Call Northside 777

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Call Northside 777
film poster featuring James Stewart in Call Northside 777
Directed by	Henry Hathaway
Produced by	Otto Lang
Written by	James P. McGuire (articles) Leonard Hoffman (adaptation) and Quentin Reynolds (adaptation) Jerome Cady and Jay Dratler
Starring	James Stewart Richard Conte Lee J. Cobb
Music by	Alfred Newman
Distributed by	Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Release date(s)	February 1, 1948 (U.S. release)
Running time	111 min
Language	English
IMDb profile

Call Northside 777, directed by Henry Hathaway, is a 1948 documentary-style drama based on a true story, in which a reporter tries to prove that a man in prison for murder has been wrongly convicted. James Stewart stars as the persistent journalist. Richard Conte plays the imprisoned Frank Wiecek, a character based on Joseph Majczek, who was wrongly convicted of the murder of a Chicago policeman in 1933.

This is the first film to be shot on location in Chicago.

[edit] Critical reactions

The film received mostly positive reviews when it was released, and again when the movie was released on DVD in 2004. A 2004 Onion AV Club Review [1] argued that the film may not be a true film noir, but is good none the less: "Outstanding location shooting and Stewart's driven performance turn a sober film into a vibrant, exciting one, even though the hero and the jailbird he champions are really too noble for noir." DVD Verdict wrote [2] that the lead actor may be best reason to see the film: "Its value exists mainly in Stewart's finely drawn characterization of a cynical man with a nagging conscience."

[edit] Awards

Screenwriter Jay Dratler won an Academy Award for writing.
Won 1949 Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Motion Picture Screenplay.

[edit] Cast

Starring

James Stewart as P.J. McNeal
Richard Conte as Frank Wiecek
Lee J. Cobb as Brian Kelly, Editor Chicago Times
Helen Walker as Laura McNeal
Betty Garde as Wanda Skutnik - Siskovich Grocery Store Owner

Actress Thelma Ritter has a small role in the film. Historians agree that her role in the film were cut before the film was released. E.G. Marshall and John McIntire also appear.