"Cry Wolf" isn't the greatest or the worst movie I've ever seen, but overall I enjoyed it. Despite what other viewers have said, I LIKED the ending. It was genuinely surprising, and when I thought it over, it all added up and was satisfying. I enjoyed Barbara Stanwyck's athletic performance -- especially when she pulled herself up and down a dumbwaiter! It was fun,too, to watch Errol Flynn play a sinister gentleman against type. In her debut film, Geraldine Brooks was awful but watchable doing a bad imitation of Ann Blyth in "Mildred Pierce." The talented Richard Basehart was awful, too -- but he later gave some classic performances, and it was fun to compare the difference. There are far worse ways to spend 83 minutes of your life, and I'm glad I watched this sleeper.
49 Reviews
Flynn and Stanwyck: Who can resist?
Helpfan6522 August 2019
Barbara Stanwyck and Errol Flynn are two of the most dynamic screen personalities of their time, so I had to watch this one. And I wasn't disappointed, I was glued to the screen to see if Flynn was really up to no good. I found their chemistry intriguing to say the least. My only complaint about the film was the ending was too rushed. But all in all, I found this to be quite entertaining
An interesting and different Flynn film.
alexanderdavies-9938228 August 2017
"Cry Wolf" came along when Errol Flynn's career was in slight decline. He hadn't had a successful film at the box office for the last few years but the above film is interesting and reasonably intriguing. His character in "Cry Wolf" displays almost nothing of the usual character traits. He is rather austere and emotionally detached. Flynn could quite easily have been cast as a villain. The film is a lot more low key in comparison with other Errol Flynn films. The story mainly revolves around a big house with many acres of land out in the sticks. There aren't the usual lavish production values. The plot doesn't allow for any of the usual camaraderie or any shenanigans that the fans had come to expect from Flynn. The tone of the film is a lot more serious, perhaps a bit grim but still very watchable. As the female lead, Barbara Stanwyck plays a character who attends the reading of a will after learning that her husband has died. Her husband was the nephew of Errol Flynn, who is quick to question if Stanwyck is the genuine article after the family has never heard of her. Whilst her background is being investigated, Stanwyck stays at the family estate where not all is what it seems..... There is a bit of mystery about "Cry Wolf" until about the last 15 minutes when all is explained. The two leads engage upon a series of verbal assaults upon each other and with both giving their all. Worth watching.
Solid suspense in black and white and with Barbara Stanwyck!
Hesse-0219 October 2011
Recently viewed this on TCM and was captivated. What was going to happen? Why was Barbara Stanwyck sneaking about? Where was her husband? What had happened??
Errol Flynn also stars, and he was good. Don't usually see him in many suspense films that I remember.
Barbara S. was amazing as usual. Believable - and wouldn't want to mess with her - but she's met her match with Flynn.
I thought a very good plot from which I have seen picked up in several other more recent movies. A solid "8" from this reviewer. I think you'll be entertained.
Errol Flynn also stars, and he was good. Don't usually see him in many suspense films that I remember.
Barbara S. was amazing as usual. Believable - and wouldn't want to mess with her - but she's met her match with Flynn.
I thought a very good plot from which I have seen picked up in several other more recent movies. A solid "8" from this reviewer. I think you'll be entertained.
Sleeper Movie - Stanwyck and Flynn are Very Good
krdement12 February 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I am a huge fan of both Barbara Stanwyck and Errol Flynn.
I am surprised to read all of the negative comments about this fine little gem of a movie. Stanwyck delivers a very good performance in her role as the unwanted "widow" of a wealthy family's son. Her suspicions are aroused by the brusque treatment and the sense that something ain't quite right.
Flynn is very effective in his role as the point man in the family's efforts to rush Stanwyck out of their affairs and back from whence she came. He capably portrays a man trying to maintain an aristocratically aloof front, avoid suspicion and still push Stanwyck out the door - all the while becoming increasing attracted to her. As an actor, he has a lot on his plate, and he handles it very well. I love to watch him in these rare non-swashbucklers. He always delivers. He was unfairly deprived of such opportunities then, and his ability is unfairly minimized even today. I wish TCM would come out with an Errol Flynn Non-swashbuckler Box Set!
The rest of the cast is okay, with the exception of Richard Basehart. He is hopelessly miscast as the object of Stanwyck's affections. He was never a leading man, and he doesn't have that kind of appeal or looks. Even though he is not the lead, those qualities are called for in his role. He cannot deliver. I simply couldn't imagine Stanwyck and Basehart being erstwhile lovers. They have only one or two opportunities to generate that kind of chemistry, and nothing sizzles. This is probably the main problem with the film. A flashback or two might have been a good device to establish them as lovers - for example a flashback of their elopement.
One commentator suggested that the plot was flawed because the family should have simply told Stanwyck about her husband upon her arrival. That overlooks the repercussions of such a course of action. Regardless of their motives, the family is, after all, perpetrating a fraud (with very important legal ramifications regarding the estate!), into which they are understandably unwilling to draw an "outsider." Stanwyck is neither wanted nor trusted. To expect the family to just spill the beans to her is naive in the extreme.
Contrary to other commentators, I found the entire film very satisfying and entertaining, including the ending. I thought the film built to a climax that, while not greatly surprising, was revelatory. I certainly suspected the mystery's solution, but I didn't know it until the end. Isn't that the case with most mysteries? Enough clues are provided that the solution doesn't come out of the blue? (Didn't anybody see this very issue addressed in the hilarious spoof, Murder by Death?) What more denouement is called for in this film?
I am surprised to read all of the negative comments about this fine little gem of a movie. Stanwyck delivers a very good performance in her role as the unwanted "widow" of a wealthy family's son. Her suspicions are aroused by the brusque treatment and the sense that something ain't quite right.
Flynn is very effective in his role as the point man in the family's efforts to rush Stanwyck out of their affairs and back from whence she came. He capably portrays a man trying to maintain an aristocratically aloof front, avoid suspicion and still push Stanwyck out the door - all the while becoming increasing attracted to her. As an actor, he has a lot on his plate, and he handles it very well. I love to watch him in these rare non-swashbucklers. He always delivers. He was unfairly deprived of such opportunities then, and his ability is unfairly minimized even today. I wish TCM would come out with an Errol Flynn Non-swashbuckler Box Set!
The rest of the cast is okay, with the exception of Richard Basehart. He is hopelessly miscast as the object of Stanwyck's affections. He was never a leading man, and he doesn't have that kind of appeal or looks. Even though he is not the lead, those qualities are called for in his role. He cannot deliver. I simply couldn't imagine Stanwyck and Basehart being erstwhile lovers. They have only one or two opportunities to generate that kind of chemistry, and nothing sizzles. This is probably the main problem with the film. A flashback or two might have been a good device to establish them as lovers - for example a flashback of their elopement.
One commentator suggested that the plot was flawed because the family should have simply told Stanwyck about her husband upon her arrival. That overlooks the repercussions of such a course of action. Regardless of their motives, the family is, after all, perpetrating a fraud (with very important legal ramifications regarding the estate!), into which they are understandably unwilling to draw an "outsider." Stanwyck is neither wanted nor trusted. To expect the family to just spill the beans to her is naive in the extreme.
