Chicago Calling is a 1951 drama film directed by John Reinhardt and starring Dan Duryea and Mary Anderson.

The film centers on the unsuccessful photographer Bill Cannon (Dan Duryea), whose wife abandons him, leaving with their daughter to another city.

When the two get into a car accident along the way, Bill desperately seeks for money to call to Chicago to find out about their fate.

His wife, Mary, decides to move to her mother's in Baltimore, and is taking her and Bill's daughter, Nancy, with her.

An aspiring but failed photographer, Bill pawns his camera to pay for Mary's car-ride share; he then goes on an alcohol binge.

A young boy, Bobby Kimball, accidentally hits, but only slightly injures, Bill's dog with his bicycle.

The two become friends and Bill learns that Bobby is being raised by an abusive sister, Babs, who intends to place him in an orphanage when she marries her boyfriend.

Bill manages to land an overnight job on a construction site and next morning uses the money he earned to call Chicago from a pay phone.