STUFF YOU GOTTA WATCH - Call Northside 77

CALL NORTHSIDE 77

(1948)
With James Stewart, Richard Conte, Lee J. Cobb, Helen Walker, E.G. Marshall, Betty Garde
Directed by Henry Hathaway
Reviewed by JL

James Stewart plays a cynical reporter who gradually comes to believe in the innocence of a man convicted and imprisoned for murder 10 years ago. Filmed in documentary style, complete with stentorian-voiced narrator, CALL NORTHSIDE 777 is an effective noir mystery, engrossing throughout even if about 15 minutes of trimming wouldn't have hurt it a bit. In his only appearance in a hard-boiled film noir, Stewart proves himself a natural for the genre. - JL