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Download, Watch online The Window Movie.
| Genres: | ThrillerDramaFilm-N |
| Starring: | Arthur Kennedy, Paul Stewart, Barbara Hale, Bobby Driscoll, Ruth Roman |
| Director(s): | Ted Tetzlaff |
| Country: | USA |
| Year: | 1949 |
| IMDB Rating: | 7.5 |
At the age of 9, Tommy Woodry has a reputation for telling tall tales -- the latest one being that his family is moving from Manhattan to a ranch out west. When the landlord interrupts the Woodrys at dinner to show their about to be vacated apartment, the Woodrys tell Tommy enough is enough. Then that hot summer night Tommy decides to sleep on the fire escape -- outside the Kellersons apartment, since it is a story higher and gets more breeze. Tommy sees the Kellersons kill a man. Tommys parents and the police wont believe his story. But the Kellersons want to silence him.
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The Window (iPod) | Resolution: 480x368 px | Total Size: 203 Mb |
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The Window (DivX) | Resolution: 704x528 px | Total Size: 625 Mb |
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Movie Photos: We have taken some photos of "The Window". They represent actual movie quality.
Visitor Reviews: (20)
ivan-22 13 May 2012
The ultimate window
Forget "Rear Window". This is he ultimate window movie. The plot is a bitcontrived and manipulative and somewhat unsavory, as in all thrillers, butthe esthetics of the film, the grim tenement environment is a real treat. Ireact more to the esthetic element than the dramatic per se. Whereas thisgreat film is intimate, moody, subdued and modest, "Rear Window" throwsstars, light and colors at you in a sad display of artistic insecurity.Bobby Driscoll and the other cast members are very good, which isn'tsurprising, as good movies tend to inspire good acting. I first saw it as akid, and although I had trouble understanding the plot, I knew it was anexceptional film.
dougdoepke 12 May 2012
Neo-Realism Meets Noir
A little boy learns the value of truth-telling in white-knuckle,claustrophobic fashion a memorably done movie in all departments. Noneed to dwell here on the consensus strong points.Seeing this taut little thriller in a small western town when I was 10not only scared the heck out of me, but influenced my perception ofurban life for years to come. Seeing the film again 60 years later, I'mimpressed with producer Dore Schary's insistence on the grimness of thetenements, at least by later suburban standards. There's no attempt toglamorize or even varnish the family's dingy, cramped flat. Whether onNY location or on an RKO sound stage, the lighting remains dark andoppressive. Of course, that not only heightens the nourish atmosphere,but also lends an uncommon degree of realism to the family's working-class environment. After all, Dad works the nightshift, while Mom helpswith the extended family, leaving little Tommy home alone. And that, Ibelieve, amounts to more than just a handy plot device. And get a loadof the on-location ruins where the kids play at the beginningÂlookslike something out of post-war Europe. No wonder MGM went after Scharyin an effort to become more socially relevant in post-Andy HardyAmerica. There may be a lot of Hollywood in the melodrama itself, butthe look and feel is definitely not Hollywood of the time. What a finelittle film that's still edge-of-the-seat excitement. And, if I recallcorrectly, I was an especially good little boy for a long timeafterward.
MCL1150 05 May 2012
Top Ten Film Noir
In film, there's two kinds of 'predictable'. First, there's the "Ican't believe they'd do something SO INCREDIBLY OBVIOUS!!" type. Thenthere's the kind of predictable in which you know exactly what willhappen next, but the suspense still literally tears you to pieces! "TheWindow" is definitely the latter and it's all the better for it. Featuring a great, if mostly unknown cast, this should be counted amongthe top film noir's ever made. Starring 12 year old Bobby Driscoll,there's also noir vet Paul Stewart, Ruth Roman, Barbara Hale and ArthurKennedy who's probably the best actor to ever have been Oscar nominatedfive times without ever having won. Directed by Ted Tetzlaff, Jr., aseasoned and previously Oscar nominated cinematographer himself,virtually every frame is a beautifully crafted black & white image ofsubstantial texture and depth. Photographed by William O. Steiner &Robert DeGrasse, the camera-work is brilliant. The direction of theactors is just as good. Every character comes across as a real, livingbreathing human being (even the killers) and every actor turns innothing less than a terrific performance. As icing on the cake, the rundown tenement and condemned building setsare so perfect that they count as characters themselves. The climaticscene in the abandoned building is simply incredible. How they filmedsuch a realistic looking nail bitter of a scene in 1949 is beyond me.Today it would all be done on a computer, but not in 1949. I won't ruinit, but I felt like I was right there teetering on the edge of thatfailing wooden support beam about to plummet three stories along withthe characters. Not a bit overdone, this particular scene is one of thebest photographed, executed and outright suspenseful scenes ever put onfilm. And while there is a musical score, it gives way to the naturalsound of the setting at key moments rather than to telegraph what'scoming next.With its terrific combination of acting, directing, writing,photography, art direction and restrained musical score, this "little"film is the complete package. At about 73 minutes in length, it's allstory and not a second of fluff or padding. I'd bet the farm that if"The Window" ever gets remade they'll add at least 20-30 minutes forfear that today's audience will feel cheated by such a short runningtime. "The Window" was produced by RKO Studios. Great Film Noir flickswere a specialty of theirs and this is one of the very best.
