The Window

Directed by Ted Tetzlaff, The Window follows a young boy (Bobby Driscoll’s Tommy Woodry) with a penchant for tall tales as he struggles to convince his parents (Arthur Kennedy’s Ed and Barbara Hale’s Mary) that he witnessed a murder in a nearby apartment. It’s compelling subject matter that’s employed to mostly engaging and entertaining effect by Tetzlaff, as the filmmaker, armed with Mel Dinelli’s screenplay, delivers a streamlined thriller that’s been suffused with a number of impressively tense and suspenseful interludes (eg Tommy’s initial viewing of the aforementioned murder, a detective visits the apartment of the supposed killers, etc). There’s little doubt, as well, that The Window benefits from the stirring efforts of Driscoll and his various costars, although it’s clear, certainly, that Paul Stewart’s deliciously menacing turn as the movie’s calculating villain remains a continuing highlight within the proceedings. And although Tetzlaff can’t quite sustain the viewer’s rapt attention from start to finish, with the protracted third act perhaps not quite as enthralling as one might’ve hoped, The Window, which closes on an exceedingly satisfying note, predominantly comes off as a top-notch endeavor that does, for the most part, live up to the decidedly irresistible bent of its setup.

*** out of ****