User reviews

According to the narration and prologue, this was based on a true story. The film depicts the 1932 murder of a police officer in a speakeasy in Chicago. In 1933, two men were given life sentences for the murder. The action of Call Northside 777 starts out eleven years later, in 1944. Lee J. Cobb, editor of the Chicago Times, comes across a small ad in the classifieds offering $5,000 to whomever can offer information regarding the murderer of the police officer in 1932. Anyone with information is urged to call Northside 777. Cobb is intrigued that someone would be offering so much money for an eleven year old, solved murder, and why it is in such an inconspicuous ad? He has a hunch that there is a story in there and he assigns lead reporter, James Stewart, to the case.

Stewart is at first uninterested but as he thinks out loud and asks questions, Cobb urges him to investigate and see what he can come up with. Stewart starts with meeting the owner of the classifieds ad, who turns out to be the mother of one of the men put in prison for the murder. She is adamant that her son is innocent, and has scrubbed floors since his imprisonment to save up the reward money and pay for the ad.

As Stewart interviews more people investigated in the case, and reviews more news stories and documents related to the case, he realizes that the man in jail for this crime may really be innocent. Noir mainstay Richard Conte stars as the (allegedly) wrong-fully convicted man. Helen Walker has a small but effective role as Stewart's devoted wife whom he confides in when he's trying to figure out the case. They also work on a jigsaw puzzle together throughout the film, which very skillfully acts as a metaphor for what Stewart is trying to do in his work life.

Betty Garde plays the eyewitness whose inconsistent ability to pick out the murderer in the lineup comes into question by Stewart. She is very bitter and uncooperative towards Stewart, and obviously afraid of something or someone unnamed, so he's forced to undermine her credibility and go without her assistance in clearing the man whom he feels was wrongfully convicted.

I thought Stewart was excellent in his role as the everyday man whose work could affect the lives of many people associated with the case. Lee J. Cobb was authentic in the role of Stewart's boss who urges him to keep going in his investigation. I do get the sense though that Cobb is just trying to increase readership in the newspaper, and that he couldn't care less about Conte's character. But Stewart is the one with a little more humanity who is more about solving the crime than increasing readership of his newspaper.

One thing I thought was interesting about this film was that the man who administers the lie detector test to Conte is the actual inventor of the lie detector test.

In 1932 December, in Chicago, the Polish Wanda Skutnik (Betty Garde) runs a speakeasy during the Prohibition. When the policeman Bundy is murdered inside the illegal bar, Frank W. Wiecek (Richard Conte) and his friend Tomek Zaleska are arrested and sentenced to serve 99 years each in the Illinois State Penitentiary.

Eleven years later, the Chicago Times' editor Brian Kelly (Lee J. Cobb) is curious with an advertisement offering a US$ 5,000.00 reward for information about the identity of the killers of the policeman eleven years ago. He assigns the efficient reporter P.J. McNeal (James Stewart) to interview the person responsible for the ad. McNeal discovers that Frank's mother Tillie Wiecek (Kasia Orzazewski), who is a janitor, has saved her salary for eleven years to prove the innocence of her beloved son and now is offering the reward for additional information. McNeal is skeptical and believes that Frank is a cop killer, but his matter is successful and Kelly asks him to investigate further. Soon he changes his mind and realizes that Frank is a victim of the corrupt system.

"Call Northside 777" is an engaging movie about injustice and redemption based on a true story. The names were changed but most of the location is real. Movies of trial are usually attractive and James Stewart is one of the best actors of the cinema history. The result is a great movie directed by the also excellent Henry Hathaway. The only remark is the awful line of McNeal in the end of the movie: "Aw, look, Frank, it's a big thing when a sovereign state admits an error. But remember this: there aren't many governments in the world that would do it." Terrible way to admit an error that has cost eleven years of a man's life and made him lose his beloved wife and son. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Sublime Devoção" ("Sublime Devotion")

When a patrol cop is shot and killed, small time crook Frank Wiecek is tried for the crime and promptly sentenced to life imprisonment. Some 11 years on, tough cookie reporter P.J. McNeal gets involved with the case, the further he delves, the more he believes that Wiecek is innocent, but can he find evidence to back up his belief?