brocksilvey 05 May 2012
Would Make Hitchcock Proud
I was impressed with this film. It's quite a well made little movie forits type: well scripted and directed, and especially well acted. Childstar Bobby Driscoll plays a little boy living in a New York Cityapartment building during a sweltering summer, who sees his upstairsneighbors murder someone. He can't get anyone to believe him, becausehe's become notorious for making up stories. But the killers find outthat he knows something, and they come after him.The actors that play Driscoll's parents are very good, especiallyArthur Kennedy, that old pro of a character actor, who makes theworking class Joe he's playing here utterly believable. You'llrecognize Paul Stewart, the male half of the murdering couple, as thecrime boss with a pool in Robert Aldrich's "Kiss Me Deadly." And Ishould also mention Bobby Driscoll, who does not play his role in theprecocious, cloying 40's child star manner you might suspect, butinstead is able to come across as a normal every-day little boy.The plot's not complicated, but nevertheless the script writers takepains to make sure that there's a logical motivation behind everyaction, and you don't have to suspend disbelief while watching thisfilm as you do with virtually every other crime thriller drama fromthis time period. And the movie does a great job at tapping into thatfeeling all children at some point experience of being all alone intheir own home, when everything suddenly seems stranger and moresinister without the protective presence of their parents.A fine no-nonsense film from the last days of the 40's and well worthtracking down.Grade: A
30 April 2012
"I was on the fire escape! I saw ya!"
Eleven-year-old Bobby Driscoll won a special Oscar for his work in THE WINDOW. Driscoll portrays Tommy Woodry-- a little boy with a big imagination. Tommy's many fantasies and outright lies have in the past caused problems for his parents, so now this "boy who cried wolf" one too many times has a serious credibility problem.One stifling summer night, Tommy gets permission to sleep on the family's second floor fire escape. While outside, Tommy witnesses a murder in the apartment above through a partially-raised shade. Joe Kellerson (Stewart) stabs a man in the back with scissors.Tommy wakes his mom (Hale) and tells what he saw; she dismisses this report as another piece of fiction and tells him to go to bed. In the morning, Tommy's insistence that he's seen a homicide angers Ed Woodly (Kennedy), and the boy is sent to his room to "think about" these many lies.Instead, the determined kid slips away and runs to the police to report the crime. A detective brings Tommy home, goes upstairs, tells Mrs. Kellerson (Roman) that he's a building inspector, and looks around the apartment. Seeing nothing unusual, he leaves.Jean K. is alarmed by the visit and gets more so when Tommy and mother Mary come knocking. She wants her child to apologize to the neighbor for stories he's telling but the frightened Tommy refuses and runs downstairs.When Joe Kellerson returns home that night, Jean (correctly) insists that the boy downstairs knows about the killing. She drops off a telegram to Mary Woodly that the Kellersons received "by mistake." Mary is needed out of town to nurse a sick relative, and Ed, who works overnights tells his son he must stay home by himself. Terror-stricken, Tommy begs to go with his mom or dad, but is refused.The last half-hour of this story is a perfect exercise in sheer terror. "The Window" is a film not to be missed. Highest recommendation!.Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 IMDb viewer poll rating.(7.5) The Window (1949) - Barbara Hale/Arthur Kennedy/Paul Stewart/Ruth Roman/Bobby Driscoll
bob the moo 30 April 2012
Solid B-movie, predictable but enjoyable
The Woodry family live on a housing tenement made up of several blocks. Their son, Tommy, has a habit of telling wild stories he has made up and hisparents can't seem to break his habit. One very hot night Tommy sleeps onthe fire escape to try and cool down but hears noises from the apartmentabove and looks in their window. He sees Mr and Mrs Kellerton kill a manand dump his body. Tommy tells his parents but they don't believe him butwhen he tells the police the Kellerton's realise they must kill Tommy beforehe can tell anyone else.I taped this film solely because I wanted to see Barbara Hale before shebecame Perry Mason's secretary Della Street. I knew nothing of the plot butthe opening title card telling the story of the boy who cried wolf basicallytold me everything. Basically you know what's going to happen and you canguess the outline of the ending from the first few scenes. However thatdidn't seem to matter to me. The film is short and manages to move along ata nice speed without dragging.The director has done a good job with the lighting etc and the dark streetsand corridors all add to the feeling of tension. The black and white was areal nice brown hint to the version I saw and worked a treat in some keyscenes. The finale is pretty good even if it holds no realsurprises.It's nice to see Kennedy as a younger man rather than the roles I know himfrom. Likewise Hale is good in a role unlike her minor turns as DellaStreet. She looks so very different but when she talks you know instantlywho it is. Driscoll is good with some issues. I didn't like his wide-eyedall American boy role, but then that WAS his role! Plus this was the 1950'swhere that's what child actors did (they still turn out the wide eyed stuffnow a bit too often). His range is good even if his `gee shucks mom'performance is grating.Overall this has no shocks and is pretty predictable. However it is quitewell paced and the director manages a good sense of tension and atmospherein the dark tenement block. A little more plot and explanation would havehelped but overall I enjoyed this for the 70 odd minutes it wason.