Contrary to other commentators, I found the entire film very satisfying and entertaining, including the ending. I thought the film built to a climax that, while not greatly surprising, was revelatory. I certainly suspected the mystery's solution, but I didn't know it until the end. Isn't that the case with most mysteries? Enough clues are provided that the solution doesn't come out of the blue? (Didn't anybody see this very issue addressed in the hilarious spoof, Murder by Death?) What more denouement is called for in this film?
they hardly ever show this one
ksf-230 October 2019
Sandra (the incredible Barbara Stanwyck, post Double Indemnity) appears at the home of Mark Caldwell (the manly Errol Flynn). they were both related to Jim, now deceased. although the Caldwell family doesn't believe that Sandra was married to Jim. and they say no will has been found. Mystery and intrigue. we meet Julie, the sister, and she tells us about Mark, and how controlling he is. he seems to interfere in everybody's doings. Julie and Sandra hit it off, but will that friendship be enough for Sandra to get to the truth? Brother Mark seems to dark and evil, but is he still hiding something? Sandra uncovers the truth, but will she be able to tell people what actually happened? it's pretty good. lots of build up to what could be going on in Mark's lab, but really, no big deal. low key thriller... ten years later, vincent price or someone would be doing Flynn's role, in color. I like the fact that this one is done in black and white.. it adds to the darkness and mystery. good stuff; a rarely shown Stanwyck.
Underrated film...perhaps because of changing view of insanity
vincentlynch-moonoi23 June 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Before watching this film, I read the old review by Bosley Crowther. And I quite disagree with his assessment of the film. I quite like this film. But -- and there is a big but here -- you have to approach it understanding that at one time most people believed that insanity could be passed on through the family line, and that it was an established fear that if one person in your family was insane, that others were likely to become insane, as well.
For me, there was "menace" in this film from beginning until the climax. It is downright eerie. From the opening scene with the young girl galloping her horse until the murder attempt at the climax, this is a truly dark film.
Errol Flynn is excellent as the serious and sophisticated scientist. Barbara Stanwyck also excellent as the secret wife who suspects something is amiss. Richard Basehart -- who does not appear until late in the film -- equally great as the insane member of the family. And, Geraldine Brooks as the ill-fated young lady is quite good, although she was more successful in later years in television than on the big screen.
If I have one criticism, it's about the character played by Errol Flynn. Sinister or kind? Romantic or cold? Rather than play the character more subtly, the director seemed to have Flynn jerk from one attitude to another.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed this under-appreciated film. Although it hasn't earned a place on my DVD shelf, it's one I'll watch again on TCM...for the third time. :-)
For me, there was "menace" in this film from beginning until the climax. It is downright eerie. From the opening scene with the young girl galloping her horse until the murder attempt at the climax, this is a truly dark film.
Errol Flynn is excellent as the serious and sophisticated scientist. Barbara Stanwyck also excellent as the secret wife who suspects something is amiss. Richard Basehart -- who does not appear until late in the film -- equally great as the insane member of the family. And, Geraldine Brooks as the ill-fated young lady is quite good, although she was more successful in later years in television than on the big screen.
If I have one criticism, it's about the character played by Errol Flynn. Sinister or kind? Romantic or cold? Rather than play the character more subtly, the director seemed to have Flynn jerk from one attitude to another.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed this under-appreciated film. Although it hasn't earned a place on my DVD shelf, it's one I'll watch again on TCM...for the third time. :-)
Flynn Goes Dark
boscofl23 February 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The Warner Brothers production Cry Wolf, filmed in 1946 and released nearly a year later, is a mystery/suspense/thriller costarring Errol Flynn and Barbara Stanwyck as antagonists amid the backdrop of a creepy mansion on a vast estate. Director Peter Godfrey creates a nice atmosphere of foreboding and stokes the fires of intrigue to keep the audience interested. The ultimate resolution of the mystery is far fetched (the term ludicrous comes to mind) but the ride is entertaining not to mention the spectacle of two screen legends playing off one another.
Miss Stanwyck portrays Sandra Demarest, a woman briefly married to Jim Demarest (Richard Basehart) who visits her husband's family estate after learning of his death. She finds the household run by Jim's uncle Mark Caldwell (Flynn), a grim and suspicious man who doubts Sandra's claim of being Jim's widow and suspects her of being a gold digger. Herein lies the crux of the melodrama: both parties are suspicious of each other and the audience can't be certain of their motives, either. It soon becomes apparent to Sandra that some weird things are afoot and that Mark is guarding some secret.
Peter Godfrey does a nice job setting up the story and hooking the viewer. There are some nifty shots that emphasize the claustrophobic atmosphere which seems to be descending on Sandra and more significantly her teenaged sister-in-law Julie (Geraldine Brooks). A moody musical score assists the narrative and there is one good jump scare. Unfortunately the story is hampered by a shoddy script that doesn't convincingly develop the relationship between Mark and Sondra in a way that would have made the finale more impactful. Even more of a letdown is the pedestrian manner in which the mystery is finally revealed.
This is Errol Flynn's only foray into the psychological thriller genre and he does his best to appear sinister, mysterious, and guilty of some malfeasance. His face seems puffier than usual which aids his stuffy characterization. Unfortunately he generates minimal chemistry with Miss Stanwyck, herself no stranger to 1940s cinema skulduggery. She is essentially the main character and delivers a surprisingly athletic performance: running, riding horses, scaling a fence, and climbing over rooftops in a skirt. Her confrontations with Flynn always seem to promise more than what is delivered which can be attributed to the weakness of the script.
In secondary roles Geraldine Brooks and Richard Basehart are the only ones permitted opportunities to emote. Miss Brooks gives a very hysterical and overwrought performance during an initial viewing but, upon rewatching the film with an understanding of her character, the performance makes more sense. Basehart makes a late entrance but his prominent billing and a photo of his character early on give away one of the film's mysteries. Recognizable Warners contract players Jerome Cowan and John Ridgley have small roles and aren't given much to do. Cowan is cast rather improbably as Flynn's brother while Ridgely is almost unrecognizable behind a scruffy beard.
I have to confess a fascination with Cry Wolf attributable to being a big Errol Flynn fan. The movie itself is probably mediocre but it possesses a certain entertainment value and the novelty of placing Flynn in a strange milieu. For an actor craving a variety of roles and forever frustrated by the heroic parts forced upon him by the studio this must have come as a welcome change of pace. Others may find him wooden and uninspired but, to me, he settles into his celluloid persona quite nicely. The character of Mark Caldwell is full of sadness and regret; emotions Flynn himself was no doubt feeling at this stage of his life. I'd like to think he channeled these sentiments into his performance which grows more poignant with subsequent viewings.
Miss Stanwyck portrays Sandra Demarest, a woman briefly married to Jim Demarest (Richard Basehart) who visits her husband's family estate after learning of his death. She finds the household run by Jim's uncle Mark Caldwell (Flynn), a grim and suspicious man who doubts Sandra's claim of being Jim's widow and suspects her of being a gold digger. Herein lies the crux of the melodrama: both parties are suspicious of each other and the audience can't be certain of their motives, either. It soon becomes apparent to Sandra that some weird things are afoot and that Mark is guarding some secret.
