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Call Northside 777
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Call Northside 777 | |
|---|---|
 film poster featuring James Stewart in Call Northside 777 |
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| Directed by | Henry Hathaway |
| Produced by | Otto Lang |
| Written by | James P. McGuire (articles) Leonard Hoffman (adaptation) and Quentin Reynolds (adaptation) Jerome Cady and Jay Dratler |
| Starring | James Stewart Richard Conte Lee J. Cobb |
| Music by | Alfred Newman |
| Distributed by | Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation |
| Release date(s) | February 1, 1948 (U.S. release) |
| Running time | 111 min |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Call Northside 777 is a 1948 documentary-style drama film directed by Henry Hathaway. It is based on a true story, in which a reporter tries to prove that a man who has been in prison for murder, was wrongly convicted 11 years ago. James Stewart stars as the persistent journalist. Richard Conte plays the imprisoned Frank Wiecek, a character based on Joseph Majczek, who was wrongly convicted of the murder of a Chicago policeman in 1933, one of the worst years of organized crime during the Great Depression.
This is the first film to be shot on location in Chicago and views of the Merchandise Mart can be seen throughout the film.
The film received mostly positive reviews when it was released, and again when the movie was released on DVD in 2004. A 2004 Onion AV Club Review [1] argued that the film may not be a true film noir, but is good none the less: "Outstanding location shooting and Stewart's driven performance turn a sober film into a vibrant, exciting one, even though the hero and the jailbird he champions are really too noble for noir." DVD Verdict wrote [2] that the lead actor may be best reason to see the film: "Its value exists mainly in Stewart's finely drawn characterization of a cynical man with a nagging conscience."
- Screenwriter Jay Dratler won an Academy Award for writing.
- Won 1949 Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Motion Picture Screenplay.
Starring
- James Stewart as P.J. McNeal
- Richard Conte as Frank Wiecek
- Lee J. Cobb as Brian Kelly, Editor Chicago Times
- Helen Walker as Laura McNeal
- Betty Garde as Wanda Skutnik - Siskovich Grocery Store Owner
Actress Thelma Ritter has a small role in the film. Historians agree that her role in the film were cut before the film was released. E.G. Marshall and John McIntire also appear.
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