Cause for Alarm!

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There is also an unrelated 1938 novel by Eric Ambler with the same title. See Cause for Alarm (Ambler novel).

Cause for Alarm!
Cause for Alarm! movie poster
Directed by	Tay Garnett
Produced by	Tom Lewis
Written by	Larry Marcus (story) Mel Dinelli Tom Lewis
Starring	Loretta Young Barry Sullivan Bruce Cowling
Music by	André Previn
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Release date(s)	March 30, 1951 (U.S. release)
Running time	74 min.
Language	English
IMDb profile

Cause for Alarm! is a 1951 suspense film. The black-and-white film, directed by Tay Garnett, is considered to be film noir.

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The film tells the story of a woman who is taking care of her bedridden husband who is suffering from a heart condition. They meet while both were in the military and the man's future wife was dating his good friend, Lt. Ranney Grahame. After breaking with Grahame, Ellen marries George and they move to the suburbs. The film flashes forward to today and George is confined to his bed and Ellen does all she can to keep him company. George's doctor is their old friend Ranney who George is becoming more and more convinced is having an affair with his wife. His paranoia grows when George writes a letter to the District Attorney telling him of a murder plot concocted by his wife and best friend. Its all in the man's head, but George tricks his wife into sending the letter. Later that afternoon, George confronts Ellen and tells her about the letter. The stress of the situation is too much, however, and George drops dead. Now Ellen has a dead husband and a letter given to the postman is accusing her and the doctor of his murder. Ellen, who acts guiltier as time passes, frantically tries to get the letter back before its read and she is accused of the crime.