each composition, Hitchcock does the only thing possible for the rather paradoxical but compelling reason that he could do anything he liked. "Che sera, sera," because What Will Be Has Been.

Apr 4, 2022

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

In its efforts to be comprehensive about the proceedings, educating audiences who might not know the ins and outs of a run-in with the law, the pacing isn't always tight.

Rated: 6/10

Aug 23, 2020

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Will G

What a great Alfred Hitchcock movie. The protagonist is accused of being a criminal which leads to a courtroom drama. His wife develops mental health issues. Henry Fonda was good in this film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/27/24

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Nelson M

This film was surprisingly dull. The entire movie is based on a misunderstanding that you just want to get resolved. And it does. And that's it.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

12/17/24

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h c

The wife going off the deep end after being so supportive was kind of incongruous. Ruined the movie for me. As it was I had already found it tedious.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/29/24

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Jeff S

Chilling. Hitchcock effectively illustrates how a little bad luck and some strange coincidences can create unthinkable circumstances. Especially chilling is the meandering journey Vera Miles takes before plunging into a dark world of her own design.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/13/24

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Patricia N

Hitchcock's eerie Sleeper.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/27/23

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steve d

Surprisingly little there besides the cast.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Alfred Hitchcock

Director

Henry Fonda

Manny Balestrero

Vera Miles

Rose Balestrero

Anthony Quayle

Frank O'Connor

Harold J. Stone

Lt. Bowers

Esther Minciotti

Mama Balestrero

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Synopsis

Musician Manny Balestrero (Henry Fonda) needs money to pay for his wife Rose's (Vera Miles) dental procedure. When he tries to borrow money from their insurance policy, someone at the office mistakes him for a man who had robbed them twice at gunpoint. After Manny is arrested, his defense attorney, Frank O'Connor (Anthony Quayle), works to demonstrate that Manny has an alibi for the crimes. The stress of the case, however, threatens to destroy Manny's family before his name can be cleared.

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Producer: Alfred Hitchcock
Screenwriter: Maxwell Anderson, Angus MacPhail
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Warner Bros.
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 22, 1956, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 4, 2016
Runtime: 1h 45m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm

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