- Morning Call (film)
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Morning Call 
Theatrical release posterDirected by Arthur Crabtree Produced by John Bash Written by Bill Luckwell
Paul TaboriStarring Greta Gynt
Ron RandellMusic by John Bath Cinematography Walter J. Harvey Release date(s) 1957 Running time 75 minutes Country United Kingdom Language English Morning Call (U.S. The Strange Case of Dr. Manning) is a 1957 British thriller film, directed by Arthur Crabtree and starring Greta Gynt and Ron Randell. The film was originally cast with George Raft and Bella Darvi as the leads, but Raft reportedly pulled out, citing dissatisfaction with the script. The producers claimed that Raft was insistent on his character having a romantic involvement with the leading lady, which they could not accept as they felt it would unbalance the plot and be seen as incongruous by audiences. For undisclosed reasons, they also decided to let Darvi go.[1]
Contents
Plot
The rich and successful Dr. Manning is called out in the middle of the night to visit a private patient. He never returns and the next morning his wife Annette (Gynt) finds him missing. Soon after, she receives a ransom note demanding £5,000 for his release. The police are alerted and soon Annette is trying to deliver the money to various drop-off points specified by the kidnapper in telephone calls to her. The police keep watch, hoping to catch the kidnapper in the act of retrieving the money, but every attempts ends in failure as he fails to show up, realising the locations are being watched. Annette hires a private detective Nick Logan (Randell) to make his own investigations.
Manning is found dead, and the police decide to use Annette as bait to catch his killer. They publicise that she has heard his voice in the phone calls and will be able to identify it if she hears it again, hoping that the threat will flush him out in order to try to get her out of the way. Logan now begins to work together with the police, and they finally succeed in cornering the killer, who reveals a surprising motive for his actions.
Cast
- Greta Gynt as Annette Manning
- Ron Randell as Nick Logan
- Garard Green as Gil Stevens
- Bruce Seton as Inspector Brown
- Peter Fontaine as Fred Barnes
- Virginia Keiley as Vera Clark
- Robert Raglan as Plainclothesman
- John Watson as Plainclothesman
- Brian Sunners as Freddie
- Wally Patch as Wally
- David Lander as Dr. George Manning
- Charles Farrell as John Karver
References
- ^ "Raft dislikes script, leaves British film" Spokane Daily Chronicle, 20-02-1957. Retrieved 14-10-2010
External links
- Morning Call at the Internet Movie Database
- Morning Call at BFI Film & TV Database
The films of Arthur Crabtree 1940s Madonna of the Seven Moons • They Were Sisters • Caravan • Dear Murderer • The Calendar • Quartet (segment) • Don't Ever Leave Me1950s Lilli Marlene • Hindle Wakes • The Wedding of Lilli Marlene • Stryker of the Yard • Morning Call • West of Suez • Death Over My Shoulder • Fiend Without a Face • Horrors of the Black MuseumCategories:- British films
- English-language films
- 1957 films
- 1950s thriller films
- British thriller films
- Films directed by Arthur Crabtree
- Black-and-white films
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