Sorry, Wrong Number - Radio Script

by Lucille Fletcher

This story of a woman who accidentally overheard a conversation with death, and who strove frantically to prevent murder from claiming an innocent victim, is one of the most popular radio shows ever recorded.

Genres: Plays, Thriller, Classics, Mystery

34 pages, Kindle Edition

About the author

Lucille Fletcher is best known for her suspense classic Sorry, Wrong Number, originally a radio play, later a novel, TV play and motion picture. She has written extensively for both screen and television, and is the author of several successful mystery novels, including Blindfold, . . . And Presumed Dead, The Strange Blue Yawl and The Girl in Cabin B54. She is the author of the recently successful Broadway play Night Watch, which was also a motion picture starring Elizabeth Taylor. A native of Brooklyn and a graduate of Vassar College, Lucille Fletcher lived on the eastern shore of Maryland with her husband, novelist Douglass Wallop, until his death in 1985.

This author bio was adapted from the bio on the dust jacket of an Eighty Dollars to Stamford hardcover.

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short play was actually first performed as a radio play on May 25, 1943. Then, I believe, it was expanded into a play and novel. It was also adapted into the classic 1948 film. I watched clips of the film as well, and I liked how they have additional back stories to explain the characters and possible motives behind the murder.

While this play is very short, I really enjoyed reading it, and I think it's perfect for younger middle school readers and adults alike. This is definitely a classic piece of literature that helped inspire countless other plays, books, and movies in this crime drama or "noir" genre. Lucille Fletcher probably didn't realize until later the importance of this short piece.

When we first start reading, Mrs. Stevenson is simply trying to call her husband at work. There is a mistake in transferring her call, and she overhears a conversation between two men. They are planning a murder that night at around 11 pm. She tries to figure out the identity of the callers and get more details, but the two men can't hear her, and the operators don't know how to trace the call. Mrs. Stevenson then goes on a wild goose chase calling the police and the hospital and trying to call her husband to get some help to prevent this murder.

I don't want to give away the ending, so please if you want to be surprised don't read any summaries, or reviews, or watch any of the film clips before reading the play yourself. I liked how the suspense and intrigue kept building and building even after the end of the play because there are still some unanswered questions. That's my one complaint; I wish Fletcher would have added more background to the characters, Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson, like I saw in the movie. Perhaps she did in the actual novel, and I should check that out.

[Susan Molloy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here we have a copy of the radio play that was performed on May 25, 1943. It is cleverly and astutely written, with its tight dialogue and fabulous tension that works well with me.

The radio play starred Agnes Moorehead. Barbara Stanwyck starred in the 1948 movie.

Note that when reading this script, there is a blurb at the beginning that tells the backstory of its creation by Lucille Fletcher. It is fascinating and proves to me that everyday occurrences are excellent inspirations for the creative writer.

🟢 Media form: Internet Archive .

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sorry Wrong Number is an engaging and creepy thriller that reveals the chilling reality of the perils of being a disabled woman, especially in a society that places women at the whims of their husbands. I listened to the LA Theatre Works production and really enjoyed the performance. The ending felt especially unsettling to hear out loud. I would definitely recommend it--and now I have to watch the film adaptation.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I listened to the radio script for 1948, and it's a fine thrill story.

Tight, short, and intense, I love how her turmoil and helplessness built up to the end, and I think I'll love seeing the movie adaptation and how it handled the event to turn it into a bigger story.

[Jodi Geever · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just learned that plays are sometimes available as audiobooks!! I never heard of this one, but it’s excellent!

[Shahy El-Kassar · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best tragic Drama!