---
title: 'When a Stranger Calls (1979)'
type: 'film'
director: 'Fred Walton'
released: '1979-01-01'
runtime_minutes: 97
genres:
  - 'Drama'
  - 'Horror'
  - 'Crime'
  - 'Thriller'
countries:
  - 'United States'
canonical: 'https://cinepixo.com/movies/when-a-stranger-calls-1979'
review_count: 0
imdb: 'https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080130/'
publisher: 'CinePixo'
---

# When a Stranger Calls (1979)

1979 · 97 min · Drama, Horror, Crime, Thriller · United States

Part of: When a Stranger Calls

## Synopsis

When a Stranger Calls is a 1979 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Fred Walton, co-written by Steve Feke, and starring Charles Durning, Carol Kane, Colleen Dewhurst and Tony Beckley. Its plot follows Jill Johnson, a young woman being terrorized by a psychopathic killer while babysitting, the killer's stalking of another woman, his returning to torment Jill years later, and a detective's trying to find him. Rachel Roberts, Ron O'Neal, Carmen Argenziano, and Rutanya Alda appear in supporting roles. The film derives its story from the folk legend of "the babysitter and the man upstairs".

## Credits

- **Director:** [Fred Walton](https://cinepixo.com/people/fred-walton)
- **Screenplay:** [Fred Walton](https://cinepixo.com/people/fred-walton)
- **Original Music Composer:** [Dana Kaproff](https://cinepixo.com/people/dana-kaproff)
- **Director of Photography:** [Donald Peterman](https://cinepixo.com/people/donald-peterman)

## Cast

- [Charles Durning](https://cinepixo.com/people/charles-durning)
- [Tony Beckley](https://cinepixo.com/people/tony-beckley)
- [Rachel Roberts](https://cinepixo.com/people/rachel-roberts)
- [Dick Warlock](https://cinepixo.com/people/dick-warlock)
- [William Boyett](https://cinepixo.com/people/william-boyett)
- [Ron O'Neal](https://cinepixo.com/people/ron-o-neal)
- [Colleen Dewhurst](https://cinepixo.com/people/colleen-dewhurst)
- [Steven Anderson](https://cinepixo.com/people/steven-anderson)
- [Rutanya Alda](https://cinepixo.com/people/rutanya-alda)
- [Carmen Argenziano](https://cinepixo.com/people/carmen-argenziano)
- [Carol Kane](https://cinepixo.com/people/carol-kane)

## Criticism on CinePixo

No reviews published yet.

Source: https://cinepixo.com/movies/when-a-stranger-calls-1979
Film facts: Wikidata (Q2363764); synopsis from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Reviews, themes and notes are the work of this site's members.