Peter Godfrey does a nice job setting up the story and hooking the viewer. There are some nifty shots that emphasize the claustrophobic atmosphere which seems to be descending on Sandra and more significantly her teenaged sister-in-law Julie (Geraldine Brooks). A moody musical score assists the narrative and there is one good jump scare. Unfortunately the story is hampered by a shoddy script that doesn't convincingly develop the relationship between Mark and Sondra in a way that would have made the finale more impactful. Even more of a letdown is the pedestrian manner in which the mystery is finally revealed.
This is Errol Flynn's only foray into the psychological thriller genre and he does his best to appear sinister, mysterious, and guilty of some malfeasance. His face seems puffier than usual which aids his stuffy characterization. Unfortunately he generates minimal chemistry with Miss Stanwyck, herself no stranger to 1940s cinema skulduggery. She is essentially the main character and delivers a surprisingly athletic performance: running, riding horses, scaling a fence, and climbing over rooftops in a skirt. Her confrontations with Flynn always seem to promise more than what is delivered which can be attributed to the weakness of the script.
In secondary roles Geraldine Brooks and Richard Basehart are the only ones permitted opportunities to emote. Miss Brooks gives a very hysterical and overwrought performance during an initial viewing but, upon rewatching the film with an understanding of her character, the performance makes more sense. Basehart makes a late entrance but his prominent billing and a photo of his character early on give away one of the film's mysteries. Recognizable Warners contract players Jerome Cowan and John Ridgley have small roles and aren't given much to do. Cowan is cast rather improbably as Flynn's brother while Ridgely is almost unrecognizable behind a scruffy beard.
I have to confess a fascination with Cry Wolf attributable to being a big Errol Flynn fan. The movie itself is probably mediocre but it possesses a certain entertainment value and the novelty of placing Flynn in a strange milieu. For an actor craving a variety of roles and forever frustrated by the heroic parts forced upon him by the studio this must have come as a welcome change of pace. Others may find him wooden and uninspired but, to me, he settles into his celluloid persona quite nicely. The character of Mark Caldwell is full of sadness and regret; emotions Flynn himself was no doubt feeling at this stage of his life. I'd like to think he channeled these sentiments into his performance which grows more poignant with subsequent viewings.
Hard-headed Stanwyck goes down in flames unearthing family skeletons!
beyondtheforest18 July 2010
This is a great movie about trust, and how suspicion, cynicism, and paranoia can influence our impressions of people. From the start, the characters played by Stanwyck and Flynn (both giving remarkable, nuanced performances) have an essential distrust of each other. Stanwyck is investigating the death of her husband, who she freely admits she did not love, in order to collect a large inheritance. Thus, Flynn's impression of her character is not very high. Stanwyck, on the other hand, begins to suspect Flynn as having a role in her husband's death (or is he still alive, lurking around in the mansion late at night?).
There is a great scene in which Flynn kisses Stanwyck, which she accepts eagerly in spite of the negativity between them. "Why did you do that?" Stanwyck asks. "It was the scientist in me," he said, "I wanted to test if my first impression of you was correct." Zing! Of course that is followed by an iconic Stanwyck slap.
One of Stanwyck's first lines is, "I am not a placid woman," and throughout the film the behavior of her character proves that stubbornness her downfall. Her curiosity leads her to ever more risky explorations of Flynn's lab, as well as sneaking around and learning whatever she can about what goes on behind closed doors. This creates the suspense, and it's a role that seems tailor-made to Stanwyck's independent personality.
Flynn is equally impressive in a role that calls for ambiguity. The viewer is left to guess whether Flynn, who seems rigid and controlling, is the villain. Flynn succeeds in providing the character with a sufficient amount of depth and stability to have the viewer, and Stanwyck, questioning his intentions.
The production is first-rate. Of particular interest is the fine score and cinematography. The ending ties up all the loose ends in memorable and satisfying fashion. The last line, "I didn't trust you, either," seems to describe the wall of doubt and distrust that can be forged between two people when the worst of human nature is assumed.
There is a great scene in which Flynn kisses Stanwyck, which she accepts eagerly in spite of the negativity between them. "Why did you do that?" Stanwyck asks. "It was the scientist in me," he said, "I wanted to test if my first impression of you was correct." Zing! Of course that is followed by an iconic Stanwyck slap.
One of Stanwyck's first lines is, "I am not a placid woman," and throughout the film the behavior of her character proves that stubbornness her downfall. Her curiosity leads her to ever more risky explorations of Flynn's lab, as well as sneaking around and learning whatever she can about what goes on behind closed doors. This creates the suspense, and it's a role that seems tailor-made to Stanwyck's independent personality.
Flynn is equally impressive in a role that calls for ambiguity. The viewer is left to guess whether Flynn, who seems rigid and controlling, is the villain. Flynn succeeds in providing the character with a sufficient amount of depth and stability to have the viewer, and Stanwyck, questioning his intentions.
The production is first-rate. Of particular interest is the fine score and cinematography. The ending ties up all the loose ends in memorable and satisfying fashion. The last line, "I didn't trust you, either," seems to describe the wall of doubt and distrust that can be forged between two people when the worst of human nature is assumed.
Two great stars in a disappointing film
blanche-22 September 2006
Barbara Stanwyck smells something rotten in her husband's family home in "Cry Wolf," a 1947 movie starring a very famous wolf off screen, Errol Flynn, as well as Jerome Cowan, Richard Basehart, and Geraldine Brooks. Stanwyck plays Sandra, the widow of James Demarest, and arrives to consult with his uncle (Flynn) about James' estate. James believed that his uncle was trying to take his money from him. She gets a cool reception from everyone except James' sister (Brooks). Hearing noises coming from the uncle's lab, Sandra becomes convinced that James is still alive, and she is determined to gain access to the laboratory.
This is the kind of film you can't wait to see - two fabulous stars, a mystery, atmosphere - but though "Cry Wolf" screams "Cry Hit Movie" - it falls flat. If Flynn is supposed to be the Max de Winter or Mr. Rochester of the piece, he doesn't cut it. It's not his fault. The role does not play to his strengths at all. Incredibly handsome, charming, energetic, and debonair, Flynn was one of the greatest stars of the golden era. It's understandable that he became bored with the kind of roles with which he is associated, and there's no doubt he could have pulled this off, but the script and direction let him down. Instead, his performance seems one note, uninteresting, and lazy. At 38, given his lifestyle, he looked bloated in certain scenes. It would seem like a wonderful idea to cast him with Stanwyck, but there's no there there.
Stanwyck's role, on the other hand, does play to her strengths. She's tough, determined, and called upon to do some amazing physical stunts as she rides up and down in a dumbwaiter, rides horses, falls off of one, takes one over a tall fence - she's just great.
Given the lethargy of Flynn's performance and the quiet steel of Stanwyck's, Geraldine Brooks by contrast seems like she's chewing the scenery. Basehart is so young he's almost unrecognizable in a small but good role.
The film ends very abruptly with most of the plot telegraphed from the beginning of the film. However, there are some wonderfully suspenseful moments - Stanwyck hiding outside the lab as Flynn exits, the horse careening through the woods, and several others.
Enjoyable, disappointing, but well worth seeing for the stars and the atmosphere.
