Do You Know This Voice? (1964) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A kidnapping turns into a murder investigation, while Rosa's recollection and a poisoning incident intensify the danger around the inquiry.

Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases

The Missing Schoolboy

A schoolboy fails to return home, and his parents learn that he has been kidnapped. The ransom demand exceeds what they can afford, so Supt. Hume advises them to speak openly to the press.

Key Events

• Boy Fails to Return — The schoolboy does not come home at his usual time, alarming his parents. Characters: Mr. Wilson, Mrs. Wilson Location: Wilson family home
• Kidnapping Confirmed — The family learns that the boy has been kidnapped. Characters: Mr. Wilson, Mrs. Wilson Location: Unspecified
• Ransom Demand — The caller demands £2,000, beyond what the family can afford. Characters: Mr. Wilson, Mrs. Wilson Location: Unspecified
• Press Appeal Advised — Hume advises the parents to tell the press they cannot quickly raise the ransom. Characters: Supt. Hume, Mr. Wilson, Mrs. Wilson Location: Unspecified

A Murder Investigation

Early inquiries into the caller's voice produce no clear lead. The boy is found dead, changing the case into a murder investigation.

Key Events

• Voice Recognition Search — Police ask whether anyone recognizes the caller's voice, but find no clear lead. Characters: Supt. Hume Location: Neighbourhood
• Boy Found Dead — The boy is found dead, and the investigation becomes a murder case. Characters: Mr. Wilson, Mrs. Wilson, Supt. Hume Location: Unspecified

Rosa's Dangerous Memory

Police trace a call to a public phone box and pick up Rosa, who later recalls a man's shoulders nearby. She asks for publicity and surveillance, despite Hume's concern for her safety.

Key Events

• Call Traced to Phone Box — Police trace a call to a public phone box and pick up Rosa. Characters: Supt. Hume, Rosa Marotta Location: Public phone box
• Rosa Recalls the Shoulders — After hearing of the boy's death, Rosa recalls a man's shoulders near the phone box. Characters: Rosa Marotta Location: Unspecified
• Rosa Requests Surveillance — Rosa asks for publicity and police surveillance at her home to draw the man out. Characters: Rosa Marotta, Supt. Hume Location: Unspecified

Poison at Rosa's Home

A man and his partner argue over the kidnapping and the boy's death as the police investigation continues. John visits Rosa's home, where her cat drinks from a poisoned bottle; the excerpt ends with officers discussing a suspicious man near the house, without revealing the outcome.

Key Events

• Partners Argue Over Kidnap — A man admits the boy died after he tied him too tightly; his partner blames him. Characters: John Hopta, Jackie Hopta Location: Unspecified
• Police Miss a Suspect — Police narrowly miss a suspect at the phone box as the investigation continues. Characters: Supt. Hume Location: Public phone box
• John Visits Rosa — John visits Rosa and later returns with a pretext to repair an iron. Characters: John Hopta, Rosa Marotta Location: Rosa's home
• Cat Drinks Poison — Rosa's cat drinks from a poisoned bottle and dies while John is present. Characters: John Hopta, Rosa Marotta Location: Rosa's home
• Rosa Warns John — Rosa warns John that the milk is poisoned. Characters: John Hopta, Rosa Marotta Location: Rosa's home
• Police Check Poison Leads — Police check for missing poisons or drugs, investigate break-ins, and collect fingerprints. Characters: Supt. Hume Location: Unspecified
• Suspicious Man Approaches — Officers discuss a suspicious man who has walked up to the house; the excerpt gives no outcome. Characters: Supt. Hume, Rosa Marotta Location: Near Rosa's home

Story Breakdown

• The Missing Boy — The Wilsons discover their son has been kidnapped and confront an unaffordable ransom demand.
  • Late Return — The schoolboy fails to come home at his usual time.
  • Ransom Demand — The kidnappers demand £2,000, which the family cannot afford.
• Public Appeal — Hume recommends making the family's financial situation public as police seek information.
  • Hume's Advice — He advises the parents to speak openly to the press.
  • Voice Inquiries — Police ask whether anyone recognizes the caller's voice, without finding a clear lead.
• Murder Case — The discovery of the boy's body changes the nature and stakes of the investigation.
  • Boy Found Dead — The boy is later found dead.
  • Case Changes — The inquiry becomes a murder investigation.
• Rosa's Recollection — A phone-box lead and a returning memory make Rosa central to the search for the man she saw.
  • Phone Box Lead — Police trace a call to a public phone box and pick up Rosa.
  • Shoulders Remembered — After the boy's death, Rosa recalls the shoulders of a man near the box.
• A Risky Police Plan — Rosa seeks publicity and surveillance to draw the man out, while Hume worries about her safety.
  • Publicity Requested — Rosa asks police to publicize that she has seen the man.
  • Home Watched — She also asks the police to watch her home despite Hume's unease.
• Partners in Dispute — A man and his partner argue about their involvement in the kidnapping and the boy's death.
  • Fatal Restraint — The man admits the boy died after he tied him too tightly.
  • Partner's Blame — His partner blames him for taking the child and resents their life together.
• Poison at Home — John's visit to Rosa's home coincides with a poisoning incident and renewed police checks.
  • Cat Drinks Poison — Rosa's cat drinks from a poisoned bottle and dies while John is there.
  • Warning and Searches — Rosa warns John about the poisoned milk as police check for poisons, break-ins, and fingerprints.
• Unresolved Approach — The excerpt closes on a suspicious man near Rosa's home but does not disclose what follows.
  • Man Near House — Officers discuss a suspicious man who has walked up to the house.
  • Outcome Unknown — The provided account does not establish whether the killer is caught.

Directed by

Frank Nesbitt

Key Cast

• Dan Duryea — John Hopta
• Isa Miranda — Rosa Marotta
• Gwen Watford — Jackie Hopta
• Peter Madden — Supt. Hume
• Barry Warren — Det. Sgt. Connor