Theo Robertson 22 April 2012
Dated But Still Compelling
Any Brits here remember films by The Children's Film Foundation ? CFFmovies were quite popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s though werealmost certainly only popular with the people who made them and what apile of patronising middle class crap they were too . The plot usuallyinvolved a couple of career criminals played by Bernard Cribbins andRoy Kinnear hiding some stolen loot and some toffee nosed kids fromsome fee paying stage school ( No doubt the kids parents wasted a lotof money sending them there - GOOD ! )playing characters no one cantake seriously saying " Gosh " and " Cor blimey " and the villains turnup and say " you meddling kids , give us back our money or so help me.. " then the kids make a getaway and inform the police who arrest thevillains . The end ( Of the child casts acting career - DOUBLE GOOD ) .Talk about patronising the audience , these films didn't so much talkdown the audience - They shouted When I read the synopsis in the TV guide of a young boy witnessing amurder and no one believing him I thought I'd be watching some Americanprecursor to the CFF and it was very nice to be proved wrong becauseTHE WINDOW is made by Hollywood producers who know how to entertain ,enthrall and excite an audience and have turned what's basically a lowbudget B movie into something of a minor classic . It's inexpensive ,contains no big name stars ( Though the cast in general and 12 year oldBobby Driscoll * in particular are superb ) but is so well written andtense you quickly become involved in the story and will remember it fora long time afterwards Perhaps the most memorable thing about the movie is the peculiar moresinvolving children in those days and ill received the film would be nowif it was released . Tommy's father works night shift and his mother isaway visiting a sick relative so Tommy is locked in the house alone .Bad enough but later when Tommy's father mentions he's locked the childup alone to a policeman the cop doesn't bat an eyelid at thisarrangement . Even worse there's a scene where Tommy's abductor and apoliceman discuss giving the boy " A good lickin'" and as for the scenein the cab where... This makes the story even more shocking and heartstopping because the audience realise that the cops aren't necessarilygoing to help Tommy in any way . Can you imagine the outcry if analmost identical scene for scene remake appeared in 2005 ? Socialworkers , parents groups , police chiefs , politicians and otherassorted bleeding heart liberal elitists and social engineers wouldissue a fatwa against the producers and studio that released it .Watching THE WINDOW today you realise just what a dynamic piece ofstory telling it is * As a footnote please take the time and trouble of reading the veryreal tragic story of child actor Bobby Driscoll . I'm shocked thatHollywood hasn't made a multi award winning bio-pic of his life story .I'm certain they will one day in the future
22 April 2012
The Window
This review is from: The Window [Remaster] (DVD) "The Window" was made in 1949 and is a movie gem.'Thrills and Chills' proclaim the movie posters of the day butthat would be the understatement of the year.This movie makes Alfed Hitchcock's classic "Rear Window" look likean amateur piece of work. "The Window" is riveting stuff and isentertainment at its very best. It is nerve wrenching and totallyabsorbing from beginning to end.The movie stars popular child star Bobby Driscoll who at the timewas under contract to the Walt Disney Studios. He was loaned out toR-K-O Radio to play the part of Tommy Woodry which was a major rolein the movie.Tommy, who lives with his mother and father in an old apartmentbuilding in the city, witnesses a murder in an adjoining apartment.Unfortunately, Tommy has an over-active imagination and tells tallstories, so no one believes him.The couple who carried out the murder eventually come to theconclusion that Tommy witnessed the murder whilst on the fire escapeoutside their apartment and begin to formulate plans to shut him upget rid of him. The pair stalk Tommy in a menacing way so much sothat it sends shivers up and down your spine.The parents who still don't believe his story leave Tommy (underprotest) in the apartment alone for long periods of time to faceimpending disaster.What an incredible young actor is Bobby Driscoll who has the abilityto convey to the audience the fear and panic that he is experiencing.This is Bobby Driscoll's picture. You can be certain of that and forthe role he played in this movie, Bobby Driscoll won a Special AcademyAward at the 1949 Academy Awards presentation as the outstandingjuvenile actor of 1949.Very highly recommended. Prepare to be shocked and youwon't be disappointed. It is a masterpiece of suspense.
