Call Northside 777 (1948)

Director:

Henry Hathaway

Writers:

Jerome Cady (screenplay) and
Jay Dratler (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

1 February 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Film-Noir | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Reporter Uncovers New Clues In Wiecek Case

Plot:

Chicago reporter P.J. McNeal re-opens a ten year old murder case.

Plot Keywords:

Cop | Irish American | Chicago Illinois | Illinois | 1930s

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

James Stewart	...	P.J. McNeal
Richard Conte	...	Frank Wiecek
Lee J. Cobb	...	Brian Kelly
Helen Walker	...	Laura McNeal
Betty Garde	...	Wanda Skutnik
Kasia Orzazewski	...	Tillie Wiecek
Joanne De Bergh	...	Helen Wiecek (as Joanne de Bergh)
Howard Smith	...	K.L. Palmer
Moroni Olsen	...	Parole Board Chairman
John McIntire	...	Sam Faxon
Paul Harvey	...	Martin J. Burns

Also Known As:

Calling Northside 777

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Polish

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording) | Mono

Certification:

Norway:A (1948) | UK:U | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #12397, Adult Audience) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Thelma Ritter's role as the police captain's secretary was mostly deleted from the released print, but she can still briefly be seen and heard in one scene in which she tells James Stewart the captain will see him in his office.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Continually throughout the film, McNeal incorrectly refers to Springfield and Joliet as "up there", when really these cities are to his south while in Chicago. Then when visiting Springfield he incorrectly refers to Chicago as "down there" while Chicago is really to his north. This is the opposite of how Illinoisans would refer to these areas. Springfield and Joliet are south of Chicago and are always referred to as "down there" from a Chicagoan's point of view. When visiting Springfield, you'd go back "up" to Chicago. Illinoisans' terminology of "up there" and "down there" always respectively follow the north & south directions of the map.

Quotes:

[McNeal is trying to get Zaleska to name his real partner in the crime and get a chance at parole]
P.J. McNeal: What have you got to lose? You're in for life now. C'mon, tell us the truth.
Tomek Zaleska: Sure, I could say I did it. Then maybe have a chance of getting out, like you say. And if I confessed, who would I name as my partner, Joe Doaks? I couldn't make it stick for one minute. That's the trouble with being innocent - you don't know what really happened.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in High Anxiety (1977)

Authentic Neighborhood

The neighborhood in the movie was authentic. The church seen in it was my childhood parish church, Holy Trinity. In the movie, the buildings across the street from the church were torn down to build one-story apartments. Behind the apartments, the expressway was built. This happened sometime after the movie's debut.

Like many movie goers, i find the use of neighborhood scenes crucial to the story line. The director did a fine job blending in the story line with the use of Chicago area footage.

Richard Conte's portrayal adds to the quality of the movie. Never disappointing, Jimmy Stewart did outstanding work. With the support of fellow cast members and film crew, "Call Northside 777" is a movie worth seeing. Even a second time.