Filmed in semi-documentary style by director Henry Hathaway, this James Stewart led noir thriller oozes realism from start to finish. It's actually the lack of gloss and glamour that is the film's trump card. Based on the real story of the Joe Majczek case in 1933, it's filmed perfectly on location in Chicago {where the actual events happened}, gloriously mood emphasised by Joe MacDonald's superb black & white cinematography, and scored with tonal adroitness by Alfred Newman. As intrepid Chicago Times reporter McNeal {based on real reporter Jim McGuire who was a Pulitzer Prize winner for his investigative efforts on this case}, James Stewart lays down a marker for the more edgier character roles that would follow for him in the 50s. Here he plays it perfect as McNeal shifts from mere cynical newsman to an outright crusader of justice; and it's riding along with McNeal that this human interest piece lifts itself to great crime thriller heights. Along the way we find problems are encountered and police procedural techniques are scrutinised. All may not be as it first seemed, and this mysterious element ices what was already a delightful docu-drama based cake.

There is not much else to say, it's a film I personally highly recommend, a fascinating story that is given top care and attention from all involved, mean, moody and yes, magnificent. 8/10

It's 1932 Chicago during prohibition. A policeman is murdered by 2 men in a speakeasy. Frank Wiecek (Richard Conte) is sentenced to 99 years. Eleven years later, Frank's mother offers $5k reward in a newspaper ad for the real killers. Cynical reporter P.J. O'Neal (James Stewart) is assigned the story. He is pushed to dig into the case by his editor Kelly (Lee J. Cobb). He starts to change his mind about the case and gets pressure from the establishment.

The based-on-a-true-story worked on me a little in this movie. With the matter of fact narration and the trusted face of Stewart, it becomes quite compelling. Stewart especially is the perfect guy for the role. His early cynicism is a great starting point. This is a compelling rip-from-the-headlines story led by a great actor.

Documentary-style and intriguing film based on facts about an unjustly imprisoned man . Actually, this film was based on a true story. Some elements, especially characters names, were fictionalized out of necessity, such as some central figures to the story were still living at the time of production, and had not given permission for their names to be used . It deals with a hard-boiled Chicago reporter P.J. McNeal (James Stewart) assigned by his publisher (Lee J Cobb) to investigate a strange information . As the cunning reporter finds himself in the crux of an important investigation uncovers new new clues in Wiecek case and unravels police cover-ups and missing evidence pointing to an imprisoned man's innocence . As he ferreted around until he found out the truth about a 12-year-old killing case . The journalist follows up a newspaper as offering 50000 dollars for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of a police killer . MacNeal right up to the ending agonising attempts to prove the innocence of of the inmate sent down for a killing he didn't do . The unjustly imprisoned for 11 years in real life was Joseph Majczek. After being released from prison in 1945, he worked as an insurance agent in Chicago. For his wrongful imprisonment, the State of Illinois awarded him $24,000, which Majczek gave to his mother Tillie. Majczek eventually remarried his wife with whom he had divorced while he was in prison

Docudrama/thriller based on the actual facts about Joe Majczek and the Pulitzer Price winning reporter Jim McGuire who through a deep investigation , found enough evidence to have the case reopened . This is a thrilling picture , as you get completely absorbed in its vision , captivating every step of the way thanks to pacy filmmaking and awesome interpretations . Interesting as well as thought-provoking plot with an incident-filled script by Jerome Cady and Jay Dratler based on articles by James P. McGuire and Jack McPhaul . Very good acting by the great James Stewart as an obstinate journalist who slowly comes to realize that there was a miscarriage of justice . Secondary cast is frankly excellent such as Lee J Cobb , E. G. Marshall , Moroni Olsen , Charles Lane and Helen Walker as wife . First credited film role of John McIntire, who portrayed Sam Faxon and Thelma Ritter's role as the police captain's secretary was mostly deleted from the released print, but she can still briefly be seen and heard in one scene . And film debut of Kasia Orzazewski who portrayed Tillie Wiecek, mother of the second lead character of Frank W. Wiecek.