bts1984 08 April 2012
American masterpiece
This may be a small movie, but it offers a lot during its less than 75minutes long. This is one of the finest films ever.This preciousness of cinema deals with the old thematic that we mustnever lie, otherwise we may be telling the truth one day and nobodywill believe us. That's precisely what happens to our Tommy Woodry, avery cute and harmless child with the habit of crying wolf (perhapsbecause he feels bored?). There's no denying that Tommy has a very bigimagination: the story that he's gonna buy himself a horse, that he'sgonna move to a ranch out west but not before shooting indians. Tommy'stall tales put a grin on my face.Tommy's lies take his parents to despair. When he witnesses theKellersons committing a crime, he can't manage to get anyone to believehim. No matter how hard he tries, he can't change his parents's minds.Even the police is reluctant: they believe him at first but they stopdoing so the moment Tommy's mother tells about his reputation as anative story teller.Although it's understandable that his parents won't believe him, theytake such drastic measures on Tommy that they fail miserably to protecthim. As for the police, they play in a situation when Tommy is at thehands of the criminals, also failing miserably to protect him. All ofthis makes you completely hate Tommy's parents and the police. Tommylives this urban nightmare all alone and cannot count on anyone to helphim but himself.Even so, there is nothing I would really change in this movie in anyway, except perhaps a slightly longer length. Nevertheless, it's simplyflawless. The plot is excellent, the characters are believable, all theactors are superb, the music is dramatic and adds emotion, the 1940'sNYC scenario is amazing and the film is very tense and feelshitchcockian. The pace is always brilliant, both when the movie is morecalm and when it is frightening, intense and suspenseful.A very interesting and fascinating movie. And to think that RKO bossHoward Hughes didn't want to give it a chance at first! We would havelost this pearl of cinema...Bobby Driscoll is fantastic as Tommy Woodry. Although he was a Disneyactor, he was "loaned" to RKO Pictures for this timeless classic. Avery clever decision, as he was a wonderful actor. I hope he's not justremembered for his work at Disney but also for this noir classic.Title in Portugal: 'O Que Viram os Meus Olhos'.
jamesmckone 07 April 2012
Excellent Film!!!!
I loved this film, i watched it by chance late at night and had neverseen anything like it. The small boy is brilliant and the enclosedcommunity where it is set is brilliant and creepy. It was one of thosefilms where you don't want to blink as it is truly unpredictable, themost gripping film i have ever seen and incredibly scary. The film isonly about an hour long and this adds to the tension, scenes are notprolonged and suspicion and fear are created with a fast pace, and anurgency and despair of the boy. This is a film worth watching as it isdifferent from the big budget, special effects thrillers. it createsfear through the intensity of the boy and his parents fear of hissanity.
theowinthrop 31 March 2012
The Boy Who Cried "Murder!"
