Phone Call from a Stranger (1952)
Directed by Jean Negulesco

Film Review

Phone Call from a Stranger is a reasonably watchable example of the portmanteau film that was briefly popular in the 1950s, a film consisting of several stories linked together by an overarching theme.  The main appeal of such films is that they offered at least the illusion of packing a great deal into a short space, but all suffer from an avoidable lack of character depth and a tendency for mechanical plotting.  Even with an exemplary cast, Phone Call from a Stranger cannot escape these defects but, thanks to a well-honed script and some engaging performances, it is passable entertainment, with some unexpected comic digressions to make up for the slightly nauseous sentiment milking.   

It was Gary Merrill, the male lead, who persuaded Twentieth Century Fox to give the comparatively minor role of Mrs Hoke to his then wife Bette Davis.  Merrill had previously starred alongside Davis in two films, All About Eve (1950) and Another Man's Poison (1951), and here they are on screen for just one short but memorable scene.  Merrill's performance here is among his best, although he has plenty of competition from some equally capable actors, including Shelley Winters, Keenan Wynn and the irrepressible Evelyn Varden (who, as the grotesque mother-in-law from Hell, is by far the best thing about the film).  Phone Call from a Stranger is too formulaic and contrived to be entirely satisfying but it helps to while away a dull afternoon.

Film Synopsis

When he learns of his wife's infidelity, lawyer David Trask leaves her and takes a flight to Los Angeles.  En route, he gets to know fellow passengers Robert Fortness, Binky Gay and Eddie Hoke.  Fortness confides in Trask that he is about to confess to killing three people whilst driving under the influence of alcohol.  Binky, an aspiring actress, wants only to make a fresh start with her husband Mike, away from his domineering mother.  Hoke is an irritating travelling salesman who wins the envy of his male passengers by flaunting a photograph of his attractive young wife.  The four new friends exchange telephone numbers and agree to meet up at a later date.  That date never arrives.  The plane crashes before it reaches its destination and Trask is the only one of the four to survive.  Once he has recovered from his injuries Trask decides to pay a visit to the families of each of the three people he met on the plane and gets far more than he bargained for...