# When a Stranger Calls (1979 film)

When a Stranger Calls is a 1979 psychological horror film about a psychopathic killer who terrorizes a babysitter, then returns seven years later to menace her again.
    Directed by Fred Walton. Written by Steve Feke and Fred Walton.

## Jill Johnson

* [on the phone, after Curt calls her at the restaurant] Sharon? Please, do me a favor. Just tell me truthfully, when was the last time you CHECKED MY CHILDREN?
* [after Curt calls her at the restaurant] Curt Duncan! He's back! He has my BABIES!

## Curt Duncan

* [repeated line] Have you checked the children?
* [whispering, to Jill] You can't see me, but I had to come back. Don't you know why?
* [to Tracey, at the bar] My mind. Your mind. Where do they fit in? Do you see what I mean?

## John Clifford

* [to Tracy, about Curt's murders] After the coroner's investigation the bodies were taken to the mortuary where the undertaker took one look at them and said their bodies couldn't be reconstructed for the burial without six days of steady work. Then he asked what had been the murder weapon, because looking at the mess in front of him he couldn't imagine what had been used. The coroner told him there had been no murder weapon. The killer had used only his hands.

## Dialogue

    [Curt calls Jill on the phone]
    Jill Johnson: You really scared me, if that's what you wanted. Is that what you wanted?
    Curt Duncan: No.
    Jill Johnson: What do you want?
    Curt Duncan: Your blood all over me.
    Sgt. Sacker: [On the phone] Is the house locked up?
    Jill Johnson: [Panicking] Yes!
    Sgt. Sacker: Well, then you're safe. If he wanted to break in, he wouldn't keep calling you.
    Jill Johnson: Please, can't you help me? I'm all alone here!
    Jill Johnson: [thinking it's Curt again] Leave me alone!
    Sgt. Sacker: Jill, this is Sergeant Sacker. Listen to me. We've traced the call... it's coming from inside the house. Now a squad car's coming over there right now, just get out of that house!
    John Clifford: Lets get something straight here, Doctor. I've been 33 years in the business of tracking people down and putting them away... spent almost a year alone on the case of Curt Duncan with the trial and the testimonies and the background investigations. Now, I didn't come here today to look in your God damn folders, in fact I probably wouldn't be here at all if you had done your job right.
    Dr. Monk: This is a hospital, Mr. Clifford, not a penitentiary. Everything appertaining to one of our patients is meticulously recorded in that patient's folder, whether you can make sense of it or not.

## Taglines

* Every babysitter's nightmare becomes real...
* ...Fear is the Message!
* A Terrifying Classic!

## Cast

* Charles Durning - John Clifford
* Carol Kane - Jill Johnson
* Colleen Dewhurst - Tracy Fuller
* Tony Beckley - Curt Duncan
* Carmen Argenziano - Dr. Mandrakis
* Rutanya Alda - Mrs. Mandrakis
* William Boyett - Sgt. Sacker
* Kirsten Larkin - Nancy
* Ron O'Neal - Lt. Charlie Garber
* Michael Champion - Bill
* Rachel Roberts - Dr. Monk
* Carol Tillery Banks - Mrs. Garber
* Sara Damman - Bianca Lockart
* Richard Bail - Stevie Lockart
* Steven Anderson - Stephen Lockart
* Lenora May - Sharon

## External links

* When a Stranger Calls quotes at the Internet Movie Database
* When a Stranger Calls at Allmovie