This is the kind of film you can't wait to see - two fabulous stars, a mystery, atmosphere - but though "Cry Wolf" screams "Cry Hit Movie" - it falls flat. If Flynn is supposed to be the Max de Winter or Mr. Rochester of the piece, he doesn't cut it. It's not his fault. The role does not play to his strengths at all. Incredibly handsome, charming, energetic, and debonair, Flynn was one of the greatest stars of the golden era. It's understandable that he became bored with the kind of roles with which he is associated, and there's no doubt he could have pulled this off, but the script and direction let him down. Instead, his performance seems one note, uninteresting, and lazy. At 38, given his lifestyle, he looked bloated in certain scenes. It would seem like a wonderful idea to cast him with Stanwyck, but there's no there there.
Stanwyck's role, on the other hand, does play to her strengths. She's tough, determined, and called upon to do some amazing physical stunts as she rides up and down in a dumbwaiter, rides horses, falls off of one, takes one over a tall fence - she's just great.
Given the lethargy of Flynn's performance and the quiet steel of Stanwyck's, Geraldine Brooks by contrast seems like she's chewing the scenery. Basehart is so young he's almost unrecognizable in a small but good role.
The film ends very abruptly with most of the plot telegraphed from the beginning of the film. However, there are some wonderfully suspenseful moments - Stanwyck hiding outside the lab as Flynn exits, the horse careening through the woods, and several others.
Enjoyable, disappointing, but well worth seeing for the stars and the atmosphere.
undercooked potboiler
niborskaya1 September 2006
Just saw this last night for the first time. Must say that I loved Stanwyck running, leaping, jumping, being thrown by a horse, springing up again only to leap from an eight foot fence to the ground...This was clearly no stunt double. The gal was fleet of foot, and tenacious. She loved playing tough cookies, and that's what she served up here, a tough cookie who was really heroic and unafraid. She, as opposed to Flynn, does all the swashbuckling in this movie, and it's worth seeing just for that reason alone.
And it was suspenseful...I was really quite frightened of what she would find in the lab, in the lodge, in the dumb waiter...what's that about the cold cream??? I was so edgy after she scaled the fence into the lodge compound and got lost, that I had to turn off the volume so as not to hear the scary music. So the score really REALLY adds to the suspense.
I loved Errol Flynn in his early swashbucklers, and I really liked the character turns he took in Too Much Too Soon, and The Sun Also Rises and That Forsythe Woman. But here, he's just uneven..sometimes even blank, and then other times he's okay. Clearly the writers were trying to create a Max de Winter or Edward Rochester-type character ...is he good, or bad, sincere or lying? But the execution of the idea doesn't gel enough to satisfy.
So, the writing's choppy and shallow (especially the last 2 lines of dialogue and resolution), and there's not a TON of chemistry between Flynn and Stanwyck. And yes, the other roles are either over, or under written, so you end up with shadows or stereotypes. But still, I found it fun, and there's no reason why NOT to watch this movie, unless Rebecca or Jane Eyre or Pat & Mike is playing on another channel.
And it was suspenseful...I was really quite frightened of what she would find in the lab, in the lodge, in the dumb waiter...what's that about the cold cream??? I was so edgy after she scaled the fence into the lodge compound and got lost, that I had to turn off the volume so as not to hear the scary music. So the score really REALLY adds to the suspense.
I loved Errol Flynn in his early swashbucklers, and I really liked the character turns he took in Too Much Too Soon, and The Sun Also Rises and That Forsythe Woman. But here, he's just uneven..sometimes even blank, and then other times he's okay. Clearly the writers were trying to create a Max de Winter or Edward Rochester-type character ...is he good, or bad, sincere or lying? But the execution of the idea doesn't gel enough to satisfy.
So, the writing's choppy and shallow (especially the last 2 lines of dialogue and resolution), and there's not a TON of chemistry between Flynn and Stanwyck. And yes, the other roles are either over, or under written, so you end up with shadows or stereotypes. But still, I found it fun, and there's no reason why NOT to watch this movie, unless Rebecca or Jane Eyre or Pat & Mike is playing on another channel.
A masterpiece!
JohnHowardReid27 April 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Producer: Henry Blanke. A Thomson Production. A Warner Bros - First National Picture. Executive producer: Jack L. Warner. Copyright 16 August 1947 by Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. New York opening at the Strand: 18 July 1947. U.S. release: 16 August 1947. U.K. release: 15 March 1948. Australian release: 13 May 1948. 7,605 feet. 84½ minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Mysterious happenings in an old house involve a young widow, a neurotic girl and a suspicious "scientist".
COMMENT: When I tell people I admire the work of Peter Godfrey, they usually look at me with pity. After a great deal of argument, they will usually admit that The Woman in White has some virtue, but they are reluctant to see the supreme joys of Hotel Berlin and The Two Mrs Carrolls, let alone the admittedly minor pleasures of He's a Cockeyed Wonder.
Cry Wolf is Godfrey's masterpiece. A most unusual vehicle for Flynn (who seems to be the heavy), it is a taut thriller, atmospherically directed with lots of tingling camera movement and suspenseful lighting. Godfrey's pacing is crisp, never letting attention sag or wander, his choice of camera angles is consistently dramatic and he has drawn tight, convincing performances from his players.
Barbara Stanwyck in a well-tailored role as the resourceful heroine excites plenty of audience sympathy. Also ideally cast are Richard Basehart and Geraldine Brooks in typically edgy impersonations, while Errol Flynn manages to surround his less typed part with a nice edge of menace. The character players have less to do, though Jerome Cowan scores with agreeable force as Senator Caldwell.
Photography, sets and music join with the direction in making the most of the thrills the script so abundantly provides. Marjorie Carleton's novel is not known to me. Certainly it has all the ingredients of the popular Gothic romance. Although these ingredients may have been dulled by familiarity and constant over-use, they are given fresh, nervy life on the screen. It's impossible not to enjoy the film, to be completely "taken in" by its story, atmosphere and effects. The headlong pace, persuasive performances and bravura direction all see to that. And though the resolution to the mystery has been criticized in some quarters, I found it thoroughly convincing.
SYNOPSIS: Mysterious happenings in an old house involve a young widow, a neurotic girl and a suspicious "scientist".
COMMENT: When I tell people I admire the work of Peter Godfrey, they usually look at me with pity. After a great deal of argument, they will usually admit that The Woman in White has some virtue, but they are reluctant to see the supreme joys of Hotel Berlin and The Two Mrs Carrolls, let alone the admittedly minor pleasures of He's a Cockeyed Wonder.
Cry Wolf is Godfrey's masterpiece. A most unusual vehicle for Flynn (who seems to be the heavy), it is a taut thriller, atmospherically directed with lots of tingling camera movement and suspenseful lighting. Godfrey's pacing is crisp, never letting attention sag or wander, his choice of camera angles is consistently dramatic and he has drawn tight, convincing performances from his players.
Barbara Stanwyck in a well-tailored role as the resourceful heroine excites plenty of audience sympathy. Also ideally cast are Richard Basehart and Geraldine Brooks in typically edgy impersonations, while Errol Flynn manages to surround his less typed part with a nice edge of menace. The character players have less to do, though Jerome Cowan scores with agreeable force as Senator Caldwell.
Photography, sets and music join with the direction in making the most of the thrills the script so abundantly provides. Marjorie Carleton's novel is not known to me. Certainly it has all the ingredients of the popular Gothic romance. Although these ingredients may have been dulled by familiarity and constant over-use, they are given fresh, nervy life on the screen. It's impossible not to enjoy the film, to be completely "taken in" by its story, atmosphere and effects. The headlong pace, persuasive performances and bravura direction all see to that. And though the resolution to the mystery has been criticized in some quarters, I found it thoroughly convincing.
