The Wrong Man

Synopsis: Christopher Emmanuel Balestrero - Manny to his friends - is a string bassist, a devoted husband and father, and a practicing Catholic. His $85 a week gig playing in the jazz combo at the Stork Club is barely enough to make ends meet. The Balestreros' lives will become a little more difficult with the major dental bills his wife Rose will be incurring. As such, Manny decides to see if he can borrow off of Rose's life insurance policy. But when he enters the insurance office, he is identified by some of the clerks as the man that held up the office twice a few months earlier. Manny cooperates with the police as he has nothing to hide. Manny learns that he is a suspect in not only those hold ups, but a series of other hold ups in the same Jackson Heights neighborhood in New York City where they live. The more that Manny cooperates, the more guilty he appears to the police. With the help of Frank O'Connor, the attorney that they hire, they try to prove Manny's innocence. Regardless of if t
Genre: Drama, Film-Noir
Director(s): Alfred Hitchcock
Production: Warner Bros. Pictures
 
IMDB:
7.5
Rotten Tomatoes:
91%
NOT RATED
Year:
1956
105 min
958 Views


This is Alfred Hitchcock speaking.

In the past, I have given you

many kinds of suspense pictures.

But this time, I would like you

to see a different one.

The difference lies in the fact

that this is a true story...

...every word of it.

And yet it contains elements

that are stranger than all the fiction...

...that has gone into many of the thrillers

that I've made before.

See you later.

Good night.

Good night, Mr. Rotunda.

Good night, John.

Good night, Manny.

- Good night, John.

Hiya, Manny.

How's the family?

Morning, Stan. Fine, thanks.

What'll it be, the usual?

- The same.

I'll bring the toast over to the table.

Thank you.

Oh, Rose, did I wake you?

- I was awake.

Is something wrong?

It's just these teeth.

I haven't been awake all the time.

They hurt, though, huh?

Not much.

I think it's the price that hurts more

than anything else.

The dentist told me what it would cost

this afternoon.

Yeah?

Three hundred dollars for

the four wisdom teeth.

That's a lot of money,

but with prices what they are...

...maybe it's not too unreasonable.

He even gave me a little lecture

on evolution on the side.

It seems the human race

is growing smaller jaws...

...and having fewer teeth.

But the teeth are ahead of the jaws...

...and so everybody has more teeth

than they know what to do with.

That's why I have

four impacted wisdom teeth.

You look just about perfect to me.

If evolution can produce you,

it's doing pretty good.

I don't think we ought to complain

about a few impacted teeth.

All right, we won't complain about it.

How do we pay for it?

We've had big doctor bills before this.

I know, but I thought...

...we'd come to the end of all that.

We borrow money, and for years...

...we pay out on the installment plan.

It keeps us broke.

What is that,

a crossword puzzle?

It's a little game I play.

I pick tomorrow's winners...

...and I write my bets down here,

on the side, see, like this.

And then the next day, I figure out

how much I've won or lost.

Oh, I didn't know you liked horses.

It's the arithmetic I like, honey.

I guess it's the musician in me.

Musicians are always fascinated

by mathematics.

They can't read,

but they can figure.

It would be nice if you could win us

about $300.

In my experience,

I always pay for what I get.

We won't win any 300,

we'll borrow it.

Every time we get up,

something comes along...

...and knocks us right back down again.

That's life, honey.

That's the way it is.

I think we're pretty lucky, mostly.

Are we?

- Sure, we are.

We're in love...

...we've got two good, bright boys...

...I've got a job I like.

I think we're doing pretty well,

except for this toothache.

You make everything all right again.

Are we lucky people?

- Sure, we are.

And the luckiest thing that ever happened

to me was finding you.

Oh, Manny.

Sometimes I'm so frightened,

waiting for you to come home at night.

I always come home,

don't I?

We better get some sleep.

Can you sleep now?

- I think so.

Will you sit here for a while?

- Sure.

You know you've got

some money saved up?

I have?

Well, where?

- Your insurance policy.

I borrowed against mine,

but yours is clear.

Do you think there'd be enough?

I'd have to ask, but I think

there'd be enough for most of it.

Who do you ask?

- I'll go down this afternoon and find out.

Wonderful.

Mother. Mother.

Those kids. Yes?

Yes, what is it?

Will you tell Greg to quit playing

the mouth organ while I practice?

Greg? Greg?

- Will you tell him?

Gregory?

- Yes, Mother?

Don't play the harmonica while Robert

is playing the piano.

But I was playing the same thing.

Was he?

- He thinks he was, but...

I was.

I don't want you playing,

even if it is the same.

He hides in the closet and makes noise.

- What's all this?

Robert was playing the piano.

Greg was spoiling his music.

I didn't.

- You did.

I was playing the same.

- You were not.

You know, Bob,

it sounded to me...

...that last part,

when Greg was playing...

...sounded like he caught the melody.

Try it again, Greg.

- I can't do it now.

No, you can only do it when I'm playing.

Now, be fair, Bob.

I know he's trying to annoy you...

...but he did play some Mozart.

I did, I did.

- Sure, you did.

And you were doing very well

till you let him throw you.

You got a real gift for it...

...so maybe Greg has too.

Wouldn't that be fun, Robert?

Then you could play together.

- I did well?

Sure, you did.

- Sure, you did.

You mustn't let things throw you off.

You don't wanna pound the piano

and then give up.

You were doing very well,

except for that.

It says here Mozart wrote it when he was 5.

So I should be able to play it. I'm 8.

I'm 5, so I should be able to write it.

Tell you what we'll do.

Tonight, we'll take time for music lessons.

Bob on the piano...

...and Greg on the harmonica.

- Mine first.

Each lesson will be

Hello?

Hello, Mother.

How's Pop?

Today?

I guess I could, but I've got

an errand to do first.

It couldn't be a very long visit.

And I'd have to leave early.

I promised the boys

I'd give them music lessons...

...before I go to work tonight.

Look, suppose I get there

about 3:
30 and leave about 4:00?

Goodbye, Mother.

Mother says Pop isn't well.

She wants me to come by this afternoon.

I'll go by the insurance office,

then drop in on Pop...

...and come back as soon as I can.

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Maxwell Anderson

James Maxwell Anderson (December 15, 1888 – February 28, 1959) was an American playwright, author, poet, journalist and lyricist. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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