Cause For Alarm

Starring: Loretta Young; Barry Sullivan & Bruce Cowling Director: Tay Garnett

A paranoid madman inexplicably dies and leaves behind a note falsely accusing his wife of poisoning him.

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Description by OLDIES.com:

Madness lurks in the upstairs bedroom of homemaker Ellen Brown's seemingly calm, well-manicured suburban home. There, her husband George descends into a dark world of dementia brought on by a heart condition. Ellen's life becomes a living hell as she tries to keep their marriage alive, accommodating his every need. Convinced that his pretty wife and his doctor are plotting to kill him, George concocts a list of evidence along with a letter for the district attorney disclosing his suspicions. Unknowingly, she mails the incriminating letter. During a fit of rage, George pulls a gun, but is killed in the ensuing struggle. When Ellen realizes the content of the letter she has mailed, she must find a way to retrieve it or face a murder charge.

Cause For Alarm!, dark and sinister in its theme, paints a powerful portrait of paranoia and fear in the unusually bright and cheerful setting of middle-class America. Tay Garnett, who also directed The Postman Always Rings Twice in 1946, delivers a taut suspenseful tale that is a dramatic tour-de-force for actress Loretta Young (in a role originally considered for Judy Garland). Although a successful box-office film for MGM at the time, Cause For Alarm! was one of Young's last movies before she launched a successful television career. Young and director Garnett would reunite for her series, "A Letter For Loretta," which earned her three Emmy awards. Look for a cameo performance by Our Gang member Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer.

Product Description:

A former US serviceman recovering from illness (Barry Sullivan) forms an unfounded suspicion that his wife (Loretta Young) is having an affair and decides to frame her. After planting evidence that she and her lover were planning on poisoning him, he dies of other causes, leaving her in a predicament that appears to implicate her in foul play from any angle. Taut pacing, fine performances, and a great plot make this a classic thriller.

Plot Keywords:

Betrayal | Drama | Injustice | Theatrical Release | Vintage

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