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Phone Call from a Stranger (1952)

Phone Call from a Stranger (1952)
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David Trask (Gary Merrill), the sole survivor of an airplane crash, takes it upon himself to contact the families of the various victims. Though he's already formed preconceived notions of his deceased fellow passengers, he's in for quite a few surprises when he meets the relatives. His first visit is to the wife (Beatrice Straight) and son (Ted Donaldson) of a profoundly troubled doctor (Michael Rennie). His second stop is at a nightclub managed by the domineering mother-in-law (Evelyn Varden) of an aspiring actress (Shelley Winters). Finally, he meets the invalid wife (Bette Davis) of an outwardly obnoxious travelling salesman (Keenan Wynn). After his odyssey into other people's lives, Trask gains a new perspective on his own personal travails. Few studios could pull off the "multi-story film" format as well as 20th Century-Fox, and Phone Call From a Stranger is a grade-A example of that format. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Shelley WintersGary Merrill, (more)
Director(s):
Jean Negulesco
Format(s):
DVD
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Synopsis of Phone Call from a Stranger

David Trask (Gary Merrill), the sole survivor of an airplane crash, takes it upon himself to contact the families of the various victims. Though he's already formed preconceived notions of his deceased fellow passengers, he's in for quite a few surprises when he meets the relatives. His first visit is to the wife (Beatrice Straight) and son (Ted Donaldson) of a profoundly troubled doctor (Michael Rennie). His second stop is at a nightclub managed by the domineering mother-in-law (Evelyn Varden) of an aspiring actress (Shelley Winters). Finally, he meets the invalid wife (Bette Davis) of an outwardly obnoxious travelling salesman (Keenan Wynn). After his odyssey into other people's lives, Trask gains a new perspective on his own personal travails. Few studios could pull off the "multi-story film" format as well as 20th Century-Fox, and Phone Call From a Stranger is a grade-A example of that format. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:
96 mins

Complete Cast of Phone Call from a Stranger


Director(s):
Jean Negulesco
Writer(s):
Nunnally JohnsonI.A.R. Wylie
Producer(s):
Nunnally Johnson
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Member Reviews
 
Rebecca H.

This is a sweet and charming movie. Gary Merrill plays a helpful and caring person. Shelly Winters is funny as the brassy showgirl. Bette Davis has a small part and is always good.

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Pamela T.

I love to watch older films. They were made at a time when people still cared about what they put out and this one didn't disappoint. I loved the way it ended. I actually cried, which is unusual for me.

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