Cause for Alarm! *** (1951, Loretta Young, Barry Sullivan) – Classic Movie Review 11,940

Cause for Alarm! (1951, Loretta Young).

Director Tay Garnett’s 1951 melodrama suspense thriller film Cause for Alarm! is cause for Loretta Young to go over the top as she is framed for murder by horrible husband Barry Sullivan and tries desperately to get back a letter that she has posted.

There is plenty of well-stirred suspense in this taut, capably handled, highly professional little support-movie thriller with tense playing (particularly by skillful Young, though Sullivan is effective too) and tidy direction.

It is written by Mel Dinelli and Tom Lewis, based on a story by Larry Marcus.

Ellen (Young) narrates the story of what she calls the most terrifying day of her life when she was caring for her bedridden husband George Z Jones (Sullivan) and he dropped dead.

The film was shot in 14 days as a result of using TV-style pre-production techniques.

The film is in the public domain after MGM failed to renew its copyright in the 1970s.

The film’s producer Tom Lewis gave the star role to his wife, Young, but it flopped, earning $635,000 and taking $768,000, resulting in a loss to MGM of $174,000.

André Previn writes the score.

Location shooting took place on residential side streets near Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California. The address of the main filming location was 116 North Beachwood, demolished in the mid-1950.

The cast are Loretta Young as Ellen Jones, Barry Sullivan as George Z. Jones, Bruce Cowling as Dr. Ranney Grahame, Margalo Gillmore as aunt Clara Edwards, Bradley Mora as Hoppy (Billy), Irving Bacon as postman Joe Carston, Georgia Backus as neighbour Mrs. Warren, Don Haggerty as notary Mr. Russell, Art Baker as post office superintendent, Richard Anderson as wounded sailor, Kathleen Freeman, Brad Morrow, Greta Granstedt, George McDonald, Margie Liszt, Ivor James, Teddy Infuhr, Robert Easton, Carl Switzer, Gerald Courtemarche, Helen Winston, Earle Hodgins, Jack Daley, Bonnie Kay Eddy, and Edward Kilroy.

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 11,940

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