The Window (1949)

Director:

Ted Tetzlaff

Writers:

Cornell Woolrich (story)
Mel Dinelli (screenplay)

Release Date:

18 November 1949 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

Tagline:

It never lets you go!

Plot:

At the age of 9, Tommy Woodry has a reputation for telling tall tales -- the latest one being that his...

Plot Keywords:

Apartment | Parent | Police | Summer | Heat Wave

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Barbara Hale	...	Mrs. Mary Woodry
Arthur Kennedy	...	Mr. Ed Woodry
Paul Stewart	...	Joe Kellerson
Ruth Roman	...	Mrs. Jean Kellerson
Bobby Driscoll	...	Tommy Woodry

Runtime:

73 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

UK:A | Finland:(Banned) (1949) | Finland:K-16 (1950) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | West Germany:16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (certificate #12861)

Filming Locations:

New York, USA

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

This film was shot in the latter part of 1947 but shelved by RKO boss Howard Hughes and released in 1949. When Bobby Driscoll got his juvenile Oscar in 1950 he was 13 years old.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Tommy writes his note he leans it against a coffee cup. When Mr. Kelerson reads it, he lays it flat on the table. In the next shot of the kitchen table, the note is again leaning against the coffee cup.

Quotes:

Joe Kellerson: Hello, Tommy. Now you be quiet if you don't wanna get hurt. What's the matter, have I ever done anything to you?
Tommy Woodry: [shakes his head]
Joe Kellerson: What are you runnin' around tellin' stories for?
Tommy Woodry: They're not stories!
Joe Kellerson: No? Well, maybe if you tell me what they are, I can explain. I don't want you thinkin' these terrible things. What is it you think I did?
Tommy Woodry: You know what you did!
Joe Kellerson: But I don't. I don't know what you're talkin' about. Now, c'mon, Tommy, let's be fair. You can't accuse me of something and not tell me what it is.
Tommy Woodry: You killed somebody!
Joe Kellerson: Oh, come on, Tommy. You don't really believe that, do ya?
Tommy Woodry: I was on the fire escape! I saw ya!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Remade as Eyewitness (1970)

Driscoll Delivers

Bobby Driscoll is not a name familiar to most people, unless they are die-hard classic movie fans. Driscoll's career was short, but that wasn't because he couldn't act. This movie shows his talents as a young boy who cries wolf and then pays for it, big-time.

The first 40 minutes of this film deals with that "wolf" angle. It goes a bit too long and begins to drag the story down a bit, but stay with it. Once the killers come looking for the boy (Driscoll), the film suddenly becomes extremely tense. In fact, the tension is so strong the last 30 minutes that there are scenes you almost can't bear to watch.

Story-wise, there are some credibility questions, mainly "Why would good parents - as portrayed here by Barbara Hale and Arthur Kennedy - leave their 10-year-old all alone all night?" But, ignoring that, the film is entertaining and has a good ending, so I have no complaints.

Driscoll does a fine job of acting, as mentioned, and Hale became famous for being Perry Mason's secretary on television. Kennedy is always interesting no matter what film he is in, and Paul Stewart is effective as the villain.

As of this writing, the VHS tape is out-of-print, and there is no DVD available yet, sad to say. Hopefully, that oversight will be corrected soon. This film is a valuable part of anyone's film noir collection.