The Hidden Eye (1945)

Not as good as its predecessor, Eyes in the Night, the sequel The Hidden Eye is a moderately entertaining private eye tale. The novelty of the original's premise -- a blind detective -- can't be recaptured in Hidden, but the follow-up does still boast the solid thesping of Edward Arnold, and that's all to the good. Arnold really holds the film together; his performance is captivating, even when the screenplay is anything but. Arnold also establishes a crucially engaging relationship with his dog, a seemingly small thing but vital to Hidden's success. The rest of the cast is adequate, but generally lacking in the strong, distinctive personalities that could make the lackluster script come alive. Richard Whorf's direction is a bit sluggish; though only about 70 minutes long, Hidden still drags in places. Things are not helped greatly by the revelation of the killer's identity too early in the film. Technically, Hidden is a bit sloppy, most noticeably in sequences involving the uses of stunt doubles, with Arnold's being clearly a different build and type. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide