One of the best films i have seen

What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

I just barely liked this, and I felt I would love it, since I adore film noir, and the work of both of the leads. To me, both Errol Flynn and Barbara Stanwyck are very charismatic people--they should have had, regardless of which side they were acting (good or bad), smouldering chemistry if on the same side, or been extremely volatile if opposing each other. Conversely, here they were very muted, as if sleepwalking--and the fault must lie in both the direction in the script. Thus I can only give it the very faintest of recommendation. The film has harnessed the worst performance of either star that I have ever seen. The fact that it was released on my birthday (August 19th, though not the year) makes it a further insult to my cinematic sensibility.

I am a huge fan of both Barbara Stanwyck and Errol Flynn. I am surprised to read all of the negative comments about this fine little gem of a movie. Stanwyck delivers a very good performance in her role as the unwanted "widow" of a wealthy family's son. Her suspicions are aroused by the brusque treatment and the sense that something ain't quite right.Flynn is very effective in his role as the point man in the family's efforts to rush Stanwyck out of their affairs and back from whence she came. He capably portrays a man trying to maintain an aristocratically aloof front, avoid suspicion and still push Stanwyck out the door - all the while becoming increasing attracted to her. As an actor, he has a lot on his plate, and he handles it very well. I love to watch him in these rare non-swashbucklers. He always delivers. He was unfairly deprived of such opportunities then, and his ability is unfairly minimized even today. I wish TCM would come out with an Errol Flynn Non-swashbuckler Box Set!The rest of the cast is okay, with the exception of Richard Basehart. He is hopelessly miscast as the object of Stanwyck's affections. He was never a leading man, and he doesn't have that kind of appeal or looks. Even though he is not the lead, those qualities are called for in his role. He cannot deliver. I simply couldn't imagine Stanwyck and Basehart being erstwhile lovers. They have only one or two opportunities to generate that kind of chemistry, and nothing sizzles. This is probably the main problem with the film. A flashback or two might have been a good device to establish them as lovers - for example a flashback of their elopement.One commentator suggested that the plot was flawed because the family should have simply told Stanwyck about her husband upon her arrival. That overlooks the repercussions of such a course of action. Regardless of their motives, the family is, after all, perpetrating a fraud (with very important legal ramifications regarding the estate!), into which they are understandably unwilling to draw an "outsider." Stanwyck is neither wanted nor trusted. To expect the family to just spill the beans to her is naive in the extreme.Contrary to other commentators, I found the entire film very satisfying and entertaining, including the ending. I thought the film built to a climax that, while not greatly surprising, was revelatory. I certainly suspected the mystery's solution, but I didn't know it until the end. Isn't that the case with most mysteries? Enough clues are provided that the solution doesn't come out of the blue? (Didn't anybody see this very issue addressed in the hilarious spoof, Murder by Death?) What more denouement is called for in this film?

Barbara Stanwyck smells something rotten in her husband's family home in "Cry Wolf," a 1947 movie starring a very famous wolf off screen, Errol Flynn, as well as Jerome Cowan, Richard Basehart, and Geraldine Brooks. Stanwyck plays Sandra, the widow of James Demarest, and arrives to consult with his uncle (Flynn) about James' estate. James believed that his uncle was trying to take his money from him. She gets a cool reception from everyone except James' sister (Brooks). Hearing noises coming from the uncle's lab, Sandra becomes convinced that James is still alive, and she is determined to gain access to the laboratory.This is the kind of film you can't wait to see - two fabulous stars, a mystery, atmosphere - but though "Cry Wolf" screams "Cry Hit Movie" - it falls flat. If Flynn is supposed to be the Max de Winter or Mr. Rochester of the piece, he doesn't cut it. It's not his fault. The role does not play to his strengths at all. Incredibly handsome, charming, energetic, and debonair, Flynn was one of the greatest stars of the golden era. It's understandable that he became bored with the kind of roles with which he is associated, and there's no doubt he could have pulled this off, but the script and direction let him down. Instead, his performance seems one note, uninteresting, and lazy. At 38, given his lifestyle, he looked bloated in certain scenes. It would seem like a wonderful idea to cast him with Stanwyck, but there's no there there.Stanwyck's role, on the other hand, does play to her strengths. She's tough, determined, and called upon to do some amazing physical stunts as she rides up and down in a dumbwaiter, rides horses, falls off of one, takes one over a tall fence - she's just great.Given the lethargy of Flynn's performance and the quiet steel of Stanwyck's, Geraldine Brooks by contrast seems like she's chewing the scenery. Basehart is so young he's almost unrecognizable in a small but good role.The film ends very abruptly with most of the plot telegraphed from the beginning of the film. However, there are some wonderfully suspenseful moments - Stanwyck hiding outside the lab as Flynn exits, the horse careening through the woods, and several others.Enjoyable, disappointing, but well worth seeing for the stars and the atmosphere.

This is a very entertaining film starring two of the bigger name stars with Warner Brothers at the time, Errol Flynn and Barbara Stanwyck. A lot of the reason to watch the film is because of their performances as opposed to the exciting but flawed plot. Barbara is looking for her missing husband, so she tracks down his family and demands to know where he is. They tell him he is dead, but somehow the story doesn't convince her---deep down Stanwyck knows something is amiss (a bit tough to believe, I know that "feelings" are that accurate in real life). Well, given her suspicions, she stays at the family estate for a few days--during which time, her suspicions seem to have some validity. Eventually, she becomes convinced that her lost husband is being held against his will somewhere on the estate. All this is tremendously interesting. The only problem with the film (beware--a spoiler is coming) is that the family should have just told Barbara the truth from the start--this is what any normal family would have done. Of course, though, this would have meant about a 10 or 15 minute movie instead of this full-length mystery! If you can suspend disbelief about this basic plot problem, then you'll likely love the movie. But, even if you can't, it's still worth seeing just for these stars acting in their prime.