Scared lady, alone in clifftop house on a stormy night. Phone call from dead son

[benny69]

Only very sketchy memories of this one. I think I saw it as part of a TV double bill on BBC back in the early 80s.

I think during the film, the lady's son had been killed and she runs away to a house on a cliff overlooking the sea. Its a dark and stormy night, the phone rings and the voice at the other end repeats everything she says.

She asks "why are you repeating everything I say?" and the voice replies "..repeating everything I say..."

I think the dead child appears at the window shortly later (similar to Salems Lot), but I might just have muddled my movies.

This may have been one of a number of short stories within the film but can't really remember.

"Repeating everything I say" has haunted me for 30 odd years. So any ideas what the movies was would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks, Benny.

[Andrew]

While what you describe is not an exact match, this is very much like the original Twlight Zone episode "Night Call" only I don't remember the phrase "repeating everything I say" though she does have stilted conversations with the entity on the other end of the line.

[benny69]

Hi Andrew,

Thanks for having a go, but I'm sure its not that. This was a youngish woman (possibly blond I think). The phone call was just a single short (though memorable to me at least) excerpt in the story and not the main theme. The rest of the film I don't remember (which probably tells us something!)

As I say I'm thinking that this may have been an anthology of short stories from late 70s/early 80s but I can't find one to match. US not British.

[benny69]

Actually talking it through has helped inspire me to look further.

Has anyone got the 1977 TV movie Dead of Night? If so can they check if the story Bobby has the telephone call in it?

If it is the right movie then thanks Andrew for mentioning Night Call as there is a link to this film in that Richard Mathewson was script writer.

[Andrew]

Actually talking it through has helped inspire me to look further.

Has anyone got the 1977 TV movie Dead of Night? If so can they check if the story Bobby has the telephone call in it?

If it is the right movie then thanks Andrew for mentioning Night Call as there is a link to this film in that Richard Mathewson was script writer.

I think that you found your film.  Here is a part of it on YouTube (check about 5 minutes in):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnikSGfFyRc

[benny69]

Thanks Andrew,

You can put that down as solved. 

Now I've seen the IMDB review, I also remember the titles of the other 2 stories but wouldn't have linked them together as the same film. Will definitley give this film another watch.

p.s I meant Richard Matheson of course - trouble with "auto-corrupt" spell checker feature...

[MovieKing1]

The name of the movie is "When Michael Calls" It was an ABC movie of the week that aired on February 5th 1972.