Evocative cinematography in black and white by Joseph MacDonald .This film was photographed in the State of Illinois using wherever possible, the actual locales associated with the story. "Call Northside 777 ¨ (1948) was actually the very first Hollywood produced feature film to be shot entirely on location in Chicago . Many famous landmarks, such as the Chicago Merchandise Mart, Holy Trinity Polish Mission, and the Wrigley Building on North Michigan Avenue, can be seen throughout the film. Emotive as well as atmospheric musical score by the classical Alfred Newman . The motion picture was stunningly directed by Henry Hathaway . Henry was a craftsman who had a long career from the 30s with successful films , and especially Westerns , as ¨Brigham Young¨ and ¨Raw Hide¨ . In his 60s Hathaway still got the vigour to make some fiery movies as ¨From Hell to Texas¨, ¨How the West was won¨, ¨Nevada Smith¨, and ¨Shoot out¨ . Hathaway also directed Noir genre as ¨Kiss of Death¨, ¨The House on 92nd Street¨ , ¨Niagara¨, ¨23 Paces to Baker Street¨ , adventures as ¨The last safari¨ , ¨Prince valiant¨ , ¨White rose¨ , ¨White Witch Doctor¨ and other kind of genres .

Based on a true story, "Call Northside 777" follows P.J. McNeal, a newspaper reporter played by James Stewart, as he investigates a decade old murder case. The setting is Chicago in the 1930s and 40s.

Frank Wiecek (Richard Conte) has been convicted of a cop killing and sentenced to 99 years in prison. Convinced of her son's innocence, Frank's mother, an elderly and lowly cleaning lady, takes out an ad in the newspaper for information that will help free her son. McNeal grudgingly looks into the case, but doubts Wiecek's innocence. As the film moves along, McNeal slowly changes his perception of Wiecek.

Some viewers consider this to be a film-noir. To me, it is more of a docudrama, a staging of a real life story. The dialogue seems realistic. And the acting is low-key and credible. The film also highlights the technology of the era, including the use of the printing press, the polygraph, and a miniature camera.

But what impressed me most was the use of the Chicago locations where the real life story took place. Further, the B&W visuals are appropriately drab, dreary, and depressing, which reflects the tone of the actual events. There's very little background music, which also adds authenticity to the film. The only downside is the matter-of-fact procedural style in which the story is told, especially relative to the fatherly VO narration at the film's beginning and end. The film comes across at times as dry, and lacking emotional depth.

Devoid of cinematic hype, and told in a straightforward and plodding manner, "Call Northside 777" will appeal to people who seek realism in films. And, of course, the film's basis in fact, vis-a-vis fiction, adds to its credibility.