The story of the fall of the career of Bobby Driscoll sort of puts adowner effect on all of his films. In the late 1940s and early 1950sDriscoll had a remarkably effective movie career, including thestarring role in this classic film noir and roles in TREASURE ISLANDand LONG JOHN SILVER with Robert Newton, and the voice of PETER PAN inthe Disney cartoon. His drug addiction and lonely death were a tragicwaste of a talented actor.THE WINDOW is one of those unexpected classic films that were madewithout vast publicity campaigns or expense, with a simple and goodcast involved, and a good script. It also has a classic pedigree, goingback to the fables of Aesop. It is a variant on the story of the boythat cried wolf.Driscoll plays a lively little boy with a vivid imagination. Hisparents (Arthur Kennedy and Barbara Hale) are living in a lower class -working class district in a city. Kennedy has a job that takes him outof the house at night. In fact, this is a film that clings to thenight.Driscoll happens to tell a whopper of a lie, and it blows up in hisface because it embarrasses his parents. So his reputation for tellingthe truth has been compromised. While sleeping on the fire estate ofhis home at night, he faces the apartment of Paul Stewart and his wifeRuth Roman. Stewart has a business associate over at his apartment,gets into a quarrel, and kills the associate. Unfortunately, Driscollsees this - but equally unfortunate Stewart sees that Driscollwitnessed it. So follows a long, involved cat and mouse game, with Stewart coveringup traces of the murder (with Roman's assistance), and at the same timedoing everything he can to dismiss Driscoll's claims of the murder asjust his silly over-imagination again. As Kennedy and Hale arehalf-inclined to believe this, they too refuse to listen to Driscoll'sarguments. But Stewart is also aware that at some point, somebody mightjust decide to double check Driscoll's stories, especially if heremains so insistent that he is not lying. So Stewart has to find theright moment to grab this annoying kid, and get rid of the onlywitness.There are problems though. Driscoll's youth also means he is moreenergetic and physically adept than Stewart. Also, although Roman ishelping her husband she is not really keen about killing a little boy.Finally there is also the fact that, although they strongly doubtDriscoll's story, Kennedy and Hale love their son, and think he's atroubled little boy. Soon Kennedy's actions are gumming up Stewart'splanning as well.Besides Driscoll's performance, Stewart gave one of his best villainsin the film, being plausible on the surface, but as deadly inintentions as they come. Kennedy's father is a hard working man,struggling for a better life for his family, and tired of his son'stall tales. But at the right moment he does start wondering if he'sbeen just too complacent about his son's "lying".The conclusion is a tense and exciting fight between Stewart andDriscoll in a deserted building. It is a first rate conclusion to thisfascinating and scary film which makes us wonder how seriously do weever take our kids, and in what ways do we show it.
jpdoherty 31 March 2012
Most Convincing Child Performance!
"THE BOY CRIED ' WOLF' 'WOLF' SEVERAL TIMES AND EACH TIME THE PEOPLE CAME TO HELP HIM THEY FOUND THERE WASN'T ANY 'WOLF' ".Aesop's FablesRKO certainly lived up to its reputation as the finest creators of FilmNoir with this taut and suspenseful thriller made in 1947. Held back,for some reason, by Howard Hughes until a 1949 release THE WINDOW wasbased on a story by Cornell Woolrich that became a splendid screenplayby Mel Dinelli. Photographed in stunning crisp Monochrome by WilliamSteiner it was directed with unrivaled regard to tension and impact byTed Tetzlaff. With no marquee names to speak of and costing a modestsum to produce on the streets of New York's Lower East Side the picturewas a great success with both critics and public alike.The story of THE WINDOW concerns a 10 year boy Tommy Woodry (BobbyDriscoll) who just loves to spin yarns and tell tall tales. He lives ina modest apartment with his parents (Arthur Kennedy and Barbara Hale)in the lower East Side of New York city where his playground is thedilapidated tenements that surround him. One warm night he awakens andbecause of the heat takes his pillow out on to the fire escape tosleep. Here he witnesses a murder under the window shade of anadjoining apartment. But being the great story teller he is no one willbelieve him. No one, that is, except the killers themselves (PaulStewart and Ruth Roman) who now must find a way to silence the boy.From here on the film never lets up. It becomes a white knuckle ride asTommy tries to escape the killers clutches down alley ways and acrossthe dodgy rooftops of dangerous tenements. The picture ends with one ofthe killers falling to his death and Tommy being reunited with hisparents who finally believe him. Now he makes a solemn promise never tocry 'Wolf' again.Adding greatly to the thrills is the marvellous music score by RKO'sNoir composer in residence Roy Webb. With a terrific main theme, heardin its broadest form under the titles, there is also some splendideerie music for the stalking scenes and exciting action cues for thechase sequences.But there is little doubt that the film is held tightly together anddominated by the outstanding central performance from the ill-fated 10year old Bobby Driscoll. You simply cannot take your eyes off him. Anamazing little actor, it is a great shame he never got to have a fullcareer in film. But it was never to be! Fate had other plans for him.He was to be plagued with bad luck for the rest of his days. First hesuffered with severe acne in his teens which halted his film career.Then he was arrested and sent to jail on drugs charges. When he wasreleased his reputation proceeded him and he was unemployable inHollywood. Later he made a couple of stabs at supporting roles in filmsof no repute. But he never regained even the slightest spark of hischildhood genius. With his career virtually over he became a drugabuser again. In 1968 - and ironically in the same setting as hisgreatest success in the film THE WINDOW - two children playing foundhis dead body in a derelict tenement in New York's Lower East Side. Hewas only 31 years old. It is quite inconceivable that for someone whohad demonstrated such a mighty talent should finish up unknown,unclaimed and sadly come to be buried in a pauper's grave on HartIsland.
