OK, first things first. This isn't a good film, no insights on the meaning of life here, not even a good proper noir ending.
A Cry in the Night is the best of the Mary Higgins Clark novels and the best of the movies. Although the movie would have been better if it had followed the book more closely, it was still good.
Seeing Raymond Burr as a quirky psychotic takes some getting used to after years as ultra- respectable Perry Mason. Still, he does well in the role, his bulky frame and sad eyes perfect for an overgrown mama's boy.