"Call Northside 777" looked good in the movie store. But ultimately, this film was a disappointment. It has some good assets-- a nice cast is one of them. James Stewart proves that he can deliver dumb lines with as much charming style as he does the good ones. But as a character he is hardly better than cliched, despite obvious attempts on the part of the moviemakers to humanize him (note the corny love scenes between him and wife Helen Walker). Richard Conte, as the jailed Frank Wiecek, also struggles bravely against the hackneyed part of nice, innocent family man. But the script gropes clumsily for atmosphere, suspense and style, without really attaining much of either. And as the story is based on a real event, some key facts of the murder are never revealed, since they never were in real life. With a cast like this, and maybe with a few more good ideas, "Call Northside 777" could've been quite memorable. But as it is, the film is hardly more than a failed noir flick.