Atreyu_II 26 March 2012
A brilliant film
This film is a masterpiece. It's one of the best movies of all times.It might be very old and in black and white, but I don't care and thatfact doesn't bother me at all - it makes perfect sense, considering thegeneration it is from. It's an excellent piece of cinema, appreciate itfor what it is without thinking about its age. Plus, a movie in blackand white is an art form, no matter how "primitive" it might be. Manytimes the most simple things are the best and this very interestingmotion picture is a very good example of this.This film is simple yet masterfully done. The plot is simple, easy tounderstand yet unpredictable and there isn't a single boring moment.The movie is visually simple yet visually fascinating at the same time.It's a suspense noir film, carefully made even in details. The pace issimply perfect. They don't make movies of this quality anymore.This is a RKO Pictures's production. All actors are great in theirroles, but Bobby Driscoll steals the show. He is simply superb. Infact, Driscoll's extraordinary performance as Tommy Woodry earned him awell deserved special Academy Award as the outstanding juvenile actor.Bobby Driscoll does incredible things in this film. He climbs up thebuilding's fire escape, runs entire floors (up and down), runs in NewYork streets... all stuff that require not only agility but also goodphysical shape. Plus, the character he portrays is the perfect exampleof someone who is being sincere but nobody believes because of hishabit of making up fantasious stories (although he doesn't do for bad).His eyes are very expressive, as well as his expressions. Bobby Driscoll's cuteness and charm matches the character he portrays:a lively, nice and adorable kid. We really feel bad for his character.He knows the truth about the homicide he witnessed (commited by theKellersons, his upstairs neighbors) and desperately tries to makepeople believe and no one does, not even the police. To make mattersworse, the poor kid is accused of being a liar and even forced toapologize the murderers, locked and left all alone at home (despitebegging many times not to be left alone), punished, every time he triesto do something things only get worse for him and ends up at the mercyof the killers. All of this makes his good parents seem almost as evilas the Kellersons. As for the police, it surprises me how incompetentand ignorant they are. In fact, the movie is very tense, dark, thrilling, intense and creepy.It's a fascinating movie experience. There are some terrifying momentscombined with small but significant details that makes them deliciouslymore sinister.A particularly frightening moment is when the criminals take Tommy in ataxicab and the kid screams in despair to the taxidriver (who doesn'thear and is unaware of what's going on) and to a police officer (who isfooled by the murderers - they pretend to be Tommy's parents and makethe policeman believe that the kid is paranoid). And then theKellersons punch him in the face and put him to sleep withchloroform... and their cruel intentions after that. The final minutesare also extremely tense and a producer of nerves. The movie is quite short. The only repair it'd deserve is a wee bitlarger ending and not so rushed as it is. But that is just a minordetail, the movie is perfect the way it is and takes many elements fromAlfred Hitchcock's work. And I love the look of NY in the 40's and allthose details showing the city's daily life, such as the Subway trains.The music of the film is marvelous, perfect for it. Bobby Driscoll is so amazing in this film that it makes me feel evenmore sorry for the disgrace his life became later. It's stupid that hewas fired just because of acne and just because he reached the curse ofgrowing up. His film career ended way too soon, in a time when he wasso young and talented and still had so much to give. Plus, he did somuch for Disney that he didn't deserve to be treated this way.This should definitely be on Top 250.
25 March 2012
Thrilling
This review is from: The Window [Remaster] (DVD) I would like to give this product 5 stars but honestly: its not restored, its a DVD-R, No Chapters - thats ok so far. But NO SUBTITLES are available.The Picture quality changes a little bit. On the beginning any scenes has some defects (watchable) but mainly - for a not restored movie the quality is very good.AND NOW THE BIGGEST PLUS:Bobby Driscoll, loaned exclusively from Disney to RKO to making this movie. I never heard or saw this movie before. The only reason to buy this DVD was just this amazing talented child actor Bobby Driscoll where died (sadly) very young."The Window", mady in 1949, is a film noir and absolutely very thrilling. Specially the hunt on the end. I was really speechless. THE STORY: Tommy, is lying and telling some weird stories. But one night he saw a murder. But who's believe him now? His Parents? The Police? FAZIT: thrilling. Buy it and enjoy this amazing acting. SUPPORTING: Barbara Hale, Ruth Roman.
