A Window in London (1940)

This starts off as a "love on the dole" flick, though these two newlyweds (Michael Redgrave and Patricia Roc) are employed. Redgrave works the day shift as a crane operator on the Waterloo Bridge project and Roc works the graveyard shift as a hotel telephone operator. Due to their schedules they don't have much time to see each other. Then it turns into a suspense movie when Redgrave sees what appears to be a murder while he is riding on the train to work.After some investigation, it turns out he saw Lukas, as the magician Zoltini, practicing a knife trick with his wife, the very lovely Sally Gray. Lukas is the very jealous type, so he thinks that Redgrave is flirting with Gray, which he is, though in a minor way. Gray is tired of hubby's jealously, so she leaves him and finds Redgrave. They engage in a little smooching, but that's about it. Redgrave returns to his wife and Gray returns to her husband and it looks as if things will work out for both couples.Then Lukas finds some money and a airplane ticket in Gray's purse, both of which are gifts from their manager. As expected, the old boy blows his top and shoots Gray dead. All of this occurs just as Redgrave and Roc are riding in the train and go past the window of the other couple. Now, isn't life strange.Sally Gray is a very lovely lass, and one wonders why she is married to Lukas, who is old enough to be her father. It's workmanlike film, and I wonder what Hitch could have done with the same material. He surely would have improved it and given it more life. Still, it is worth watching anyways.

In 1938 Paul Lukas and Michael Redgrave crossed swords in the acclaimed "The Lady Vanishes" and here two years on they have another bout with the illusionist Zoltini played by Paul Lukas and Michael Redgrave as Peter from their respective former roles of Dr.Harz and Gilbert.This time Patricia Roc plays Pat, Peter's wife while "hot totty" Sally Gray plays Vivienne married to Zoltini.Other reviewers have discussed the basic plot and no I won't provide a spoiler as there is a kick in the end of the film which is well produced.I wonder how many buildings survived the forthcoming blitz from 1940 onwards as there are some interesting shots of London filmed in 1939 with the tube trains running.I found the screenplay somewhat contrived especially the scene where the tycoon misses his plane to Moscow which crashed because telephonist Pat failed to first warn him about his flight.However this incident gives the producer the excuse to follow the moral cinema code and enabled both Pat and Peter to go to both work together during the day and not continue with their "Cox & Box" sleeping arrangements.Peter had a job keeping his hands off Sally Gray's character and remembering his marriage vows.Offstage, blonde Sally Gray married a lord and lived to be 90 and her husband to 100!Imdb.com rated this film 6.9 when I wrote this review and I rated it 6 as above average.

This film is not just interesting for its intriguing story but also for its view of London in 1939 just before the outbreak of war.Many central areas around the Houses of Parliament and the Abbey are on view.Also of course the construction of the present Waterloo Bridge which has a distinctive modernist style quite unlike any other London Bridge.The film has many virtues and one failing.The story is very neat with a ending with a twist in it.I am surprised the censor let it through as of course crime had to be shown not to pay.The one failing is the casting of Michael Redfrave.A crane driver he is not.he is far too refined.In fact his is the least interesting role.Bt far the best and showiest is that of Paul Lukas who does well in what for him would become a stereotypical role.All round an extremely interesting and entertaining film.

From a train window, crane-driver Michael Redgrave thinks he sees a woman being strangled. What follows is an unusual and effective story involving a magician, his assistant wife and a subtle interplay of illusion and murder. Refreshingly directed by the overlooked Herbert Mason, and well performed throughout (particularly Redgrave and Sally Gray), this small gem benefits greatly from its varied and credible London backgrounds, including music halls (including magic shows), mundane work places not normally seen in British films of the period, and construction work on Waterloo Bridge, under which the National Film Theatre is situated (which is where I last saw this film).