Sorry, Wrong Number by Lucille Fletcher
Flashcard maker : Gracie Stone
Who wrote this play?
Lucille Fletcher
Whose bedroom is described as having “expensive, rather fussy furnishings”?
Mrs. Stevenson
What is Mrs. Stevenson wearing during the play?
a bed-jacket
What three items are on Mrs. Stevenson’s night-table?
phone, lamp, and pill bottles
What is crucial to allowing the murder to happen without being heard by a neighbor?
a subway train crosses a nearby bridge, which would cover the sound of the victim’s screams
What number is Mrs. Stevenson trying to dial?
Murray Hill 4-0098
How are spotlights used during the play?
They switch on to illuminate a character who’s speaking, and then switch off when that character is not.
When she first reaches the operator at the beginning of the play, how long does Mrs. Stevenson say that the line has been busy?
45 minutes
Whose office is Mrs. Stevenson trying to call?
her husband’s
Where does Mrs. Stevenson say her husband is during the events of the play?
working late at the office
Who is described as a “killer-type,” standing in a phone booth and wearing a hat?
George
What time is the murder supposed to happen?
11:15 pm
What happens at 11:00 that will allow the murder to happen?
the private patrolman goes around to the bar
Where is the bar that the private patrolman goes to each night at 11:00?
Second Avenue
What specifics has the client requested of George for the murder?
quick, with as little blood as possible– she should not suffer; make it look like a robbery by stealing the jewelry
What murder weapon is to be used?
a knife
What items is George supposed to remove from the body after the murder?
rings and bracelets
After Mrs. Stevenson hears the murder conversation, she calls the operator again. What does she want the operator to do?
retrace the call
How does Mrs. Stevenson believe she heard the murder plot, instead of reaching her husband’s office?
She believes the operator must have accidentally dialed the wrong number.
When Mrs. Stevenson asks the Chief Operator to trace the call, why does she say she may be unable to do so?
If the parties have hung up the phone, it’s now untraceable.
From where does the Chief Operator take her pencil?
from her hair-do
What is Mrs. Stevenson’s telephone number?
Plaza 4-2295
Why does the Chief Operator say she’d need “something more official” to trace the call?
Because Mrs. Stevenson is a private individual, who doesn’t have the authority to have a call traced
What does the lunch counter attendant bring Sergeant Duffy for dessert with his lunch?
French crullers
What did Sergeant Duffy want for dessert, instead of the French crullers he got?
jelly doughnuts
When Sergeant Duffy hears that the lunch counter attendant brought French crullers, he complains and asks why he didn’t make it apple pie instead. What’s the reason he gives?
He has ulcers.
What precinct is the police department that Mrs. Stevenson calls?
43
What is Mrs. Stevenson’s full married name, as she tells it to Sergeant Duffy?
Mrs. Elbert Smythe Stevenson
What is Mrs. Stevenson’s address?
53 North Sutton Street
In what city does the story take place?
New York City
What bridge is near Mrs. Stevenson’s house?
the Queensboro Bridge
Why does Mrs. Stevenson say she hates to be alone?
She’s an invalid.
Mrs. Stevenson says her husband tells her she’s safe at home alone, as long as she has what?
As long as she has the phone beside her bed
What is Sergeant Duffy drinking during his conversation with Mrs. Stevenson?
a paper cup of coffee
What does Mrs. Stevenson say that Sergeant Duffy should do?
a complete and thorough search of the whole city
What is the Stevensons’ maid’s name?
Eloise
Who does Mrs. Stevenson describe as “a big two-hundred-pounder”?
her maid, Eloise
How many years ago does Mrs. Stevenson say she took sick?
12
Who does Mrs. Stevenson say “adores her”?
her husband, Elbert
Sergeant Duffy says “Just now I’ve got a couple of other matters here on my desk that require my immediate attention,”— what does he mean?
apple pie
Why is Mrs. Stevenson unable to get through to her husband’s office?
the line is busy
What character is a self-described “invalid”?
Mrs. Stevenson
At the end of the story, what begins to upset Mrs. Stevenson even more than her failed attempts to call her husband?
someone is calling her and not saying anything
What is the gist of the Western Union telegram Mrs. Stevenson gets from her husband?
He is working late, and is then leaving for a business trip to Boston, but will be back the next day.
When Mrs. Stevenson calls Information, what number does she request?
the number for Henchley Hospital
What procedure did Mrs. Stevenson have done at Henchley Hospital?
appendectomy
What does Information tell Mrs. Stevenson when she asks for the time?
They tell her to call a phone number that will give it to her.
Why does Mrs. Stevenson call Henchley Hospital?
She wants to hire a registered nurse for the night.
Why is the woman on the phone at the hospital unwilling to send a nurse out to Mrs. Stevenson right away?
She hasn’t been referred by a doctor.
What alarming sound does Mrs. Stevenson hear while she’s on the phone with the hospital?
a click as if someone had lifted the receiver off the hook downstairs, and is listening to her– followed by another click confirming that he has hung up
Where does the play get its title?
It’s what the killer (George) says to Sergeant Duffy when he answers the phone.