This is a movie whose type later became familiar as "realistic crime-investigation narrative" primarily on the strength of a handful of films such as "the Lineup", "Kid Glove Killer" and this effort. It was in fact based on an actual 1932 case, we are told by historians, mostly on articles written by reporter James P. Mcguire. The one true thing said about the film by some of its recent reviewers is that the film benefits greatly--even looks modern to the 21st century eye--because it was filmed in the great city of Chicago and not on a Hollywood back lot. Solid director Henry Hathawy made use of unusual on-site lighting, locations and buildings to establish the milieu of the story-line in time and place. The plot line has one flaw, I suggest; I have seen it done as a TV one-hour drama and as this 111 minute feature, and it worked both ways for me because it features a straightforward "investigation" motif--a reporter trying to find out if a sentenced cop-killer is guilty or actually innocent. The flaw for me is the incredulity of the reporter before, during and long into his diligent and professional search for the facts in the case; anyone who knew anything about the police of the United States, Chicago especially, as they operated in 1932 and still operate today, would know two facts--that eyewitness identifications can, notoriously, be erroneously made; and that the justice system in the United States was then lacking in forensic sciences, politically corrupted and often set against minority-group defendants and suspects--conditions which have worsened in some respects since that time. Having said this, I add that the rest of the film is well-photographed, a good black-and-white, adventure, painstakingly presented. The script was adapted from the original articles as fictionalized biography by Leonard Hoffman and Quentin Reynolds, with screenplay by Jerome Cady and Jay Dratler. Cinematography by Joe Macdonald, music by Alfred Newman and consistent art direction by Lyle Wheeler and Mark-Lee Kirk, costumes by Kay Nelson and period set decorations by Walter M. Scott and Thomas Little all aid the realistic feel of this film very professionally. The body of the work comprises reports and arguments between a reporter, played ably by Jimmy Stewart, his editor --the powerful Lee. J. Cobb, and his wife, the attractive and capable Helen Walker, relative to his assignment-- finding out of Frank Wiecek was guilty of the crime for which he has served years in prison already. The case becomes an assignment for the ace reporter when he is assigned to investigate an offer of a reward for information leading to the man's exoneration; he finds out the offer of payment came from the man's aged mother who is scrubbing floors to feed herself and get money for this purpose. The case then turns on Stewart's ability to locate a missing witness, his growing belief in Wiecek's innocence and the use of a wire-photo, then a new and unusual technology, to prove that this star witness for the prosecution had been shown the accused--standard illegal police procedure--before she had made her original identification. In the cast besides Stewart who is charismatic, and very good though not ideal in the role, and Cobb and Walker, are many good actors. Kasia Orzazewski plays the mother, Richard Conte is good as Wiecek, Betty Garde is the elusive witness and Joanne de Bergh the wife who divorced the imprisoned Wiecek at his insistence. Among others in the cast are Moroni Olsen, George Tyne, Thelma Ritter, E.G. Marshall, Walter Greaza, Howard K. Smith, Samuel S. Hinds and Percy Helton. This is a deliberately paced and very realistic movie; it could have been done differently, but as noted above, my only reservation about its merits lies in the attempt to make the central character perhaps too annoyed at his assignment to be believable as a hard-boiled 1930s reporter a corrupt nation, city and legal environment. This is still a powerful and personal account of an injustice and how difficult it is in a bureaucratic country to right even the most obvious wrong. The film is memorable and often engrossing by my standards even today.

Call Northside 777 has James Stewart patiently trying to nail down enough facts to get Richard Conte a pardon from a murder for which he was falsely convicted. The tale is told in the documentary style that Henry Hathaway developed post World War II and that Darryl F. Zanuck used in several 20th Century Fox films.

On orders from editor Lee J. Cobb, Stewart checks out the source behind a small personal advertisement in the Chicago Sun-Times where he works. The ad is placed by Richard Conte's mother who works as a cleaning woman and saved enough money to offer a reward of $5000.00 for information clearing her son.

Back during the last days of Prohibition, Conte and another man were sent up for killing a Chicago policeman in a grocery store that fronted for a speakeasy. Conte was convicted mainly on the eyewitness testimony of the owner of the establishment Betty Garde.

Stewart gradually comes to believe in Conte's innocence and works tirelessly on his behalf. The best single performance in this film is by Betty Garde. A real portrait in evil that one is.

This has always been a film I've had an identity with. I had a similar situation in my former job with NYS Crime Victims Board. I had a case where a man sustained multiple injuries including the loss of a leg when a car drove up on a sidewalk and hit him. The report was never written up as any kind of crime, just an accident. The driver was given a summons and that was that.