You may not believe it - but this was once a happy house.
hitchcockthelegend23 June 2014
Cry Wolf is directed by Peter Godfrey and adapted to screenplay by Catherine Turney from the novel of the same name written by Marjorie Carleton. It stars Errol Flynn, Barbara Stanwyck, Geraldine Brooks and Richard Baseheart. Music is by Franz Waxman and cinematography by Carl E. Guthrie.
Effective old dark house mystery picture boasting star appeal and class from Guthrie and Waxman, Cry Wolf is an enjoyable failure. The story finds Babs Stanwyck as Sandra Marshall, who turns up at a creaky old mansion investigating the death of her husband. Met with a frosty reception by the lord of the manor, Mark Caldwell (Flynn), it's not long before Sandra is neck deep in intrigue and suspicious behaviours.
Flynn and Stanwyck aren't asked to stretch themselves for this plot, in fact Flynn garnered unfair criticism for his portrayal of the shifty Mark Caldwell (wooden/miscast etc). Unfair because the character is meant to be restrained and sombre, keeping his cards close to his chest, you can certainly see why Flynn took the part, it was a chance to tackle something away from the flamboyant roles he was so iconically known for.
As the main characters move through the standard plotting of such fare; what's the secrets of the house, what is going on in the locked room? And etc, the house is the major player. Again it's standard stuff, a place of creaky doors, shadowy rooms, ominous clock chimes and things that go bump in the night. Guthrie (Backfire/Caged/Highway 301) brings his awareness of film noir visual conventions to the piece, where all the night time sequences carry atmospheric punch. While Waxman at times scores it like a Universal Studios creature feature, which is just dandy, the string arrangements delightfully menacing.
Some back projection work is poor, and although the twisty finale worked for me, I personally can understand it being a disappointment to others, while there's definitely the feeling of wasting the stars hanging over proceedings. Yet there's a nice old fashioned feel to the movie that charms, even if the stars and technical purveyors are bigger than the material handed to them. An enjoyable failure, indeed. 6/10
Effective old dark house mystery picture boasting star appeal and class from Guthrie and Waxman, Cry Wolf is an enjoyable failure. The story finds Babs Stanwyck as Sandra Marshall, who turns up at a creaky old mansion investigating the death of her husband. Met with a frosty reception by the lord of the manor, Mark Caldwell (Flynn), it's not long before Sandra is neck deep in intrigue and suspicious behaviours.
Flynn and Stanwyck aren't asked to stretch themselves for this plot, in fact Flynn garnered unfair criticism for his portrayal of the shifty Mark Caldwell (wooden/miscast etc). Unfair because the character is meant to be restrained and sombre, keeping his cards close to his chest, you can certainly see why Flynn took the part, it was a chance to tackle something away from the flamboyant roles he was so iconically known for.
As the main characters move through the standard plotting of such fare; what's the secrets of the house, what is going on in the locked room? And etc, the house is the major player. Again it's standard stuff, a place of creaky doors, shadowy rooms, ominous clock chimes and things that go bump in the night. Guthrie (Backfire/Caged/Highway 301) brings his awareness of film noir visual conventions to the piece, where all the night time sequences carry atmospheric punch. While Waxman at times scores it like a Universal Studios creature feature, which is just dandy, the string arrangements delightfully menacing.
Some back projection work is poor, and although the twisty finale worked for me, I personally can understand it being a disappointment to others, while there's definitely the feeling of wasting the stars hanging over proceedings. Yet there's a nice old fashioned feel to the movie that charms, even if the stars and technical purveyors are bigger than the material handed to them. An enjoyable failure, indeed. 6/10
'This Was Once A Happy Home'
bkoganbing12 January 2011
Cry Wolf was one of three films in which Warner Brothers tried in the immediate post World War II years to vary Errol Flynn's screen image, the other two were Never Say Goodbye and Escape Me Never. None of them really succeeded and Flynn had mediocre results at best.
In a biography of Barbara Stanwyck I read, the author tells us that Barbara felt Flynn had very little interest in the project, he gave a pedestrian performance. At the time he was very concerned with an oceanographic expedition his father was embarking on as a tax write off. Even then Errol's troubles with the IRS were getting started.
Though Barbara Stanwyck is two years older than Flynn, he's cast as the uncle of a recently deceased husband of Stanwyck's. When she arrives, the family is somewhat jolted as no one knew of her marriage, not Flynn who is a research scientist nor did Jerome Cowan a United States Senator up for a big appointment. One who does welcome her is her sister-in-law Geraldine Brooks who was the sister of her late husband Richard Basehart.
Cowan's not on the scene much, he leaves and it looks like he's leaving to give himself deniability as it would be spun today. Flynn carries himself with a sinister air about him and the sudden appearance of a woman claiming to be his nephew's wife has taken him aback. Flynn certainly does not like the questions Stanwyck is raising about her alleged husband's death.
This was interesting casting for Errol Flynn and I think with some better material Flynn might have carried off the part. As it was by what I see and according to Stanwyck he lost interest in the project.
Still fans of Flynn and Stanwyck might like to see the only film these two ever did together.
In a biography of Barbara Stanwyck I read, the author tells us that Barbara felt Flynn had very little interest in the project, he gave a pedestrian performance. At the time he was very concerned with an oceanographic expedition his father was embarking on as a tax write off. Even then Errol's troubles with the IRS were getting started.
Though Barbara Stanwyck is two years older than Flynn, he's cast as the uncle of a recently deceased husband of Stanwyck's. When she arrives, the family is somewhat jolted as no one knew of her marriage, not Flynn who is a research scientist nor did Jerome Cowan a United States Senator up for a big appointment. One who does welcome her is her sister-in-law Geraldine Brooks who was the sister of her late husband Richard Basehart.
Cowan's not on the scene much, he leaves and it looks like he's leaving to give himself deniability as it would be spun today. Flynn carries himself with a sinister air about him and the sudden appearance of a woman claiming to be his nephew's wife has taken him aback. Flynn certainly does not like the questions Stanwyck is raising about her alleged husband's death.
This was interesting casting for Errol Flynn and I think with some better material Flynn might have carried off the part. As it was by what I see and according to Stanwyck he lost interest in the project.
Still fans of Flynn and Stanwyck might like to see the only film these two ever did together.
Worth watching. Good late late late how film.
cjohn-705596 June 2018
I wanted to add to the other reviews. I think Flynn's character was strongly based on his own father, a scientist (the film makes a point of saying he is a scientist of some note). Stanwyck's character had some of Flynn's mothers characteristics. And during the film Flynn alludes to a family ancestor who was a rable rouser and sailed about the world and married a French showgirl who was world renowned, a very possible reference to Flynn himself , he loved to sail and certainly was a rable rouser , and Flynn's first wife ( a popular French actress).Then the grim joke about her being poisoned was a snide aside (Flynn was paying alimony ever since the divorce). It seemed like they let Flynn play a part very similar to his own reserved scientist father and paired him with the head strong adventurous woman who resembled his mother.
