Thursday, February 21, 2019

Movie review - "Calling Northside 777" (1948) ***

This would've have had more impact after the war when things like location filming had more novelty - not to mention the 'gee whiz' treatment of technological marvels like being able to blow up the size of a photo and lie detectors.

James Stewart is good value as the reporter who gradually becomes convinced of the innocence of Richard Conte, gaoled for shooting a cop in Chicago. Conte's got the most noble, suffering pious immigrant washerwoman mother you saw outside an MGM film. He's also got an exwife who Stewart scolds for remarrying - I'm noticing a misogynist strand in these Fox films (to reinforce this, the main reason Conte is in prison is the lying testimony of an old drunken woman). (To be fair though this was based on truth.)

Helen Walker does what she can with the role of Stewart's wife, who is a sounding board. Stewart has a lot of charisma though I laughed at the final shot of him standing enigmatically, wind flapping around him.

A decent enough movie. A film of its time but the basic story is fine.

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