The Woman in the Window (1944)

A first-rate film noir, with echoes of "Laura" and "Double Indemnity," Fritz Lang's "The Woman in the Window" opens with psychology professor Richard Wanley, played by Edward G. Robinson, lecturing a class on homicide. Then, at Grand Central Station, like Tom Ewell in "The Seven Year Itch," Robinson sends his wife and two kids off on a summer vacation; with the family away, he sits over a drink at his men's club and discusses settling into a quiet middle age with his cronies, District Attorney Raymond Massey and physician Edmund Breon. However, unlike the lecherous Ewell, all three gentlemen agree that beautiful women and the fast life are in their past. However, in a scene reminiscent of "Laura," Robinson is drawn in fascination to the portrait of a beautiful woman in a gallery window. When the model miraculously materializes at his side, the professor is drawn into a downward spiral of murder and blackmail.Robinson is excellent as the conservative family man, who is trapped in an expanding web of events beyond his control. As Alice Reed, a dark-haired beauty with no visible means of support, Joan Bennet is a seductive siren in sequined black. When she lures Robinson back to her luxurious apartment to see more sketches by the portrait artist, the satin sheets and pillows reflected in a wall mirror behind her bed suggest that a profession that is more lucrative than artists' model. Unfortunately, Robinson lingers too long in her lair, and unexpected events engulf the pair, who begin to distrust each other. However, Bennet is more than seductress and reveals a vulnerability beneath the femme fatale. The fine performances of Robinson and Bennett are matched by Dan Duryea as Heidt, an odious slimeball who attempts blackmail.The velvety cinematography by Milton Krasner is classic black-and-white film noir, with rainy nights, slick wet streets, and shadowy interiors. Produced and well written by Nunnally Johnson, from a novel by J.H. Wallis, "The Woman in the Window" is tautly directed by Fritz Lang; minor events, like dropping a dime, forgetting a hat, a smiling cop, increase the suspense. Unfortunately, not as well known or seen as other film noir classics, "The Woman in the Window" deserves more attention for its sharp script, lush cinematography, and peerless performances.

The Woman in the Window is directed by Fritz Lang and adapted by Nunnally Johnson from the novel "Once off Guard" written by J.H. Wallis. It stars Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett, Raymond Massey & Dan Duryea. Music is by Arthur Lange and Milton R. Krasner is the cinematographer.After admiring a portrait of Alice Reed (Bennett) in the storefront window of the shop next to his Gentleman's Club, Professor Richard Wanley (Robinson) is shocked to actually meet her in person on the street. It's a meeting that leads to a killing, recrimination and blackmail.Time has shown The Woman in the Window to be one of the most significant movies in the film noir cycle. It was part of the original group identified by Cahiers du Cinéma that formed the cornerstone of film noir (the others were The Maltese Falcon, Double Indemnity, Laura and Murder My Sweet). Its reputation set in stone, it's a film that boasts many of the key noir ingredients: man meets woman and finds his life flipped upside down, shifty characters, a killing, shadows and low lights, and of course an atmosphere thick with suspense. Yet the ending to this day is divisive and, depending what side of the camp you side with, it makes the film either a high rank classic noir or a nearly high rank classic noir. Personally it bothers me does the finale, it comes off as something that Rod Serling could have used on The Twilight Zone but decided to discard. No doubt to my mind that had Lang put in the ending from the source, this would be a 10/10 movie, for everything else in it is top draw stuff.At its core the film is about the dangers of stepping out of the normal, a peril of wish fulfilment in middle age, with Lang gleefully smothering the themes with the onset of a devilish fate and the stark warning that being caught just "once off guard" can doom you to the unthinkable. There's even the odd Freudian interpretation to sample. All of which is aided by the excellent work of Krasner, who along with his director paints a shadowy world consisting of mirrors, clocks and Venetian blinds. The cast are very strong, strong enough in fact for Robinson, Bennett and Duryea to re-team with Lang the following year for the similar, but better, Scarlet Street, while Lang's direction doesn't miss a beat.A great film regardless of the Production Code appeasing ending, with its importance in the pantheon of film noir well deserved. But you sense that watching it as a companion piece to Scarlet Street, that Lang finally made the film that this sort of story deserved. The Woman in the Window: essential but not essentially the best of its type. 8/10

Woman in the Window, The (1944) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Tense thriller from director Lang has family man Professor Richard Wanley (Edward G. Robinson) having a brief night out with a woman (Joan Bennett) who he had earlier seen a portrait of in a window. Soon a man she had been with in the past shows up in the room and the professor ends up killing him to save his own life. Not wanting to go to the police, the two decide to dump the man's body but it's soon discovered and the two begin to fear that the other is going to go to the police. This is yet another very impressive film from Lang who deserves a lot of the credit but so does the screenplay and performances. I think the film starts off a tad bit slow but once the murder actually takes place things start to heat up and by the time the ending comes your finger nails will have been bitten all the way down. What impressed me the most was Lang's decision to film the majority of the early part of the film in long shots. At first I thought it was rather strange that he'd film it this way but as we lead up to the murder and the scenes after it it becomes obvious that shooting in these long shots actually works because it really makes you feel as if you're a third character who eventually shows up to blackmail them. I thought this long shots were perfectly used by Lang because it really makes the viewer feel distant from what's going on but at the same time you're witnessing something you're not suppose to be seeing just as the characters themselves hope they're not being seen. Throughout the rest of the film we get more medium and close ups as the net around Robinson and Bennett begins to grow tighter. Robinson made a career out of playing tough guys but he was such a great actor that he could play someone much smaller just like this character. I thought he did a wonderful job especially in the scenes where he's about to crack from the pressure. Bennett made for a terrific femme fatale because she was so seduction but also very good in the more quiet moments where she too begins to fear the police. The supporting cast features strong performances from Edmund Breon, Dan Duryea and Raymond Massey. While this is an extremely good movie I still found some flaws including some of Robinson's actions after the police get involved. I thought there were a few too many clues that he throws out because of some dumb words he says or him pretty much leading the police to suspect him. I thought the clues were just way too obvious and I thought it went against his character to be this stupid. Then, of course, there's the rather controversial ending. I won't ruin it for people but I didn't like it. It's not downright horrible like many would have you believe but it just didn't work.

Fritz Lang directs this fulfilling film noir about a straight-laced college psychology professor entering into a surprising dalliance while his family is away. Richard Manley(Edward G. Robinson)sees the portrait of a beautiful woman, Alice(Joan Bennett), and lands in a world of hurt, when he meets the model and she invites him up to her apartment for a drink. It becomes more than one drink; there seems to be thoughts of romance, but Alice's jealous boyfriend(Arthur Loft) arrives and goes into a rage assaulting the couple. In self defense the professor puts a pair of scissors in the back of his attacker. Now there is the problem of disposing of the body. It gets a bit dicey, because Manley's best friend,(Raymond Massey), happens to be the D.A. working the murder case. And for more suspense, a blackmailer(Dan Duryea)slinks into the mix.Very crisp black & white with just the right atmosphere, off and on rain showers. The story line of forbidden and doomed love is what movies are made of. Robinson is in top form and Bennett is absolutely beautiful. I'm a sucker for classic movies like this.