Sometimes marrying for money is not the best idea.
mark.waltz23 March 2013
Warning: Spoilers
That's what Barbara Stanwyck finds in this moody film noir when she shows up at the mansion of her late husband, whom she only married to assist in receiving her estate and for her own financial issues as well. His uncle (Errol Flynn) isn't exactly welcoming, giving Stanwyck the insensitive to fight, even if to prove that they are evenly matched and she's no patsy. The estate contains a locked laboratory which rouses Stanwyck's curiosity. Flynn's fragile niece (Geraldine Brooks) befriends her sister-in-law which brings Flynn and Stanwyck into more conflict, especially when Stanwyck starts snooping, convinced that her husband may still be alive.
In lesser professional hands, this would only be average, this being an American variation on "Rebecca" and "Jane Eyre", yet with film noir elements. The only film which Stanwyck and Flynn did together, they are an interesting pair, the romantic aspect rising subtly yet never overwhelming the mystery points of the plot. Stanwyck shows her love for horses in several riding sequences, although the shot of the horse being bugged by a bunny is laugh inducing.
Contrary to the plot line, Stanwyck is neither a victim or a femme fatal. Her motives for marrying the M.I.A. brother aren't really defined, but are obviously not shady since she freely admits she needed the money. Unlike the same year's "The Two Mrs. Carrolls", she's not the woman in jeopardy, a witness to murder or in danger of "Sorry Wrong Number", so it is a unique assignment for her. She was always great when combining character elements both good and bad. As his characters aged, Flynn became less of a lothario and a bit darker, and in "Cry Wolf", you're never quite sure what he's up to, that is until the end of the picture.
In lesser professional hands, this would only be average, this being an American variation on "Rebecca" and "Jane Eyre", yet with film noir elements. The only film which Stanwyck and Flynn did together, they are an interesting pair, the romantic aspect rising subtly yet never overwhelming the mystery points of the plot. Stanwyck shows her love for horses in several riding sequences, although the shot of the horse being bugged by a bunny is laugh inducing.
Contrary to the plot line, Stanwyck is neither a victim or a femme fatal. Her motives for marrying the M.I.A. brother aren't really defined, but are obviously not shady since she freely admits she needed the money. Unlike the same year's "The Two Mrs. Carrolls", she's not the woman in jeopardy, a witness to murder or in danger of "Sorry Wrong Number", so it is a unique assignment for her. She was always great when combining character elements both good and bad. As his characters aged, Flynn became less of a lothario and a bit darker, and in "Cry Wolf", you're never quite sure what he's up to, that is until the end of the picture.
Great stunt work for Barbara!
HotToastyRag19 October 2018
Let's get the awkward elephant out into the open: Barbara Stanwyck looks much older than Errol Flynn in Cry Wolf, yet she's supposed to be young enough to have married his nephew. Honestly, that's the biggest problem with the movie, so if that won't bother you, go ahead and rent it.
Cry Wolf is a very Hitchcockian film, rife with mystery, double crosses, and secrecy. While Errol Flynn and his brother Jerome Cowan are preparing to bury their young relative, Barbara Stanwyck shows up claiming to be his widow. Errol doesn't believe her-and Jerome disappears for the rest of the film-but allows her to stay in his house while he investigates. She bonds with Errol's young niece, a Judy Garland look-a-like, Geraldine Brooks, and starts to think something strange is happening around the house.
There are several scenes full of tension that will keep you on the edge of your seat, but even more impressive than them are the scenes that feature Barbara Stanwyck's stunt work. She's a master horsewoman, and also runs, climbs, and raises herself in a dumbwaiter. In one scene, she scales a chain fence, stands at the top, and jumps to the ground, with no cuts or closeups to hide her physicality. If you think she's a strong role model, rent this movie for reinforcements. She definitely lives up to her reputation in it.
Cry Wolf is a very Hitchcockian film, rife with mystery, double crosses, and secrecy. While Errol Flynn and his brother Jerome Cowan are preparing to bury their young relative, Barbara Stanwyck shows up claiming to be his widow. Errol doesn't believe her-and Jerome disappears for the rest of the film-but allows her to stay in his house while he investigates. She bonds with Errol's young niece, a Judy Garland look-a-like, Geraldine Brooks, and starts to think something strange is happening around the house.
There are several scenes full of tension that will keep you on the edge of your seat, but even more impressive than them are the scenes that feature Barbara Stanwyck's stunt work. She's a master horsewoman, and also runs, climbs, and raises herself in a dumbwaiter. In one scene, she scales a chain fence, stands at the top, and jumps to the ground, with no cuts or closeups to hide her physicality. If you think she's a strong role model, rent this movie for reinforcements. She definitely lives up to her reputation in it.
Great to watch but it has a pretty big plot problem
planktonrules12 July 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This is a very entertaining film starring two of the bigger name stars with Warner Brothers at the time, Errol Flynn and Barbara Stanwyck. A lot of the reason to watch the film is because of their performances as opposed to the exciting but flawed plot. Barbara is looking for her missing husband, so she tracks down his family and demands to know where he is. They tell him he is dead, but somehow the story doesn't convince her---deep down Stanwyck knows something is amiss (a bit tough to believe, I know that "feelings" are that accurate in real life). Well, given her suspicions, she stays at the family estate for a few days--during which time, her suspicions seem to have some validity. Eventually, she becomes convinced that her lost husband is being held against his will somewhere on the estate. All this is tremendously interesting. The only problem with the film (beware--a spoiler is coming) is that the family should have just told Barbara the truth from the start--this is what any normal family would have done. Of course, though, this would have meant about a 10 or 15 minute movie instead of this full-length mystery! If you can suspend disbelief about this basic plot problem, then you'll likely love the movie. But, even if you can't, it's still worth seeing just for these stars acting in their prime.
Flynn trying to punch his way out of his image
schappe112 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
At this point in his career, Flynn was welcoming any role that punched a hole in his swashbuckler image: he wanted to prove himself as an actor. Here he does a smooth job of menacing Barbara Stanwyck, one of the top actresses in the business, as the moody and mysterious head of a rich family into which Stanwyck has recently married, only to find that her husband has allegedly died. He's also a famous scientist with a mysterious laboratory from which screams can be heard in the night. Yet he seems well-mannered if confrontational in his dealings with Stanwyck and even stars to romance her, although this seems more of a fact-finding mission than a love affair. Stanwyck joins forces with the younger half-sister of Flynn's character, played by Geraldine Brooks and finds the younger half-brother, her husband, played by Richard Basehart, (this was the second film for each). It's interesting that Stanwyck tells Flynn that Basehart married her because he felt that she had the strength to stand up to him and Basehart didn't.
Flynn has difficulty seeming cold and intimidating. Part of this serves the plot, (see below), but it also seems a limitation of the actor. His voice is just too gentle and reassuring and he's prettier than his co-star. Even lighting tricks aren't enough to suggest that Stanwyck is in danger in his presence. This takes the edge off the mystery of the film. The picture seems influenced by "Rebecca" as there's a head of housekeeping that seems very much like Mrs. Danvers, although Stanwyck is a much stronger character than Joan Fontaine's. You wonder how Flynn might have done as Maxim De Winter.
Spoilers: You can't discuss a mystery film without discussing the mystery so I've separated this part of the review from the rest of it. The story ultimately becomes about that old, discredited phenomenon, "inherited insanity", which both Brooks and Basehart suffer from. Flynn has been so strict with them to protect them from society and society from them. Both die in falls related to their condition by the end of the film and Flynn and Stanwyck are free to develop their own relationship, giving the film the requisite happy ending and making Flynn's performance seem more logical in light of the way things turned out. But we aren't supposed to think that is a likely ending through most of the film and yet it doesn't come as a big surprise.