I did a lot of work to prove the police were wrong in their action and it took two years, but I gathered enough evidence and my claimant was declared a crime victim and received the benefits from my former agency. The perpetrator was never charged with anything, but that was not in my mandate. Nevertheless I know exactly what Jimmy Stewart had to prove and how hard it is. The police even more than most of us do not like to admit they are wrong.

Call Northside 777 is a nicely done documentary style feature which is a great lesson in what a man with determination can accomplish.

An eyewitness to a cop killing sends a man to the pen for 99 years. Eleven years later the convict's mother offers 5 thousand dollars to anyone proving her son is not guilty. A newspaperman looks into the case and becomes obsessed with gathering information which he is convinced will exonerate the convicted man. Tense, dramatic look at the seedy side of life.

"Call Northside 777" is a well made crime drama shot in semi-documentary style. It benefits from a solid script, and tight direction (by Henry Hathaway). It also features a naturalistic James Stewart as a sharp investigative reporter; much of the success of the film is due to his thoroughly convincing performance. A fine support cast includes Richard Conte, Lee J. Cobb and Helen Walker. What ages the film a bit is the now somewhat dated technology featured (a lengthy episode in which the lie detector is treated in detail, along with certain photographic reproduction and transference techniques). Yet, one can view these aspects as historically accurate representations, and enjoy the total production, which is on a commendably high level.

CALL NORTHSIDE 777 is a fascinating semi-documentary filmed in realistic style by Henry Hathaway and featuring a fine central performance by JAMES STEWART, as a newspaper reporter anxious to prove that an innocent man is still serving time for a crime he never committed.

Others in the cast do their standard good work, including RICHARD CONTE as the wrongly convicted man, LEE J. COBB as a newspaper editor and E.G. MARSHALL. But most of the supporting players are no-names who give an authentic feel to all the minor roles, as does the fact that the film uses actual Chicago locations which gives the whole story an added flavor of realism.

Although the ending should come as no surprise to anyone aware that justice will be done, getting the solution to an eleven-year old murder is what counts here. The manner of police detection may have changed considerably since the late '40s, but the film is a timeless example of corruption exposed and a man's brave efforts to exonerate an innocent man. Well worth watching.

11 years after being given life sentences for killing a Chicago cop during the Prohibition era, two shady-seeming guys are still protesting their innocence; propelled by the mother of one of the prisoners, a somewhat-doubtful newspaper reporter writes a series of popular stories which may uncover the truth. Criminal case based on fact has been directed by Henry Hathaway in a modest, unostentatious fashion. What the film lacks in dramatic excitement is not compensated for by a predictable wrap-up, and James Stewart as the reporter gives his usual unassuming, square-chap performance. The straightforward handling kills any tension or suspense over the outcome, and the newspaper-biz clichés are all irritatingly in place. This might have been perfect material for the "Playhouse 90" series on TV, but as a theatrical feature it feels anemic. ** from ****

Call Northside 777 is a genuinely engaging film. It has reliable James Stewart as an investigative reporter on a story about an alleged cop killer in prison. At first he believes that the prisoner is guilty but then becomes convinced otherwise and is willing to risk his professional reputation on clearing him. The pace of the film is told like a gritty docudrama with no dramatic musical underscore for effect. But more importantly, this film is interesting to watch for a time capsule of post WWII Chicago. The Chicago Times, the police precincts, the ethnic neighborhoods that existed then and a whole sequence of a wireless photo copier. This is generations before the fax machine was ever conceived. This film is important as Stewart was beginning his maturing film roles in the postwar period and taking on good narrative stories and less goodguy next door roles which were going out of fashion.

"Call Northside 777" is one of those late 1940s police procedural films that often get lumped in with films noir but isn't one really. It looks like one because it's in gritty black and white and it's primarily set in jails and police and newspaper offices. But really this is just a crime drama about the efforts of a journalist to prove a man's innocence, reluctantly at first and then with more and more conviction as the weight of evidence begins to overcome his cynical doubts.

