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Sorry, Wrong Number

Play trailer Poster for Sorry, Wrong Number Released Sep 1, 1948 1h 29m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
86% Tomatometer 22 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Due to a telephone glitch, Leona Stevenson (Barbara Stanwyck), a controlling heiress confined to a wheelchair, overhears a conversation about a plan to kill a woman. Unable to leave her home or reach her husband (Burt Lancaster), and written off by the police, Leona struggles to uncover the truth through a series of phone calls that only lead her deeper into a mystery, which may involve her college rival, Sally (Ann Richards), and a scheme to sell pharmaceuticals on the black market.

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Sorry, Wrong Number

Critics Reviews

View All (22) Critics Reviews
Bob Thomas Associated Press A shocker that grips the emotions from the first foot of film. Jun 20, 2019 Full Review Ed Park Village Voice Number derives sleek hysteria from its audaciously constraining narrative strategy. Jan 2, 2008 Full Review Dave Kehr Chicago Reader To make a movie of Lucille Fletcher's classic radio play was really to betray its best idea: that sound, not sight, is the truly paranoid sense. Jan 2, 2008 Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews ...periodically compelling yet mostly underwhelming... Rated: 2.5/4 Nov 4, 2021 Full Review Jeffrey M. Anderson Combustible Celluloid Stanwyck was too strong to play this simpering role. Oct 10, 2008 Full Review TV Guide Both Lancaster and Stanwyck are excellent. Rated: 4/4 Jan 2, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (219) audience reviews
Melissa L Seriously suspenseful. I didn't like the ending ,though. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/03/24 Full Review Martin B What's to like about it? Stanwyck's character a hypochondriac, whiny and complaining all the time just simply annoying. Lancaster's alternating between a milquetoast wimp, rebellious rich guy and a thief/murderer. Couldn't end fast enough in my view. Wife killed, guy goes to jail fine with me. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 08/12/24 Full Review S R Saw this after the TCM introduction. It was a different type of noir story that kept me interested. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/05/23 Full Review Audience Member Sorry wrong number Out of all the Stanwyck movies this is my least favorite. Even though it tries to build up suspense it fails miserably with its incoherent plot development. On one hand its not difficult to follow the villain's motives while on the other hand it lacks simple logic. For example : A bedridden invalid who can still walk isn't really as vulnerable as someone who truly lost these functions and makes no sense as to why she couldn't get out of bed. Also if anyone overhears what they believe to be a murder plot , wouldn't it make more sense to report this to the police first? Instead we get to watch Barbara Stanwyck talking to everyone else except someone who could have been helpful towards her cause. Lancaster's character was also portrayed poorly. The Doormat personality just didn't suit him . Overall the film created more confusion than offering any believable solutions to the problems at hand. Towards the end we witness a heightened moment of conflict only to be let down by the finale. I came out feeling disappointed and let down. Once you've watched this movie it just isn't worth a rewatch. Therefore I wouldn't recommend it Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member "Sorry, Wrong Number" works effectively as a straightforward thriller, reeling us into a story of intrigue and betrayal that gets darker and more insidious with each morbid development. In a fashion that suggests the intermingling of standard noir with Hitchcockian suspense, the film cleverly offers the convention of the telephone up as a conduit into a seamy world of criminality and duplicity which is perpetually edging itself ever closer to the vulnerable life of the beleaguered Stanwyk character. Although some puzzling convolutions and quirky arbitrary details do ensue amidst an over-the-top style that at times takes itself too seriously, we find ourselves generally bound in the spell of the film as it works its way inexorably towards the horrifying significance of its title. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review dave s Barbara Stanwyck plays Leona, the spoiled daughter of a pharmaceutical magnate. An invalid confined to her bed, she overhears a murder plot on the telephone when the lines get crossed and begins to believe that she is the intended victim. Sorry, Wrong Number has a great premise and a ton of potential, but tends to sink under its own weight. The primary problem is the considerable number of flashbacks used, may of them containing unnecessary information, to set up the motivation for the killing. Further compounding matters is the fact that the most unlikable character in the film, and there are a lot of unlikable characters, is the bedridden protagonist, so much so that you will find yourself anxious to see her get her just deserts. By the time things come to the logical conclusion, you may find yourself cheering for the bad guys, which was probably not the intent of the filmmakers. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Sorry, Wrong Number

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Cast & Crew

Sorry, Wrong Number

Sorry, Wrong Number: Official Clip - A Controlling Father-in-Law Sorry, Wrong Number: Official Clip - A Controlling Father-in-Law 2:07 Sorry, Wrong Number: Official Clip - I, Leona, Take Thee, Henry Sorry, Wrong Number: Official Clip - I, Leona, Take Thee, Henry 1:52 Sorry, Wrong Number: Official Clip - More Important Than Me? Sorry, Wrong Number: Official Clip - More Important Than Me? 2:13 Sorry, Wrong Number: Official Clip - I Want You to Scream Sorry, Wrong Number: Official Clip - I Want You to Scream 2:13 Sorry, Wrong Number: Official Clip - Overhearing the Murder Plot Sorry, Wrong Number: Official Clip - Overhearing the Murder Plot 1:38 Sorry, Wrong Number: Official Clip - Someone at the Door Sorry, Wrong Number: Official Clip - Someone at the Door 1:03 Sorry, Wrong Number: Official Clip - There's Someone in This House Sorry, Wrong Number: Official Clip - There's Someone in This House 2:09 Sorry, Wrong Number: Official Clip - The Telegram Sorry, Wrong Number: Official Clip - The Telegram 1:13 Sorry, Wrong Number: Official Clip - What Does a Dame Like You Want with a Guy Like Me? Sorry, Wrong Number: Official Clip - What Does a Dame Like You Want with a Guy Like Me? 2:11 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis Due to a telephone glitch, Leona Stevenson (Barbara Stanwyck), a controlling heiress confined to a wheelchair, overhears a conversation about a plan to kill a woman. Unable to leave her home or reach her husband (Burt Lancaster), and written off by the police, Leona struggles to uncover the truth through a series of phone calls that only lead her deeper into a mystery, which may involve her college rival, Sally (Ann Richards), and a scheme to sell pharmaceuticals on the black market.
Director
Anatole Litvak
Producer
Anatole Litvak, Hal B. Wallis
Screenwriter
Lucille Fletcher
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Paramount Pictures
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 1, 1948, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 13, 2017
Runtime
1h 29m
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