Cry Terror! 1958

Paul Hoplin, Rod Steiger, a calculating criminal mastermind, hatches a high-stakes blackmail scheme: he intends to extort $500,000 by threatening to blow up a crowded airline with a compact explosive device that electronics expert Jim Molner, James Mason, has unwittingly designed. Hoplin’s plan begins with a taunting call to a major carrier, setting the stage for a dramatic confrontation in the sky and on the ground.

Hoplin and his gang seize Molner, his wife Joan Molner Inger Stevens, and their young daughter Patty Molner Terry Ann Ross, spiriting them aboard as part of the ransom setup. The aircraft lands safely, and a bomb squad disarms the supposed device—the miniature gadget functioning only as proof of Hoplin’s claimed reach, a demonstration he intends to repeat for real if his demand isn’t met.

In New York, FBI agents and airline officials converge to confront the threat as Hoplin makes another chilling call. The ransom plan tightens its grip when Joan is forced to go alone to collect the money, while two accomplices—one a glamorous, hard-edged partner, the other a compliant henchman—guard her husband and child in a Midtown penthouse. The names behind the danger loom large: Kelly, a stunning but ruthless presence, and Vince, a yes-man ally, with Vince portrayed by Jack Klugman.

Hoplin’s crew also relies on their muscle, Steve, a benzedrine-addicted ex-con with a troubling history of violence toward women, played by Neville Brand. Their hideout sits in Riverdale, Bronx, a bleak backdrop that mirrors the escalating tension of the crisis as the clock ticks toward Hoplin’s deadline.

With the lives of Molner’s family on the line, Joan fights to fulfill Hoplin’s demands. She arrives with the money, only to find herself trapped with Steve. In a brutal struggle, she defends herself and ends up killing him with a shard of broken glass, a turning point that shifts the balance of danger back to Hoplin’s crew.

The FBI narrows its focus, using dental records to identify Kelly, and closes in on the group at their apartment. A brief, intense confrontation leaves Kelly wounded and Vince disarmed. Joan, acting on her own initiative, breaks away and makes a desperate run for the subway.

On the tracks, Hoplin closes the distance, only to meet a shocking fate: he steps onto the third rail and is electrocuted. Just as the danger seems to peak, an oncoming train halts in time to avoid crushing Joan, and the arriving police seal the moment, bringing a tense showdown to a dramatic close.