User reviews

Considering this made-for-TV flick was first televised in 1974, it holds up very well and for the most part delivers the goods, filled with suspense and thrills aplenty. What a great cast! John Forsythe, heretofore known mainly for his rather bland role as "Bachelor Father" and later of "Charlie's Angels" fame, surprises the viewer with one of the best performances ever in a TV film. His David Ryder portrayal should have given him an Emmy, but I'm sure it went unnoticed at the time. Supporting Forsythe are such reliable actors as Earl Holliman, Ralph Meeker, and Anne Francis.

The DVD transfer that I watched contained bleached-out color. This was distracting because the cinematography seemed otherwise excellent. Hopefully, a better transfer will be available. There are several above-average made-for-TV movies from the 1970's that are still unavailable on DVD. What a shame!

The talented writer Jack B. Sowards, who helped write the screenplay for the best of the Star Trek movies, "The Wrath of Khan," comes up with a doozy of a story for "Cry Panic." David Ryder accidentally hits a pedestrian while on a business trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco. He examines the body to find the man dead. He then walks to the nearest house to call the police. He confronts a nervous woman who permits him to use her phone. Once the cops arrive, no body is found. As the mystery deepens, Ryder learns that the town is attempting to cover up a conspiracy of some kind. Ryder becomes the target of those who see him as a danger to their covert scheme.

In some aspects the plot is a reworking of "Bad Day At Black Rock," minus the political overtones of the McCarthy Era, yet original enough to warrant it being judged on its own merits. The resolution is rather abrupt, leaving much to the viewer's imagination; otherwise, a worthwhile and entertaining picture.

Motorist John Forsythe, taking the back roads to San Francisco for a job interview, hits a man standing in the middle of the street; believing he's killed a pedestrian, Forsythe goes for help--but when he returns with the local sheriff, the body has been taken away (the lawman doesn't believe clear-thinking Forsythe, per the usual backwater sheriff in these type of movies, and accuses him of being drunk). Everything that follows is a con job on the poor driver, and it takes Forsythe a while to get the message he's being used as a patsy in an unexplained plot that involves everyone from a bartender to a motel clerk to a garage mechanic to a housekeeper anxious to get out of town. TV drama keeps the suspense level high, even when our hero acts stupidly (finding a body in a freezer, Forsythe cries and panics, which I guess is where the title comes into play). Jack B. Sowards' script doesn't always play fair with the audience (Anne Francis' mystery lady appears out of nowhere in a bar...and vanishes just as easily), however Forsythe's nightmare is an intriguing one...at least until the finale where (intentionally) nothing is solved. This must be the writer's definition of irony.

What happens when someone hands a great idea for an existential film noir -- a lone traveler on a deserted highway runs over and kills a stranger, tries to tell the police, and isn't believed because the body disappears -- to a purveyor of processed cinematic cheese food like Aaron Spelling? The result is the inexplicably titled "Cry Panic," a cheapo ABC movie of the week from 1974 starring John Forsythe as the wanderer lured into a trap, Anne Francis as the de riguer bored sexy housewife, and Earl Holliman as the morally ambiguous sheriff of the small town where Forstythe collides with destiny.

