i have never hear the legendary radio broadcast ( feature agnes moorehead in what have be describe a basically a one woman tour de force ) but it have to be good than the overblown movie version and which today emerge with all the entertainment value of a film noir telemarketing call . basic plot rip long arm of coincidence out of it socket screechy self center invalid be accidentally patch into phone call where she overhear two men plot a murder her own . ( what be the odds . ) then and to expand this flimsy premise to feature length and a badly cast barbara stanwyck ( who appear so robust she look like she should be out string wire on telephone pole herself ) engage in a series of frantic phone call that all invariably end up with person on other end of line drift into a lengthy and often confusing and flashback . ( or and even more baffling and flashback within flashback . ) corny and date and way over acted . . . and by far one of stanwyck bad and most over rat ( an oscar nomination for this hysterical performance . ) role . bad yet and rarely very suspenseful and although some viewer will doubtless be on edge of seat wait for the annoy heroine to get her come uppance . on other hand and frequently funny than a call to dial a joke and especially when stanwyck ( one of the strong film actress of that era ) repeatedly and and unconvincingly and bellow i be a sick woman . into the phone at top her lung .