Flynn has difficulty seeming cold and intimidating. Part of this serves the plot, (see below), but it also seems a limitation of the actor. His voice is just too gentle and reassuring and he's prettier than his co-star. Even lighting tricks aren't enough to suggest that Stanwyck is in danger in his presence. This takes the edge off the mystery of the film. The picture seems influenced by "Rebecca" as there's a head of housekeeping that seems very much like Mrs. Danvers, although Stanwyck is a much stronger character than Joan Fontaine's. You wonder how Flynn might have done as Maxim De Winter.
Spoilers: You can't discuss a mystery film without discussing the mystery so I've separated this part of the review from the rest of it. The story ultimately becomes about that old, discredited phenomenon, "inherited insanity", which both Brooks and Basehart suffer from. Flynn has been so strict with them to protect them from society and society from them. Both die in falls related to their condition by the end of the film and Flynn and Stanwyck are free to develop their own relationship, giving the film the requisite happy ending and making Flynn's performance seem more logical in light of the way things turned out. But we aren't supposed to think that is a likely ending through most of the film and yet it doesn't come as a big surprise.
Top Notch Acting and a Genuine Frightfest
blckb536427 December 2008
I think this movie is highly underrated. Errol Flynn and Barbara Stanwyck have great chemistry and both turned in superb performances. It's too bad they didn't make more movies together. I'm not sure why so many people think this an average movie at best, unless they can't see Errol Flynn as anything but a swashbuckler. I feel he had tremendous range as an actor. Even Bette Davis who had bashed Errol Flynn's acting abilities for decades admitted later in her life that Errol was "damn good!!" I recommend this to anyone who enjoys classic old movies, especially those who enjoy scary movies. One last note of interest is that I believe this may have been the last movie where Barbara Stanwyck's hair length goes past her shoulders.
movie that cries wolf
SnoopyStyle18 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Sandra Marshall (Barbara Stanwyck) arrives for her husband Jim's funeral and to lay claim on her part of the inheritance. Jim's uncle Mark Caldwell (Errol Flynn) knows nothing of the marriage. Mark has also been keeping Jim's sister Julie Demarest as a virtual prisoner in the mansion. Mark has a secret lab on the premises.
As much as I love Stanwyck, I'm not sure that she is the best person for the role. The role should probably be a femme fatale or an innocent. Either way would be interesting but she is somehow in the middle. Errol Flynn is trying to be menacing. I'm sure there are actors more suited to the role. It's a lot of melodrama and mysterious tones. Cry wolf is an appropriate title. It feels like the mystery and the drama gets heighten but it never gets pushed forward. Each one leads to the next without much clarity about anything. The movie keeps resetting as Sandra and Mark continue their dance. Essentially, it's the movie which is crying wolf. In the end, I'm not sure who is keeping Jim and I'm not sure about anybody. I do like the atmospherics and the actors. I just wish for better.
As much as I love Stanwyck, I'm not sure that she is the best person for the role. The role should probably be a femme fatale or an innocent. Either way would be interesting but she is somehow in the middle. Errol Flynn is trying to be menacing. I'm sure there are actors more suited to the role. It's a lot of melodrama and mysterious tones. Cry wolf is an appropriate title. It feels like the mystery and the drama gets heighten but it never gets pushed forward. Each one leads to the next without much clarity about anything. The movie keeps resetting as Sandra and Mark continue their dance. Essentially, it's the movie which is crying wolf. In the end, I'm not sure who is keeping Jim and I'm not sure about anybody. I do like the atmospherics and the actors. I just wish for better.
Undercooked suspicion
TheLittleSongbird15 February 2022
There is always at least one reason for me to see any film. In this case, the main reason was Barbara Stanwyck. To me, she was one of the best actresses at the time and she excelled in these type of roles, even when the film wasn't as good. Was also interested to see Errol Flynn against type, the more sinister kind this time, but did worry that the role wouldn't suit him. The story sounded very suspenseful and it is my kind of film, being someone that loves suspense and mystery.
'Cry Wolf' was however a disappointment. It is definitely worth a one time watch at least, it takes a lot for me to call anything less than that, but there is not enough to it for me to recommend it. Have nothing to fault Stanwyck for and there are good moments and things, but Flynn has been much better served elsewhere (as has Richard Basehart) and at the end of the day 'Cry Wolf' came over as inconsistent and under-cooked. The major potential was there, the execution wasn't (or at least enough).
Am going to start with the good. Stanwyck is great here, she did steely and vulnerable so well and it was amazing too at how athletic she is here. The production values are glossy, without being overly so, and extremely atmospheric, the house like an ominous character of its own. Franz Waxman's score is lush and haunting.
It starts off quite well, with a very nifty atmosphere, and there is some genuine suspense that makes the film genuinely creepy at times. Like in the lab.
Flynn however disappoints, really do appreciate that he tried to do a different role and it is his darkest and most sinister sounding role. Sadly it is sketchily and inconsistently written and Flynn as a result is uneven, sometimes nuanced and coolly menacing and then at other times he looks as if he is sleepwalking and he could have done more with menace. He and Stanwyck's chemistry never ignites. Geraldine Brooks tries too hard in the only supporting role that 'Cry Wolf' attempts to flesh out and while Basehart tries his best he is wasted as a character that is woefully underwritten.
Did find too much of the dialogue on the melodramatic and corny side and the story too often has a pedestrian pace, especially when the story starts to thin out rather than gain momentum later. Suspense could have come more consistently, the chills factor isn't there enough and the psychological aspect never registers properly because the character writing is too sketchy. The characters are mostly ciphers with underdeveloped motivations, only Stanwyck and Brooks' characters have any shreds of development and even they don't have enough meat. Godfrey's direction has moments, especially stylistically, but mostly it's fairly undistinguished. Do agree that the ending is contrived, too hasty and anti-climactic, despite finding it a surprise.
On the whole, really wanted to like this much more. 5/10.
'Cry Wolf' was however a disappointment. It is definitely worth a one time watch at least, it takes a lot for me to call anything less than that, but there is not enough to it for me to recommend it. Have nothing to fault Stanwyck for and there are good moments and things, but Flynn has been much better served elsewhere (as has Richard Basehart) and at the end of the day 'Cry Wolf' came over as inconsistent and under-cooked. The major potential was there, the execution wasn't (or at least enough).
Am going to start with the good. Stanwyck is great here, she did steely and vulnerable so well and it was amazing too at how athletic she is here. The production values are glossy, without being overly so, and extremely atmospheric, the house like an ominous character of its own. Franz Waxman's score is lush and haunting.
It starts off quite well, with a very nifty atmosphere, and there is some genuine suspense that makes the film genuinely creepy at times. Like in the lab.
Flynn however disappoints, really do appreciate that he tried to do a different role and it is his darkest and most sinister sounding role. Sadly it is sketchily and inconsistently written and Flynn as a result is uneven, sometimes nuanced and coolly menacing and then at other times he looks as if he is sleepwalking and he could have done more with menace. He and Stanwyck's chemistry never ignites. Geraldine Brooks tries too hard in the only supporting role that 'Cry Wolf' attempts to flesh out and while Basehart tries his best he is wasted as a character that is woefully underwritten.