That journalist is played by James Stewart, and of course he's terrific in this, as he was in everything. He alone elevates this from something you could easily miss to something worth seeing. Also standing out in the cast is Betty Garde as a boozy slattern. She only gets a couple of scenes but one of them late in the film is a real doozy. Lee J. Cobb plays Stewart's boss and for once manages to keep himself subdued -- I'm used to Cobb shouting and blustering in everything he's in.

"Call Northside 777" isn't especially exciting. Like many films of its kind, it almost seems more like a semi-documentary about the technology behind forensics and police work. We get a whole scene devoted to an explanation of the mechanics behind polygraph machines, and the climax of the film hinges on whether or not a photo can be blown up enough to unmask a crucial detail. Interesting in its own way, but not exactly the stuff of nail-biting suspense.

Grade: B+

The neighborhood in the movie was authentic. The church seen in it was my childhood parish church, Holy Trinity. In the movie, the buildings across the street from the church were torn down to build one-story apartments. Behind the apartments, the expressway was built. This happened sometime after the movie's debut.

Like many movie goers, i find the use of neighborhood scenes crucial to the story line. The director did a fine job blending in the story line with the use of Chicago area footage.

Richard Conte's portrayal adds to the quality of the movie. Never disappointing, Jimmy Stewart did outstanding work. With the support of fellow cast members and film crew, "Call Northside 777" is a movie worth seeing. Even a second time.

In Prohibition-era Chicago, a policeman is shot dead at a grocery store doubling as a speakeasy. Cop killer Richard Conte (as Frank Wiecek) and his partner are quickly rounded up. The main suspect can't remember if his wife was preparing cake with dates or walnuts. Positively identified by witness Betty Garde (as Wanda Skutnik), the men are sentenced to 99 years in prison. However, it is obvious Ms. Garde did not see the masked men. The only real witness is a mail carrier, who is oddly dispensed of in the script...

Eleven years later, a classified titled "Call Northside 777" is placed in the "Chicago Times" by Mr. Conte's hardworking mother Kasia Orzazewski (as Tillie Wiecek). She has saved up $5,000 scrubbing floors, and offers it as a reward for information about the real killer. Nobody comes forward who can clear Ms. Orzazewski's son, but lying city editor Lee J. Cobb (as Brian Kelly) thinks the woman might make a good feature. He assigns the story to cynical reporter James Stewart (as P.J. "Jim" McNeal) and it is a hit with readers...

Hoping to conclusively determine Conte's guilt or innocence, Mr. Stewart re-investigates the case with increasing enthusiasm. According to the opening, "This is a true story," photographed (by Joe MacDonald) in the State of Illinois using, "whenever possible, the actual locales associated with the story." There are some weaknesses concerning the evidence Stewart uncovers, and Conte's convicted friend is left in the lurch, but the story is compelling throughout. Garde and Orzazewski perform their nice and nasty women well.

******* Call Northside 777 (2/1/48) Henry Hathaway ~ James Stewart, Richard Conte, Lee J. Cobb, Betty Garde

This is the last, and in my opinion the best, of director Henry Hathaway's so-called 'numbers' trilogy (the other two are House 0n 92nd Street and 13 Rue Madeline, both badly dated now). It was made at the height of the so-called semi-realist or semi-documentary movement in American film-making, which was just peaking (and soon to decline) when this picture came out. Filmed on location in and around Chicago, it tells the story of a newspaperman who comes to believe in the innocence of a convicted criminal when the man's aged mother places an ad in the paper asking for information about the by now almost forgotten crime her son was accused of.

