Cry Murder
Cast & Crew
Jack Glenn
Carole Mathews
Jack Lord
Howard Smith
Hope Miller
Tom Pedi
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Actress Norma Wayne has recently given up a successful film career to marry lawyer Michael Alden and move to Washington Square, New York. Michael's father, a former senator who is planning his son's political career, disapproves of the match and has just hired a private detective, Phillips, to follow Norma. One fall day, Norma is at the post office, picking up mail addressed to Elizabeth Brewer, when she meets lowlife Tommy Warren, a failed artist. When she leaves without taking her handbag, Tommy looks inside and finds love letters to Elizabeth from a man named Gordon, and he decides to blackmail Norma. At home, Norma confronts her father-in-law, who admits that he will stop at nothing to destroy her marriage, and notes her agitation when a man calls and asks to speak to Elizabeth. The phone calls continue, followed by a letter, and Norma finally agrees to meet with Tommy. After bragging to his friend Joe, a bartender, that he will soon have lots of money, Tommy goes to Norma's house and demands $1,000 for each letter. Norma takes the letters from Tommy at gunpoint, and is about to throw him out when Senator Alden arrives. Tommy retrieves the letters and leaves, and Norma begins making payments to him. Norma muses on the absurdity of the situation: The letters are from an old suitor named Gordon, who became mentally unbalanced after he was wounded in the war and does not have long to live. Gordon believes that Norma is still waiting for him, and, at his doctor's request, Norma corresponds with him under her mother's name. When the time comes to make the final payment, Norma reluctantly agrees to go to Tommy's apartment in Greenwich Village, unaware that Michael has followed her. Norma gives Tommy the money, but he makes advances, and while they are struggling, his jealous girl friend, Rosa Santorre, bursts in. Rosa throws a bottle at Tommy, but it hits Norma and knocks her out. When Norma regains consciousness, she finds that Tommy has been beaten to death. Phillips arrives, and Norma asks him to help her find the killer, whom she saw briefly. After they leave, Michael arrives at Tommy's apartment and is arrested for the murder. Norma and Phillips go to Joe's bar, and Norma decides she must tell the district attorney everything she knows. Soon after, Norma realizes who the murderer is, and asks Phillips to accompany her to the post office, where they catch Joe trying to collect Norma's mail from Gordon. Joe attempts to escape, using Norma as a hostage, but Michael, who has just been released from jail, comes to her rescue, and Joe is killed in a shootout with the police. Later, Norma tells Michael that she began to suspect Joe when he called her by her married name, rather than her screen name, when he met her in the bar. With their marriage now stronger than ever, Norma and Michael embrace.
Director
Jack Glenn
Cast
Carole Mathews
Jack Lord
Howard Smith
Hope Miller
Tom Pedi
Eugene Smith
Harry Clark
Tom Ahearne
William Gibberson
Bill Dwyer
Lionel Mac-lyn
Crew
George W. Ackerson Jr.
James Carhartt
Faith Elliott
Kenneth H. Granger
David B. Hamilton
Carl Lerner
Edward Leven
Dr. Rudolph G. Liszt
Jack Lord
Don Malkames
Ludwig P. Reiche
Nicholas Winter
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The plot summary above is based on a dialogue continuity contained within copyright records. A voice-over narration by actress Carole Mathews as "Norma Alden" runs throughout the film and provides much of the crucial plot information. The film was shot on location in New York City.