The film should be tightly written, but it is not -- Forsythe's character can pursue his aim of proving that he's a killer thanks to a series of unlocked windows, open doors, and lucky discoveries, plus, we never know whether Holliman is acting alone to gaslight Forsythe, or is being manipulated by the other has-been actors who run the town. Such slack storytelling would be forgivable if the movie were atmospheric, but it is not -- it looks like a cop show and makes very little use of the emptiness and darkness that creeps into view now and then, and the director tosses in twangy, generic country music where silence might be more effective. Such bland filmmaking would be forgivable if the movie were perfectly cast, but it is not. There are actors who can portray the kind of dogged existential hero who will save his sanity by proving he's a killer, but John Forsythe ain't one of them. The scriptwriters make it easy for him to play a rootless nobody by giving him no past and no future aside from a potential job interview in San Francisco, but Forsythe, ever suave and even-tempered, still looks like a disgruntled suburban Dad whose Corvette ran out of gas on the way to his country club, more the kind of man who'll make trouble go away with a firm handshake that conceals a Benjamin than a relentless pursuer of truth at any cost. There's also the fact that his character seems way too stupid to figure out a junior-level crossword puzzle, let alone a convoluted mystery. He keeps trusting the wrong people, and when he discovers a dead body while eavesdropping on his pursuers he screams and runs out of his hiding place like a hysterical preteen girl. Anne Francis wanders on and offscreen looking like she doesn't quite know what she's doing there, which kind of works for her character. That so flawed a movie should still make such an impression is a testament to the great idea on which it's based, you just wish it could have been a little better.

Taut and relatively brief [running time 74m], "Cry Panic" is an above-average TVM. The tension and suspense build nicely and the twists that emerge keep the viewer's interest from waning.

This was shown on TV here the same week as "One Of My Wives Is Missing" - and thankfully I managed to record both.

7/10

David Ryder (John Forsythe) is riding cross-country when a guy steps in front of his car. He's distracted and hits the man--killing him instantly. David is a very decent person and wants to do the right thing. After checking unsuccessfully to save the guy, he goes to a nearby house to call the police. Things seem pretty normal so far...so far! But soon things start getting weird. The police claim they can't find the boy and the sheriff (Earl Holliman) seems determine to just chalk it all up to a mistake by Ryder...and refuses to investigate further! Then, folks in town start lying and twisting things. Something obviously is going on and things only escalate...to the point where David is in fear for his life! What is going on here?!?!

This is a relatively common plot for TV mystery shows. "Mannix", "Quincy", "Cannon" and other mystery programs of the era have used the stranger walking into town with a conspiracy idea. But they didn't handle it this well...and this is really one of the best "ABC Movie of the Week" installments I have seen...and I've seen quite a few. Tense and well worth your time.

This is the first time I recall seeing this film - happy to run across it one night. It's one of the strangest films I've seen in a long while - a compliment, I love the odd.

The story is about a man named David Ryder - he's going to California for a job interview. During his trip, he accidentally hit a man, got out of the car to see about him but found him what he thinks is dead. Ryder does the right thing and finds a nearby house to call the police to report it. Things gets weird when the police show up and no dead body at the scene - leaves the question: did the man die and someone move the body or was the man still alive and got up to walk away? The film follows Ryder on the mission to find out the answers.

8.5/10

This is a thoroughly enjoyable film. The acting is of a high calibre, the elements of suspense are present, and there are just enough twists and turns to keep one interested. John Forsythe, as usual, delivers a strong performance. I truly recommend this little made-for-television gem (and note how it is full of t.v. faces you will recognize from elsewhere, for sure).

A man accidentally runs over and kills a pedestrian outside a small town. He begins to suspect that the locals, including the sheriff, are keeping secrets about the victim.

A compelling thriller that is like Bad Day at Black Rock meets A Lady Vanishes, Cry Panic boasts a strong performance by John Forsythe, who goes to some lengths to prove that he had hit someone. He calls the police to do the right thing and report the accident, however the body has vanished. It's obvious the town members are hiding something. It can be convulated at times, but it's a taut and engaging enough to pull you in, though the reasoning behind the town folks' cover-up isn't too clear, well not after much analysis.

This is one of the famous ABC MOVIES OF THE WEEK we all grew up on as kids, not to be forgotten. Still just as good today as it was then, and yes, I agree with the last reviewer, this is perhaps John Forsythe's finest role. He deserved an Emmy nod.

The plot is very simple, and reminscent of lots of cop shows, all about a small town with strange characters. Forsythe plays a salesman called Dave Ryder, travelling through a remote part of southern California, who happens to accidentally run down an important man. When he goes for the police -- the man's body conveniently disappears and the locals try to make it look like he's some sort of a crackpot. You have to love this, because it's a heck of a charade.

