Loretta Young, playing a bland 1950s housewife with the equally bland name of Ellen Jones, starts her day doing bland chores like vacuuming, cooking, and caring for her bedridden husband. By the time her day is over, though, she finds herself in a desperate attempt to cover up a death she had nothing to do with.
In addition to being a taut thriller, Cause for Alarm! Is also an indictment of post World War II suburbia and the frustratingly stifling role women were relegated to in it. As George Jones, Barry Sullivan is a psychologically abusive spouse with a heart condition who is delusionally convinced his wife and doctor are having an affair and trying to kill him. When George dies of a heart attack after trying to bump off Ellen, she sets off on a nightmarish journey to hide his death so she can clear her name first.
She encounters obstacles every step of the way, mostly from men rigidly tied to rules and routines who refuse to help her because, quite frankly, they need her husband's permission first. With him dead in the upstairs bedroom, however, that's not possible. It seems that no matter what she tries, she can't catch a break.
Loretta Young carries the film, and we feel her fear and desperation as an innocent victim who just can't come clean. When it all comes to an end, we're as physically and emotionally exhausted as she is.
Along the way, there are some good supporting performances, especially by Irving Bacon as the overly talkative postman who won't break the rules and Margala Gilmore as the meddling busybody Aunt Clara. Also look for a quick cameo by a grown up Carl Switzer (Our Gang's Alfalfa).
The finale leaves a lot of questions unanswered about how Ellen's going to explain her actions and ultimately get herself out of this jam she's found herself in, but overall, it's a fun ride through a suburban dystopia.
In addition to being a taut thriller, Cause for Alarm! Is also an indictment of post World War II suburbia and the frustratingly stifling role women were relegated to in it. As George Jones, Barry Sullivan is a psychologically abusive spouse with a heart condition who is delusionally convinced his wife and doctor are having an affair and trying to kill him. When George dies of a heart attack after trying to bump off Ellen, she sets off on a nightmarish journey to hide his death so she can clear her name first.
She encounters obstacles every step of the way, mostly from men rigidly tied to rules and routines who refuse to help her because, quite frankly, they need her husband's permission first. With him dead in the upstairs bedroom, however, that's not possible. It seems that no matter what she tries, she can't catch a break.
Loretta Young carries the film, and we feel her fear and desperation as an innocent victim who just can't come clean. When it all comes to an end, we're as physically and emotionally exhausted as she is.
Along the way, there are some good supporting performances, especially by Irving Bacon as the overly talkative postman who won't break the rules and Margala Gilmore as the meddling busybody Aunt Clara. Also look for a quick cameo by a grown up Carl Switzer (Our Gang's Alfalfa).
The finale leaves a lot of questions unanswered about how Ellen's going to explain her actions and ultimately get herself out of this jam she's found herself in, but overall, it's a fun ride through a suburban dystopia.