Fingers at the Window (1942)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Charles Lederer

Writers:

Rose Caylor (story)
Rose Caylor (screenplay) ...
(more)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Film-Noir | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

DANGER AT NIGHTFALL! (original poster - all caps)

Plot:

The City of Chicago is gripped by an Axe Murderer. The streets are empty at night as there has been six murders and six people have been caught...

Plot Keywords:

Axe | Murder | Police | Actor | Psychiatry

Cast

Lew Ayres	...	Oliver Duffy
Laraine Day	...	Edwina 'Eddie' Brown
Basil Rathbone	...	Cesar Ferrari, alias Dr. H. Santelle
Walter Kingsford	...	Dr. Cromwall
Miles Mander	...	Dr. Kurt Immelman
Charles D. Brown	...	Police Inspector Gallagher
Cliff Clark	...	Police Lieutenant Allison
James Flavin	...	Police Lieutenant Schaeffer
Russell Gleason	...	Ogilvie - Reporter
William Tannen	...	Devlan - Reporter
Mark Daniels	...	Haguey - Reporter
Bert Roach	...	Krum - Reporter
Russell Hicks	...	Dr. Chandley - Speaker at the Conference
Charles Wagenheim	...	Fred F. Bixley
Robert Homans	...	Officer O'Garrity
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Iris Adrian	...	Babe Stanton (uncredited)
Ruth Alder	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Ernie Alexander	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Sam Ash	...	Theater Stage-Manager (uncredited)
Hooper Atchley	...	Ambulance Doctor (uncredited)
William Bailey	...	Policeman at Hotel (uncredited)
Arthur Belasco	...	Fat Man (uncredited)
Margaret Bert	...	Mrs. Geversar - Dr. Santelle's Maid (uncredited)
Robert Bradford	...	Whistles 'Over the Rainbow' (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Dr. Shepherd (uncredited)
Rand Brooks	...	Young Reporter (uncredited)
Eddie Buzard	...	Tall Newsboy (uncredited)
Bobby Callahan	...	Small Newsboy (uncredited)
George M. Carleton	...	Meeting Chairman (uncredited)
Wally Cassell	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Eddy Chandler	...	Bill - Mounted Policeman (uncredited)
Jules Cowles	...	Crazy Man at the Clinic (uncredited)
Mary Currier	...	Miss Hewitt - Hospital Nurse (uncredited)
Cliff Danielson	...	Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
Leslie Denison	...	Paul, at Santelle's house (uncredited)
Lester Dorr	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Ralph Dunn	...	Policeman outside Clinic (uncredited)
Byron Foulger	...	Bird Man (uncredited)
Jack Gardner	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Rudy Germaine	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Edward Hearn	...	Citizen (uncredited)
Edna Holland	...	Clinic Nurse (uncredited)
John Ince	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
William Lally	...	Police Sergeant (uncredited)
George Magrill	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Jerry Maren	...	Small Boy (uncredited)
Frank Marlowe	...	Cabbie with Cat (uncredited)
Dick Midgley	...	Police Driver (uncredited)
James Millican	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Roger Moore	...	Jim - an Actor (uncredited)
Arthur O'Connell	...	Photographer (uncredited)
George Ovey	...	Old Man with Telegram (uncredited)
Eddie Parker	...	Ambulance Driver (uncredited)
Milton Parsons	...	Jarvis J. Banhoff - First Axe-Murderer (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Police Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Frances Rafferty	...	Clinic Switchboard Operator (uncredited)
Cyril Ring	...	Extra in Audience at Meeting (uncredited)
Edwin Stanley	...	Hospital Doctor (uncredited)
Ray Teal	...	Police Car #12 Driver (uncredited)
David Tihmar	...	Dance Teacher (uncredited)
Emmett Vogan	...	Hotel Manager (uncredited)
Joe Yule	...	Citizen (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Lederer

Writing credits
Rose Caylor		(story)
Rose Caylor		(screenplay) and
Lawrence P. Bachmann		(screenplay)

Produced by
Irving Starr	....	producer

Original Music by
Bronislau Kaper
Daniele Amfitheatrof		(uncredited)
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco		(uncredited)
Lennie Hayton		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Charles Lawton Jr.		(as Charles Lawton)
Harry Stradling Sr.		(as Harry Stradling)

Film Editing by
George Boemler

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Howard Shoup		(gowns) (as Shoup)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bert Spurlin	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
William Ferrari	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director

Other crew
Robert Bradford	....	whistling double: Lew Ayres for "Over the Rainbow" (uncredited)
Dr. Charles Mandell	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• Loew's (as Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1942) (USA) (theatrical) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• Loew's (1942) (USA) (theatrical) (as Loew's Incorporated)
• Teakwood Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #8102) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Lew Ayres changed his military status from "conscientious-objector" to "non-combatant" in April 1942 causing great consternation at M-G-M, which already reshot the "Dr Kildare" film he had just completed, removing him from the cast completely. By the time this film was released, the furor had died down and it opened without incident. In fact, one reviewer noted the business was brisk, possibly because of Ayres' honesty and courage in jeapardizing his movie career for the sake of his principles.

Soundtrack:

Over the Rainbow

Positive.

This is a great little film and Lew Ayres is much under-rated as a leading man because of the Kildare series. he has a light touch that is only overpowered by the classic Basil Rathbone who gives even dross a great deal of class. Enjoy.