Sorry, Wrong Number originally appeared as a radio broadcast starring Agnes Moorehead as

Mrs. Stevenson. Many versions of this play have been performed, including a 1948 film
adaptation. I'll begin with the version I'm most familiar with, the 1948 broadcast for the
Suspense program, and then touch on variations.

The primary theme in most versions might be considered "mystery." A bedridden Leona
Stevenson is waiting for her husband, Henry, to return for the office. She calls, but his line is
engaged, so she contacts an operator see if they can help. The operator accidentally patches
her into a conversation where a murder is being plotted against a woman who lives in a
neighborhood not unlike her own. Leona attempts to report the plot to the operator, the police,
and the hospital, but she is unsuccessful in convincing each party of the urgency of the situation.
As the play progresses, the audience gradually discovers that the murder is being plotted
against Leona.

In this version, suspense and foreshadowing act as the most significant literary devices. The
audience is suspicious that Leona overheard a conversation that involves Henry, and details
emerge that the murder will take place near Leona and Henry's home on 2nd Avenue. Tension
is created through a series of clues that make it obvious to the audience that Leona will be the
victim, but leave Leona unaware until it's too late. There isn't much substance to this version of
the play without this suspense and foreshadowing.

In other versions, Leona is portrayed as a hypochondriac who comes from a wealthy family.
Henry comes from a poorer background. Leona's father doesn't approve of their marriage and
convinces a potential employer not to hire Henry. Desperate for money, Henry tries to convince
past employee of Leona's father, Mr. Evans, to help him sell narcotics to Mr. Morano. At first,
Evans refuses, but he is later overtaken with greed and decides to help Henry. Eventually, they
decide to bypass Morano to earn more profit, but Morano finds out and demands
compensation, reminding Henry that he has a wealthy wife and that an "accident" could occur.
Henry decides he has no other way to come up with the money than to murder his wife. In this
version, a major theme is the consequences of greed. Henry has a change of heart in the last
scene, but he's too late.
Sorry, Wrong Number is a thriller which makes extensive use of dramatic irony, both as a radio
play and in the 1948 film.

The phone calls provide the listener with suspense, since the viewer starts to piece together
that Leona is going to be the victim of the murder plot. That the audience realizes this before
Leona is an example of dramatic irony, which is when the audience is privy to information that
eludes the characters themselves.

As for theme, the central theme is greed—though not only in regards to money, which is
Henry's main motive in wanting his wife dead. In the movie, Leona is herself greedy for Henry's
love, and it is her smothering of him which helps estrange him from her. (Yet another example
of irony, since Leona's father was highly controlling of her as well.) Greed is presented as a
force which separates people and poisons relationships, since it is inherently selfish.

As for how the play/movie relates to modern life, one could argue that the use of the telephone
is a symbol of modern communication. Once again, this is laced with irony, because even
though a telephone is a device which makes long-distance communication possible, much of
the story is about miscommunication and divide within a marriage. For much of the movie,
Leona does not know what is going on or just how far her husband has gotten away from her.