At first cynical, the reporter comes to believe the man's story, and arranges for him submit to a lie-detector test, which he passes. In short time the hunt is on the one person who can help prove the man's innocence. This is a very gutsy film for its day, and along with the much inferior The Naked City, released at about the same time, it is the one that makes the best use of urban locations. We see a long-gone Chicago, a city of brick and cement buildings that echo with the footsteps of busy men in heavy overcoats on their way to the 'office'. It is also a city with a huge, almost underground immigrant population, which we see only glimpses of early in the film, but whose members take on increasing prominence as the story progresses. The last part of the movie, with the reporter taking to the streets in tough authentic Polish neighborhoods, contains some of the best, most evocative and sympathetic views of the streets, saloons and dingy walk-up apartments of the urban poor I've ever seen. No pity is asked for and none is given. This is simply the way some people live; by beer, boiler-maker, song and crude humor. There is warmth, too, in these tight-knit communities, with their air of familiarity and loyalty, their rules of conduct unknowable to the outsider.

Hathaway is often seen as a plain, almost prosaic director, even at his best. In Call Northside 777 his steady journeyman hand is most welcome. He shows us an American city landscape quite different from what one normally finds in movies. We are in a terrain very much of the interior, the heartland, an America most easterners scarcely know of, its cities just as big and bustling as any on the Atlantic seaboard, but also quite different in tone, style and flavor. The film captures this aspect its midwestern city to perfection.

A great evocation of a long lost cityscape. The underbelly of post war Chicago and its Polish community are portrayed beautifully, particularly when Macneil (Jimmy Stewart) is searching for the eyewitness who's testimony convicted Frank Wiecek. This is combined with a meaty story, told in a semi documentary style of a mother's devotion and a cynical hack's transformation to campaigning champion. Jimmy Stuart is excellent in this role, starting off disbelieving the innocence of the ''Cop Killer'' Wiecek, gradually becoming convinced by the decency and defiance of Frank and his family. Macneil gets to give a rousing statement to the Pardon Board, and the use of technology in the denouement is interesting. The scene where Frank is released to meet his ex wife and son is truly touching. The only unsatisfying part to the movie is the neglect of the other wrongly convicted man, Tomek Zaleska, although if you read the message boards you will see why.

Yes, almost every time I review a film, I say it's one of my favorites, but I tend not to review films I don't feel strongly about.

This is a film I feel VERY strongly about. Jimmy Stewart is incredible, as always, in the role of a cynical newsman who is assigned to figure out what really happened in a 10-year-old murder case. I saw it years ago, well before fax machines existed, and was fascinated at how he figures out "the story behind the story."

I make a point of watching it whenever it's on, and would love to see it released on DVD.

Call Northside 777 (1948)

Henry Hathaway has several noir and noirish films to his credit, and this one is smack in the key, classic post-War noir period. But don't expect a thriller, or any of those great Mitchum or Bogart deliveries, or lots of moody night scenes with hard shadows, or a femme fatale of any kind. In fact, don't expect a film noir. Call Northside 777 is in some ways a very interesting film, but it's crime drama, and a surprisingly slow one, filled with talk and persuasion and almost no action, almost no suspense.

It does have two first rate actors, the impeccable James Stewart who makes the most of this (and saves the film from mediocrity), and James Lee Cobb playing a news editor, a great secondary to Stewart's role as a determined reporter. The man in jail, Richard Conte, is also a sympathetic actor, better known for other crime dramas from the time, including Thieves' Highway, an underrated gem also starring Cobb).

There is also the often mentioned documentary feel to the film, which might translate to the steady and factual way the scenes try to be realistic, step by step. This isn't really the best way to make a movie hum, and the events are told to us, generally, and the characters rarely have a chance to flesh out. Even the two leads are richly painted caricatures, really--it's just lucky they are both compelling actors.

The photographic trump card played at the end is also a cheap stab. You can tell from the print they are working from that the date would never really become clear, not even a close call. But even more, they would have been able to tell what day the newspaper was published by the layout of the pictures, which are clearly visible in the newsboy's grip. A trip to the library would have solved that one.

No one minds a tale of justice triumphing, and here it is. It's not a bad film, but drink some coffee first.