Anruf am Abend (1961) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A separated telephone call becomes the only link between a worried husband and a threatened wife during a violent break-in.

Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases

A Birthday Far Away

Harry is away in London on business while his wife remains at their country cottage. A telephone conversation introduces Pointer's garden work and the couple's earlier problems with him.

Key Events

• Harry Works in London — Harry is away on business on his wife's birthday. Characters: Harry Clayton Location: London
• Stay at the Wilson Pension — Harry spends the night at the Wilsons' pension while working in London. Characters: Harry Clayton Location: Wilson pension
• Birthday Telephone Call — Harry speaks with his wife by telephone on her birthday. Characters: Harry Clayton Location: Telephone connection between London and the country cottage
• Pointer Worked in Garden — Harry learns that Pointer had come to work in the garden. Characters: Harry Clayton, Pointer Location: Country cottage garden
• Past Problems Resurface — Harry recalls earlier unpleasant experiences with the frequently intoxicated Pointer. Characters: Harry Clayton, Pointer Location: Telephone connection

The Broken Connection

A strange sound and the memory of an unlocked back door turn an ordinary call into a threat. The manually connected telephone line is severed before Harry can ensure his wife's safety.

Key Events

• Strange Sound Outside — A strange outdoor sound makes Harry fear that someone is on the property. Characters: Harry Clayton Location: Country cottage
• Unlocked Back Door — Harry's wife remembers that the back door was not locked. Characters: Harry Clayton Location: Country cottage
• Connection Breaks — The manually connected telephone call is unexpectedly disconnected. Characters: Harry Clayton Location: Manual telephone exchange
• Pointer Appears at Door — Pointer is revealed as the intruder outside the cottage. Characters: Pointer Location: Country cottage
• Demand for More Money — Pointer demands additional payment for his garden work through the locked door. Characters: Pointer Location: Country cottage entrance

The Intruder Demands Entry

Pointer appears at the cottage, demands more money, and threatens to enter. A false claim that Harry is inside fails to deter him.

Key Events

• Threat to Enter — Pointer threatens to force his way into the house. Characters: Pointer Location: Country cottage entrance
• False Claim of Presence — Harry's wife pretends that he is inside, but Pointer does not believe her. Characters: Harry Clayton, Pointer Location: Country cottage and telephone connection
• Harry Calls Again — Harry successfully calls the cottage again after the first connection fails. Characters: Harry Clayton Location: Wilson pension
• Break-In Begins — Harry hears Pointer attempting to enter while remaining helpless on the telephone. Characters: Harry Clayton, Pointer Location: Country cottage
• Neighbor Contact Fails — Mr. Wilson unsuccessfully tries to reach the cottage's neighbors. Characters: Harry Clayton Location: Wilson pension

A Race Against the Break-In

Harry hears the intrusion over a renewed call while attempts to contact neighbors fail. The pension owner alerts the police as the threatened woman retreats upstairs.

Key Events

• Police Are Alerted — After failing to reach the neighbors, the pension owner alerts the police. Location: Wilson pension
• Flight Upstairs — Harry's wife flees to the upstairs bedroom as Pointer enters below. Characters: Harry Clayton Location: Country cottage staircase
• Pointer Enters Living Room — Pointer breaks into the living room and hears Harry's voice through the receiver. Characters: Harry Clayton, Pointer Location: Country cottage living room
• Pointer Reaches Upstairs — Pointer comes close to the upstairs bedroom while Harry struggles to reconnect. Characters: Harry Clayton, Pointer Location: Country cottage upstairs

Rescue at the Bedroom

Pointer approaches the upstairs bedroom while Harry struggles to reconnect the call. Two police officers arrive just in time, arrest Pointer, and allow the crisis to end safely.

Key Events

• Pointer Reaches Upstairs — Pointer comes close to the upstairs bedroom while Harry struggles to reconnect. Characters: Harry Clayton, Pointer Location: Country cottage upstairs
• Police Arrest Pointer — Two police officers arrive at the last moment and arrest Pointer. Characters: Pointer Location: Country cottage
• Harry Receives Reassurance — Harry's wife calls and tells him that everything has ended safely. Characters: Harry Clayton Location: Telephone connection

Story Breakdown

• Distant Birthday — Harry's work in London separates him from his wife on her birthday.
  • London Business Trip — Harry is away from the country cottage for professional reasons.
  • Evening Telephone Call — Harry and his wife speak by telephone during the evening.
• Pointer Returns — News of Pointer's garden work revives the couple's earlier concerns.
  • Garden Work — Pointer has worked in the cottage garden.
  • Past Unpleasantness — Harry remembers the couple's previous problems with Pointer.
• Threat Outside — A sound outside and an unsecured door suggest that the cottage is vulnerable.
  • Strange Outdoor Sound — An unexplained noise makes Harry suspect someone is on the property.
  • Unlocked Back Door — The forgotten lock creates an immediate point of entry.
• Telephone Isolation — The broken connection prevents Harry from directly helping during the danger.
  • Manual Disconnection — The telephone operators' connection is severed.
  • Desperate Reconnection — Harry repeatedly struggles to restore contact with the cottage.
• Forced Entry — Pointer turns a payment dispute into a physical intrusion.
  • Extra Payment Demand — Pointer demands more money for his garden work.
  • Living Room Break-In — Pointer enters the house and hears Harry through the telephone.
• Last-Moment Rescue — Outside help arrives as Pointer approaches the upstairs bedroom.
  • Police Alert — The pension owner contacts the police after neighboring help cannot be reached.
  • Pointer Arrested — Two police officers arrive and arrest Pointer before he reaches the bedroom.

Directed by

Günter Siebert

Key Cast

• Ina Halley — Lucy Clayton
• Hellmut Lange — Harry Clayton
• Herbert Sebald — Jack Wilson
• Deli-Maria Teichen — Bessie Wilson
• Herbert Steinmetz — Pointer