Cause for Alarm

Director: Tay Garnett Tay Garnett

Overview

While recuperating from a heart-attack, a husband obsesses that his wife and his doctor are having an affair and writes to the D.A. accusing the two of trying murder him. When he dies of a second attack, the innocent wife frantically attempts to intercept the letter to the D.A.

Product Details

Release Date:	06/29/2017
UPC:	0889290242570
Original Release:	1951
Source:	Film Detective
Language:	English
Time:	1:14:00
Sales rank:	49,325

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Loretta Young	Ellen Jones
Barry Sullivan	George Z. Jones
Margalo Gillmore	Clara Edwards
Bruce Cowling	Lt. Ranney Grahame, MD
Brad Mora	Hoppy, Billy
Irving Bacon	Mr. Carston, Postman
Georgia Backus	Mrs. Warren
Don Haggerty	Mr. Russell
Art Baker	Superintendent
Richard Anderson	Lonesome Sailor
Greta Granstedt	Mom
Kathleen Freeman	Woman
Robert Easton	Boy
Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer	Boy
Teddy Infuhr	Man
Earle Hodgins	Postman,Postman
Bonnie Eddy	Girl
Lou Merrill	Dr Philipps
Margie Liszt	Woman

Technical Credits

Tom Lewis

Mel Dinelli

Tay Garnett	Director
Tom Lewis	Producer,Screenwriter
Mel Dinelli	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

An effective but unexceptional little thriller, Cause for Alarm is notable for the star power of Loretta Young in this quickly-made (14 days) B-level film. Indeed, in some ways the presence of Young works slightly against Alarm. Alarm is nothing more than a manipulative "innocent victim" film, but having a legend like Young in it somehow makes us expect more than the little charms of this modest picture. But there's also the flip side: Young's star magic elevates sequences that would otherwise have been a bit too contrived or mundane. Certainly, Alarm's plot is frequently contrived, but it also all fits together well; we may not really swallow some of it, but it makes a certain structural sense, and we're willing to let it slide to enjoy Young's panicked attempts to retrieve the letter and the roadblocks which keep getting thrown in her. Tay Garnett's slick, smooth direction helps a great deal, as does Barry Sullivan's mentally ill husband. Bruce Cowling is unfortunately bland as the third point of the triangle, but Margalo Gillmore and Irving Bacon help to make up for this. And Joseph Ruttenberg's cinematography and Andre Previn's score are also huge pluses.