Interestingly, it turns out the dead man practically owned the town and everybody in it, and was having an affair with the sheriff's wife. A contemporary PEYTON PLACE to be sure. Fascinating to watch.

Super writing on the part of Jack B. Sowards, famous for writing the classic Star Trek movie, THE WRATH OF KHAN. Prior to this tv movie, Sowards wrote the popular 70s mystery, THEY ONLY KILL THEIR MASTERS.

Bolstered by a terrific cast. Earl Holliman is memorable as the "easy going" sheriff. Same for Norman Alden, playing the good old country doctor.

Ralph Meeker plays Chuck and veteran actress Claudia McNeil plays the housekeeper (who knows all the secrets), Mrs. Hanson. In a stand-out performance is Anne Francis (as Julie), the lady of mystery, a role she was so good at. Watch Anne at her very best.

Look for famous bit actor Bob Harks (who appeared in nearly every tv show in small roles for decades), this time playing the driver of a hearse. He should have written a book about his on screen adventures.

A real deal treat, and the ending is one you won't forget. Forsythe is THAT CLOSE to going to jail himself. Some beautiful countryside and desert locations, and not to forget that mysterious ranch house. Everything clicks.

Beware of the meat locker scene!

Released on dvd in 2003, a three movie set, along with AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (1945) and Vincent Price's THE BAT (1959). Shop around because some (not all) dvd box sets are very expensive.

I managed to get a copy of this movie many years ago on VHS. For some reason, this TV Movie of the Week was stuck in my head for years. It was very suspenseful and kept me on the edge of my seat. The scene where Forsythe discovers the body of Mr. Gaines in the meat locker was pretty scary. I'll never forget that. Claudia McNeill ("A Raisin in the Sun")is superb as Mr. Gaine's housekeeper. She does a good job lying for the cop, played by Earl Holliman. This movie is rare to be seen today as most of the TV movies of the '70's are pretty much forgotten but there are a few gems, this being one of them. Try to get it on ebay if you can!

Sometimes movies can seem better because the appearance of an actor recalls past roles that expand the scope of the story.

In this case, we have a short TeeVee movie that isn't incompetent. For the era, that was a major deal.

Its based on "The Chase" with Jane Fonda and Marlon Brando, plus an already famous Rod Serling -type twist. A driver kills a drunk pedestrian in a remote town, then the facts become all contested by those in that town.

We are supposed to be sustained by the depth of the characters; compared to other TeeVee fodder, they are deep. But if you watch it today, you won't have that, so you have to rely on the twist and threat to carry you, and they just aren't that powerful.

But it features Ann Francis in a key role, a mysterious beautiful woman who represents the mystery.

This is the same woman who at 26 played the teenage daughter of a Prospero in perhaps the greatest pure science fiction movie ever, "Forbidden Planet." Her face has changed (here at 43), but she has that distinctive mole that transports us back to the planet every time we see her here.

In "planet" she was a sort of representative of uncontrollable urges that represent the larger part of life.

If you know that, and can read it into this thin construction, it is enriched.

Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

While on a long trip, David Ryder (John Forsythe) hits and kills a man with his car. After calling the local Sheriff, David heads back to the accident site. However, when he returns to the scene, the Sheriff (Earl Holliman) is there, but the victim is gone. This is only the beginning of a very strange, unsettling experience for David.

CRY PANIC is a disorienting made-for-TV mystery-thriller. Forsythe is quite convincing as the everyman caught in what appears to be a web of deception and conspiracy. As the story unfolds, we are just as confused as David, and just as suspicious.

Holliman is the perfect lawman, who just might not be on the up-and-up. Ralph Meeker is the town mechanic who seems to be hiding something. Anne Francis plays a woman who might know what's really going on.

This movie makes you hold on, right up to the closing credits!...