8:00 p.m. Eastern-- "Phone Call from a Stranger" Gary Merrill, Bette Davis, Shelley Winters, Michael Rennie, Keenan Wynn
Classic Hollywood drama gold, gang! This award- winning film directed by Jean Negulesco just hooks us in from the start.
Gary Merrill is a lawyer who has just discovered the infidelity of his wife. He's on the lam, shattered, and grabs a plane to get away. Through a series of long delays, he meets and gets to know several other passengers with equally complex back stories....
Warning-- what follows gives some of the plot away. If you want to go into the film blissfully unaware of what happens, don't read on!
After the plane crashes and Gary is one of the few survivors, he decides to visit some of the homes of people he briefly met, and bonded with, on the flight. He learns plenty, and imparts plenty. He's able to give some comfort to alcoholic doctor Michael Rennie's bereaved family, and he also visits show biz aspirant Shelley Winters' troubled home, and the new widow (Bette Davis) of ebullient salesman Keenan Wynn.
Bette Davis gives one of her patented killer performances in this one. (Incidentally, she was married to virile lead actor Gary Merrill at the time.) It's a small part, but she wallops it. (She requested the small part, saying it was the quality of the role she was always after, not the length...)
Lay in your hanky supply. You'll be glad you watched or DVR'd this absorbing tale.