Call Northside 777 . Nashville Scene . 07-28-97

Call Northside 777

DIRECTED BY: Henry Hathaway

REVIEWED: 07-28-97

The true measure of a star is his ability to transform ordinary material into movie magic. James Stewart's presence in this routine crime-drama gives a plain film a complex core. Once again, he's a reporter, working courtrooms instead of ballrooms, and he's tasked to help prove the innocence of a man jailed for murder. The film unfolds in the step-by-step "documentary realism" style that was popular in the late '40s, but Stewart's driven performance belies the story's inert pacing, turning a sober film into a vibrant, exciting one.

--Noel Murray

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