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Cause for Alarm!

Cause for Alarm!

Thriller · Drama · Crime · 1951

A bedridden and gravely ill man believes his wife and doctor are conspiring to kill him, and outlines his suspicions in a letter.

Movie details

Cause for Alarm!

“This Girl Is In Danger!”

1951 Thriller · Drama · Crime 1h 14m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

5.9 / 10

Community rating

A bedridden and gravely ill man believes his wife and doctor are conspiring to kill him, and outlines his suspicions in a letter.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Cause for Alarm!?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Killer's Kiss

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Dial M for Murder

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When her American lover visits London, a wealthy woman’s jealous husband hatches a plan to murder her and inherit her fortune.

The Verdict

The Verdict

Crime · 1946

After an innocent man is executed in a case he was responsible for, a Scotland Yard superintendent finds himself investigating the murder of his key witness.

Pickup on South Street

Pickup on South Street

Thriller · 1953

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D.O.A.

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Frank Bigelow is about to die, and he knows it. The accountant has been poisoned and has only 24 hours before the lethal concoction kills him. Determined to find out who his murderer is, Frank, with the help of his assistant and girlfriend, Paula, begins to trace back over his last steps. As he frantically tries to unravel the mystery behind his own impending demise, his sleuthing leads him to a group of crooked businessmen and another murder.

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Obsession

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Tay Garnett

Written by

Tom Lewis · Lawrence B. Marcus · Mel Dinelli

Loretta Young

Loretta Young

Ellen Jones

Barry Sullivan

Barry Sullivan

George Z. Jones

Bruce Cowling

Bruce Cowling

Dr. Ranney Grahame

Margalo Gillmore

Margalo Gillmore

Mrs. Edwards

Brad Morrow

Brad Morrow

Hoppy / Billy

Irving Bacon

Irving Bacon

Mr. Carston, Postman

Georgia Backus

Georgia Backus

Mrs. Warren

Court is in session

Put Cause for Alarm! on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Big-Idea Head

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.