21MM392 24 March 2012
A ten-year-old with an overactive imagination is subjected to a night of real big city terror in 1949.
"The Window" is a rich and underrated tale of urban terror from aten-year-old's perspective. Tommy Woodry is jolted from his innocent worldof make believe games when he witnesses a murder in the middle of thenight.Making the terror all the worse is that the murderers are his upstairsneighbors, the Kellertons, and neither the police nor his parents willbelieve his story. The terror grows darker when Tommy's only protection,his parents, leave for the night because of shift work and family illness.The music and lighting brilliantly reflect the evil that begins withnightfall and the removal of his parents. When the Kellertons kidnapTommy,even pretending to be his parents to fool the police, bad "parents"replacethe good ones."The Window", in a way, is the opposite of the classic "These Three" ofthirteen years earlier. In the latter, the lies of a young girl (BonitaGranville) regarding adult wrongdoing are believed without reservation,withswift and devastating consequences. "The Window" also nicely showcases thehard life of the working class in 1949: the only telephone is at the drugstore and the apartments are cramped and dilapidated with no modernappliances.Paul Stewart, as Joe Kellerton, plays his villainous role with a cool,almost smug arrogance, while Bobby Driscoll, as Tommy, expertly handlestherole of an innocent child drawn into the gritty ugliness of urbanviolence.The movie maintains a fast pace, with total suspense all the way to thenail-biting end, and every second of it is worth watching.
23 March 2012
The Window
This review is from: The Window [Remaster] (DVD) "The Window" was made in 1949 and is a movie gem.'Thrills and Chills' proclaim the movie posters of the day butthat would be the understatement of the year.This movie makes Alfed Hitchcock's classic "Rear Window" look like an amateur piece of work. "The Window" is riveting stuff and isentertainment at its very best. It is nerve wrenching and totallyabsorbing from beginning to end.The movie stars popular child star Bobby Driscoll who at the timewas under contract to the Walt Disney Studios. He was loaned out to R-K-O Radio to play the part of Tommy Woodry which was a major rolein the movie. Tommy, who lives with his mother and father in an old apartmentbuilding in the city, witnesses a murder in an adjoining apartment.Unfortunately, Tommy has an over-active imagination and tells tallstories, so no one believes him.The couple who carried out the murder eventually come to theconclusion that Tommy witnessed the murder whilst on the fire escape outside their apartment and begin to formulate plans to shut him up get rid of him. The pair stalk Tommy in a menacing way so much sothat it sends shivers up and down your spine.The parents who still don't believe his story leave Tommy (underprotest) in the apartment alone for long periods of time to faceimpending disaster.What an incredible young actor is Bobby Driscoll who has the abilityto convey to the audience the fear and panic that he is experiencing.This is Bobby Driscoll's picture. You can be certain of that and for the role he played in this movie, Bobby Driscoll won a Special AcademyAward at the 1949 Academy Awards presentation as the ouitstandingjuvenile actor of 1949.Very highly recommended. Prepare to be shocked and youwon't be disappointed. It is a masterpiece of suspense.
julikell 17 March 2012
Claustrophobic thriller
The claustrophobic cinematography makes this film. You feel cramped andtrapped as does our young hero. The tenements are lit just enough for youtoimaging all sorts of horrors within. The ending was evidently rushed and abit hokey; the director et al. could have fleshed it out a bitmoreThis is a very real film, in that we all know children who 'fabricate' aseasily as they breath. Bobby Driscoll was superb. I've never seen hisDisneywork -- now I'll keep my eye out for his name.I loved seeing a younger Arthur Kennedy (before he played only drunks) andaplain but always pretty Barbara Hale (pre-Perry Mason). Both were excellentand demonstrated a range I never gave them credit for.
17 March 2012
"I was on the fire escape! I saw ya!"