Did find too much of the dialogue on the melodramatic and corny side and the story too often has a pedestrian pace, especially when the story starts to thin out rather than gain momentum later. Suspense could have come more consistently, the chills factor isn't there enough and the psychological aspect never registers properly because the character writing is too sketchy. The characters are mostly ciphers with underdeveloped motivations, only Stanwyck and Brooks' characters have any shreds of development and even they don't have enough meat. Godfrey's direction has moments, especially stylistically, but mostly it's fairly undistinguished. Do agree that the ending is contrived, too hasty and anti-climactic, despite finding it a surprise.
On the whole, really wanted to like this much more. 5/10.
Bad start, but gets better
jrm-6325017 November 2019
The movie's start was confusing as to what was happening and took at least 5 minutes for any sense to be made of what was going on. After that time, the intensity and interest picked up rapidly.
The movie's end was a big twist and is definitely worth watching.
Barbara Stanwyck at forty.
brogmiller30 August 2022
This is indisputably the best of Barbara Stanwyck's three films for English director Peter Godfrey and is infinitely the better of the two films he made with Errol Flynn.
Marjorie Carlton's novel was snapped up pretty quickly by Warner Bros as a vehicle for Stanwyck whilst her leading man was originally to have been Dennis Morgan so let us give thanks for small mercies. Errol Flynn never thought much of himself as an actor but of course he possessed star quality in spades and acquits himself well here in a role that requires him to be both menacing and rakish. The quality and consistency of Barbara Stanwyck's work, whatever the vehicle, is impressive although by all accounts this consummate professional invariably gave her best on the first take. The film also marks the beginning of the film careers of Geraldine Brooks and Richard Basehart whilst Viennese emigré Helene Thimig brings her presence to bear as the customary creepy housekeeper without whom an old dark house wouldn't be quite the same.
Films such as this rely heavily on atmosphere and of this there is certainly no shortage courtesy of Carl Guthrie's noirish lighting, fabulous art direction by Carl Jules Weyl and of course Franz Waxman's lush score. Stanwyck is once more shown to advantage by the costumes of Edith Head.
The pairing of the two leads is intriguing and works well but yet again it is Stanwyck's steely determination that carries the day and transcends the material. At one stage her character says "I'm not a placid girl". That Miss Stanwyck never was!
Marjorie Carlton's novel was snapped up pretty quickly by Warner Bros as a vehicle for Stanwyck whilst her leading man was originally to have been Dennis Morgan so let us give thanks for small mercies. Errol Flynn never thought much of himself as an actor but of course he possessed star quality in spades and acquits himself well here in a role that requires him to be both menacing and rakish. The quality and consistency of Barbara Stanwyck's work, whatever the vehicle, is impressive although by all accounts this consummate professional invariably gave her best on the first take. The film also marks the beginning of the film careers of Geraldine Brooks and Richard Basehart whilst Viennese emigré Helene Thimig brings her presence to bear as the customary creepy housekeeper without whom an old dark house wouldn't be quite the same.
Films such as this rely heavily on atmosphere and of this there is certainly no shortage courtesy of Carl Guthrie's noirish lighting, fabulous art direction by Carl Jules Weyl and of course Franz Waxman's lush score. Stanwyck is once more shown to advantage by the costumes of Edith Head.
The pairing of the two leads is intriguing and works well but yet again it is Stanwyck's steely determination that carries the day and transcends the material. At one stage her character says "I'm not a placid girl". That Miss Stanwyck never was!
Errol Flynn's attempt at film noir
theowinthrop31 August 2005
I think it is generally acknowledged that Errol Flynn's best film work was in those films that combined his charm and his athletic abilities, be they swashbucklers, boxing films, or westerns. But as he got older Flynn was determined to prove his acting abilities. He could act when he was generally interested in the film he appeared in, but he was frequently willing to try to do a film that was unusual. This did not always work too well. He made such interesting failures as THE SISTERS with Bette Davis, where he was a newspaper reporter in turn of the century San Francisco, who had a wanderjahr that interfered with his marriage. The film wasn't bad, but his part was weak - the antithesis of the type he usually played so well. In the late 1940s to 1950 he tried three films to broaden his scope of acting: CRY WOLF, THAT FORSYTE WOMAN, and SILVER RIVER. Only the last one, a western where he played a man who was carried away by ambitious and greed so that he becomes relatively unsympathetic, was successful. THAT FORSYTE WOMAN (with Greer Garson and Walter Pigeon) was interesting (Flynn as Soames Forsythe was interesting casting, but he was too stiff - Eric Porter's memorable Soames in the first BBC version of the Galsworthy stories in the 1960s was far more human). CRY WOLF, the present film, was Flynn's only real attempt at the noir style of movie. As such it begins well, but collapses due to a poor script.
Barbara Stanwyck has married Richard Basehart, the nephew of Flynn, before the movie began. Flynn, Basehart, Jerome Cowan, and Geraldine Brooks are the scions of a "Kennedy" style family, with money and political power (Cowan is a U.S. Senator). But Basehart has vanished, and Stanwyck, besides trying to prove her marriage, is determined to find her husband. And here she keeps running into Flynn's suspicious behavior. He seems very unsympathetic to her wishes, and quite cold most of the time. As for helping her locate Basehart, he keeps on throwing up roadblocks.
The problem is that having set a good stage for a film which would have been confronting Stanwyck's heroine with Flynn's villain, the script fell apart. It turns out Flynn is interested in protecting the family's name and it's members from outside scrutiny. In particular Basehart and Brooks, who are somewhat strange. This change in the script was meant to enable Stanwick and Flynn to gradually fall in love and end up together, but it smashed the suspense that such a film should generate, and it ruined Flynn from having a potentially interesting negative part. Actually his performance in SILVER RIVER was far more consistent, and even his Soames retains the audience's lack of sympathy to the end. In CRY WOLF the audience gets confused - should we hiss Flynn or cheer him on? It would have been better all around if the screenplay writers had let us hiss him to the end.
Barbara Stanwyck has married Richard Basehart, the nephew of Flynn, before the movie began. Flynn, Basehart, Jerome Cowan, and Geraldine Brooks are the scions of a "Kennedy" style family, with money and political power (Cowan is a U.S. Senator). But Basehart has vanished, and Stanwyck, besides trying to prove her marriage, is determined to find her husband. And here she keeps running into Flynn's suspicious behavior. He seems very unsympathetic to her wishes, and quite cold most of the time. As for helping her locate Basehart, he keeps on throwing up roadblocks.
The problem is that having set a good stage for a film which would have been confronting Stanwyck's heroine with Flynn's villain, the script fell apart. It turns out Flynn is interested in protecting the family's name and it's members from outside scrutiny. In particular Basehart and Brooks, who are somewhat strange. This change in the script was meant to enable Stanwick and Flynn to gradually fall in love and end up together, but it smashed the suspense that such a film should generate, and it ruined Flynn from having a potentially interesting negative part. Actually his performance in SILVER RIVER was far more consistent, and even his Soames retains the audience's lack of sympathy to the end. In CRY WOLF the audience gets confused - should we hiss Flynn or cheer him on? It would have been better all around if the screenplay writers had let us hiss him to the end.
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