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Chicago Calling

Chicago Calling

$53 means life or death to him!

1951 1h 15mDramaThriller

Bill Cannon (Dan Duryea) loses everything to alcohol: his job, his family, his self-respect. Soon after his wife and daughter leave him, he receives word his little girl has been injured in a car accident outside Chicago. His wife will call later with news, but Bill’s short the $53 he needs to keep his phone from being disconnected. Filled with anguish, he heads out onto the Los Angeles streets to find some way to come up with the cash. As his character encounters expected cruelty and unexpected kindness, Duryea takes what might have been mere melodrama and turns it into a perceptive examination of one shattered soul. The other fine star of this race-against-the-clock programmer is an unglamorous, lunch-bucket L.A. rarely captured on film.

3.8/5

TMDB score· 3 votes

Synopsis

Bill Cannon (Dan Duryea) loses everything to alcohol: his job, his family, his self-respect. Soon after his wife and daughter leave him, he receives word his little girl has been injured in a car accident outside Chicago. His wife will call later with news, but Bill’s short the $53 he needs to keep his phone from being disconnected. Filled with anguish, he heads out onto the Los Angeles streets to find some way to come up with the cash. As his character encounters expected cruelty and unexpected kindness, Duryea takes what might have been mere melodrama and turns it into a perceptive examination of one shattered soul. The other fine star of this race-against-the-clock programmer is an unglamorous, lunch-bucket L.A. rarely captured on film.

The vibe

film noirlos angeles, californiapoverty

Behind it

John ReinhardtDirectorPeter BerneisWriterHeinz RoemheldHeinz RoemheldComposerRobert De GrasseCinematography

Cast

Dan DuryeaDan DuryeaBill Cannon
Mary AndersonMary AndersonMary Cannon
Gordon GebertBobby
Ross ElliottRoss ElliottJim
Melinda CaseyMelinda CaseyNancy Cannon
Judy BrubakerBabs Kimball
Marcia Mae JonesMarcia Mae JonesPeggy (as Marsha Jones)
Marsha JonesPeggy
Roy EngelPete
Jean HarveyChristine
Steve PendletonSteve PendletonPolice Lt. Ryan
Gene RothGene RothGuard

Director

John Reinhardt

Writers

John Reinhardt, Peter Berneis

Release date

31 Dec 1951

Runtime

1h 15m

Studio

Arrowhead Pictures

Language

English

Country

United States of America

Reviews

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