Eleven-year-old Bobby Driscoll won a special Oscar for his work in THE WINDOW. Driscoll portrays Tommy Woodry-- a little boy with a big imagination. Tommy's many fantasies and outright lies have in the past caused problems for his parents, so now this "boy who cried wolf" one too many times has a serious credibility problem.One stifling summer night, Tommy gets permission to sleep on the family's second floor fire escape. While outside, Tommy witnesses a murder in the apartment above through a partially-raised shade. Joe Kellerson (Stewart) stabs a man in the back with scissors.Tommy wakes his mom (Hale) and tells what he saw; she dismisses this report as another piece of fiction and tells him to go to bed. In the morning, Tommy's insistence that he's seen a homicide angers Ed Woodly (Kennedy), and the boy is sent to his room to "think about" these many lies.Instead, the determined kid slips away and runs to the police to report the crime. A detective brings Tommy home, goes upstairs, tells Mrs. Kellerson (Roman) that he's a building inspector, and looks around the apartment. Seeing nothing unusual, he leaves.Jean K. is alarmed by the visit and gets more so when Tommy and mother Mary come knocking. She wants her child to apologize to the neighbor for stories he's telling but the frightened Tommy refuses and runs downstairs.When Joe Kellerson returns home that night, Jean (correctly) insists that the boy downstairs knows about the killing. She drops off a telegram to Mary Woodly that the Kellersons received "by mistake." Mary is needed out of time to nurse a sick relative, and Ed, who works overnights tells his son he must stay home by himself. Terror-stricken, Tommy begs to go with his mom or dad, but is refused.The last half-hour of this story is a perfect exercise in sheer terror. "The Window" is a film not to be missed. Highest recommendation!.Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 IMDb viewer poll rating.(7.5) The Window (1949) - Barbara Hale/Arthur Kennedy/Paul Stewart/Ruth Roman/Bobby Driscoll
vitaleralphlouis 15 March 2012
Excellent, Crisp Thriller -- Best You'll Ever See -- or Not See.
THE WINDOW does everything right, from the solid direction, to theoutstanding production design, on-location sets, cinematography --- andwonderful acting particularly by Bobby Driscoll. It takes you insidethe New York tenements like no other picture except maybe Angels WithDirty Faces. The filmmakers have a perfect grasp on the actions ofchildren --- what they'll do and what they won't. The musical score isrestrained like you'll never see today, nor will you anymore see amovie end after 72 minutes simply because the story's over.This was working class New York 15 years before the corruption of drugsbrought an era of unrestrained crime, strikes, garbage, and the exit of1 million of its population -- mostly the middle class. For 30 yearsfrom 1960 to 1990 New Yorkers lived their lives not only in fear butknowing their lives tomorrow would be worse than today.They didn't know this in 1949, but you need to know it to understandthat tenement apartments were locked only with 10 cent skeleton keys,windows were open, and people didn't fear their neighbors (as only afew were murderers). In 1949 most well healed middle class peopledidn't have a window-fan --- let alone air conditioning. It was HOT inthe summer. Sleeping on the fire escape -- as Bobby Driscoll does inthis story -- was not unusual. There was no fear in 1949 of childmolesters, as any such person would be torn to shreds by theneighborhood. The local-color of New York was 100% on target in thisfilm.I was 11 years old the last time I saw THE WINDOW. Since VHS, it's beenon my Most Wanted list for years. Never on eBay, I finally found a rareVHS for rent today. The film greatly exceeds my memory of it. I ratedit a "10" and would like to explain this is an old fashionedwork-hard-for-it "10." These days every parent I know has an honorstudent for a child. All it takes for an A is having a pulse.Similarly, any current movie regardless of quality will get a fewthousand 10's. Pictures like VACANCY are both scary and entertaining,but they cheat to create the thrills. THE WINDOW relies on a plausiblestory, and that's the virtue.
Chris Gaskin 14 March 2012
"This story is not a lie"
I have recently watched The Window for the first time and found it verysuspenseful and gripping.A 9 year old boy, Tommy, is noted for telling tales. So one hot night,he decides to sleep on the fire escape to be cooler and then witnessesthe neighbours murdering a man and then hide his corpse. When he tellshis parents, they don't believe him and nor do the police when he goesto report the crime at the local police station. When Tommy is lefthome alone another evening, the Kellersons break into the flat and tryto silence him. While running away from them, stairs collapse whichleaves Tommy hanging from a beam and Mr Kellerson dead under a load ofrubble...The New York locations make the movie atmospheric. This was filmed in arun down part of the city and you often see Subway trains passing.The movie has an excellent cast: Booby Driscoll (Treasure Island)playing the part of Tommy brilliantly and the rest of the cast includesArthur Kennedy and Barbara Hale as his parents and Ruth Roman and PaulStewart as the murderers Mr and Mrs Kellerson.The window is a must see. Fantastic.Rating: 4 stars out of 5.