CALL NORTHSIDE 777: Amazon.ca: DVD

Product Description

CALL NORTHSIDE 777

Genre: Drama
Rating: NR
Release Date: 0000-00-00
Media Type: DVD

SKU:GMDB2218422

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Customer Reviews

10 Reviews

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.0 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Stop the Presses, April 18 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Call Northside 777 (VHS Tape)

For my money this is the best film ever made about American journalism. James Stewart is a staff writer made cycnical over the years by the grubby sensationalism and shallow hackwork that fills most American newspapers. When he actually latches onto a case of genuine injustice it's an episode that transforms his life almost as much as that of the convict he's trying to free. This is certainly director Henry Hathaway's masterpiece and he has never been given sufficient credit for it. The straight-on realism he achieved filming on location in Chicago has rarely if ever been equalled in the American movies in my view, and no effort was made to clean up the untidy skeins of the story either as Hollywood was wont to do. For instance, nothing was done to free the man unjustly convicted along with Richard Conte's character, around whom the story revolves. If you were to make a list of Stewart's 4 or 5 greatest performances this would have to be on it. He uses methods both praiseworthy and ugly to get what he's after and no American movie actor ever brought home that kind of mixed morality better.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars ignore John Grave`s review, Mar 27 2004

By

Benjamin Wilkerson (prescott,az.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Call Northside 777 (VHS Tape)

This is a good film for any jimmy stewart fan.His acting is top-notch as usual.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing, True Crime Drama, Mar 6 2002

By

Homer J. Rajotte (Northbridge, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Call Northside 777 (VHS Tape)

Call Northside 777 takes us to Chicago during the early 1930's Prohibition era. The narration throughout the film, especially at the beginning, gives the viewer a vivid feel for the setting of the film.
The murder of a city police officer sends Frank Wiecek (Richard Conte) and an accomplice to a 99-year prison sentence. More than a decade later, Chicago Times editor Brian Kelly (Lee J. Cobb) notices a classified ad in his paper, offering a $5000 reward for information about the "real" killer(s) of the police officer. Assigned to investigate is reporter P.J. McNeal (James Stewart.)
As the film progresses, McNeal's initial sure feelings about Wiecek's guilt become blurred. The headstrong McNeal seemingly does more work on the case in a week than the corrupt police department, seeking a quick conviction and closure of the case, ever did in 1932.
McNeal responds to the ad, placed by Wiecek's mother, Tillie Wiecek, who works as a floor scrubber at Chicago's Wrigley Building. Ms. Wiecek emphatically pleads her son's innocence. A still unconvinced McNeal warns her about scam artists who may try to fraudulently obtain the reward money.
The film heats up as McNeal becomes engrossed in the case. A series of newspaper articles about Wiecek's proclaimed innocence lights up the switchboard at the paper, in support of McNeal's work. Given the positive response, Editor Kelly orders McNeal to stick with it.
A key point in the story is McNeal's legwork in locating witness and store owner Wanda Skutnik, whose testimony helped to send Wiecek up the river.
This film introduces a couple of new technologies of the time. Polygraph inventor Leonarde Keeler appears as himself, his only appearance in a feature film, to interrogate Wiecek and interpret the polygraph readings and Wiecek's truthfulness. Late in the film, a primitive fax machine is used to transmit a photograph to Wiecek's parole hearing.
Overall, this is a well-acted and produced film. The range of experience of the actors differs widely, but they all work well together. Even screen rookie Keeler, the polygraph inventor, is superb in his brief role.
The only plot hole is the motive behind the officer's murder at the start of the film. Skutnik sees the two masked gunmen enter the store while the officer is seated nearby, out of sight of the gunmen, yet says nothing to alert the officer and possibly thwart the robbery/murder.
Wiecek's fate? Watch the film. You won't be disappointed!

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Most recent customer reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars No passion, no surprises
Realistic, documentary-style recreations are one thing, but call Northside 777 falls off the mantle.

Sorry, guys, I give thumbs down on this one. Read more

Published on Dec 21 2003 by John C. Graves

4.0 out of 5 stars Good but under-appreciated Jimmy Stewart movie.
Call Northside 777 is an under-appreciated Jimmy Stewart movie. It casts Stewart as an investigative reporter who tenaciously investigates an old murder for which an innocent man... Read more