• It is a brilliant premise- one of those films can sum up and get someone intrigued in thirty seconds—a young boy who is known for his tall tales, witnesses a murder through a window in his apartment building, and nobody believes him. There’s not much else, but not much else needed in this 73 minute taut little film

It is a brilliant premise- one of those films can sum up and get someone intrigued in thirty seconds—a young boy who is known for his tall tales, witnesses a murder through a window in his apartment building, and nobody believes him

  • Starts with the Aesop’s Fables “boy who cried wife” titles
  • The kid actor is Bobby Driscoll (sort of a sad true life tale if you read up on him)—he witnesses a murder as Ted Tetzlaff (not a director I’ve heard of before or since with an archiveable film)- but better known as a director of photography (100+ credits including Notorious) positions the camera beautifully right outside the window

Ted Tetzlaff- the director here- had over 100 credits as director of photography including Notorious– just three years before The Window

  • The camera repeatedly uses Driscoll’s perspective, eyes through the window shade, or through the wood in the old abandoned building during the climax
  • It is certainly a thriller—you can see the shadows of Paul Stewart’s character on the stairs like a horror film. Stewart (Citizen Kane and a few other smaller roles) has these great sunken eyes—looks like a shorter Boris Karloff in the more horror-leaning scenes here

It is certainly a thriller—you can see the shadows of Paul Stewart’s character on the stairs like a horror film.

  • Again it is a feat of acting and charm from Driscoll that you don’t find this kid overly annoying. You have to feel for the kid or the film doesn’t work. The always dependable Arthur Kennedy easily the biggest name in the cast.
  • Recommend but not in the top 10 of 1949