Cry in the Night, A

A cop's daughter is abducted by a love-starved psychotic in this dark suspense-thriller from the director of This Gun for Hire and starring Edmond O'Brien, Natalie Wood and Raymond Burr. Spying Liz Taggart (Wood) while she's out on a date, mentally disturbed mama's boy Harold Loftus (Burr) slaps her unconscious, knocks out her boyfriend (Richard Anderson) and hauls the pretty teen to his lair. Unaware she's a police captain's daughter, Loftus threatens to make Liz his own as her father (O'Brien) races to find the kidnapper's hideout before the hulking brute makes good on his plans. Also starring Brian Donlevy and based on the novel All Through the Night by Touch of Evil's Whit Masterson, A Cry in the Night was produced by Alan Ladd's Jaguar Productions and features child star Natalie Wood in her first "grown-up" role and Raymond Burr just one year before Perry Mason changed his image from perennial screen villain to hero.

• crime
• drama
• film
• noir