The sound of the phone ringing carries multiple emotions–thrill, fear, excitement, and happiness. Cinema has always understood and exploited that quality. A simple phone call can immediately reach a character’s most vulnerable core, forcing us to lean in and listen.Phones are definitely more than props — they can bring about a narrative turning point, expose a character, or heighten the suspense.’The 11 scenes we have listed here prove that sometimes, the most riveting drama comes out of not just what we see, but also what we hear.Famous Phone Calls in Film1. The Wrong Number (Sorry, Wrong Number, 1948)Written by: Lucille Fletcher | Directed by: Anatole Litvak Leona Stevenson (Barbara Stanwyck), a bedridden heiress, stumbles upon a cross-connection while making a call and overhears two men plotting murder. Already distressed, she gets even more frantic as she starts piecing together the information she heard and realizes she could be the intended victim.This is an early example of building suspense entirely through sound. The phone becomes the primary tool of suspense because it might be the source of a psychological nightmare, but it’s also her only link to finding help.2. “Hello… Hello… Hello…” (Dial M For Murder, 1954)Written by: Frederick Knott | Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock Tony Wendice (Ray Milland) calls his wife, Margot (Grace Kelly), from his club. This call is actually a signal for the assassin that he hired to strangle Margot. The planned murder, however, goes wrong when Margot unexpectedly puts up a fight.Hitchcock stages the scene in a...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - 4 days ago