The Window

For an article about the Arthur Sullivan song cycle, see The Window (song cycle)

The Window is a 1949 black-and-white suspense film based on the short story "The Boy Who Cried Murder" by Cornell Woolrich. The film, which was a critical success, was produced by Frederic Ullman, Jr. for $210,000 but earned much more, making it a box office hit for RKO Pictures. The film was directed by Ted Tetzlaff, who worked as a cinematographer for over 100 films, including another successful suspense film, Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious (1946).

Plot

Set and filmed on location in the tenement section of New York's Lower East Side, the film tells the story of a young boy (Driscoll) who has a habit of crying wolf. Late one night he climbs up the building fire escape and sees two people murder a drunken sailor. No one, not even the boy's parents, believes young Tommy when he tells what he has seen, since they all assume that this is just another of the boy's tall tales. The murderous neighbors find out the boy is a witness to the killing and plan the same for him when his parents are away. Tommy fears that the killers are out to get him, so he runs away from home only to be caught by the two.

Awards

Film editor Frederic Knudtson was nominated for an Academy Award, while Driscoll was named Outstanding Juvenile Actor and given a miniature statuette. In 1950, Cornell Woolrich and Mel Dinelli won an Edgar Award, presented by the Mystery Writers of America, for Best Motion Picture Screenplay.

Cast

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

Remakes

The film has been remade three times:

• The Boy Cried Murder (1966)
• Eyewitness (1970)
• Cloak & Dagger (1984)de:Das unheimliche Fenster

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