The Window (1949)

There's no fat on The Window, a super-duper thriller that deservedly was voted "Best Mystery of the Year" by the Mystery Writers of America. Window is a taut and terrifying variation on the "boy who cried wolf" story that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats for the entire final half hour of its 73-minute running time. Credit certainly goes to Mel Dinelli's streamlined screenplay, which takes just enough time setting up its characters and situation before pushing the throttle into high gear for the kicks and action. But even more credit should be bestowed on director Ted Tetzlaff, who clearly learned from his work as a cinematographer for Alfred Hitchcock (among others). Teztlaff knows how to get the maximum voltage from every twist and turn, but he also knows how to highlight telling characteristics, as well as the importance of setting and atmosphere. Working with cinematographer William Steiner, Jr., he creates a claustrophobic, heat-ravaged world that is every bit as important as the human characters. Those characters are very well played by adults like Arthur Kennedy and Barbara Hale, but it's young Bobby Driscoll who simply amazes. His is a first rate performance, one of the most perfectly honed of any juvenile performer; there are no false notes, no missteps, no cutesiness. It's a gripping performance in a gripping film. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide