The Woman in the Window (1944)

When a conservative middle-aged professor engages in a minor dalliance with a femme fatale, he is plunged into a nightmarish quicksand of blackmail and murder.

Director:

Fritz Lang

Writers:

Nunnally Johnson (written for the screen by), J.H. Wallis (novel)

Stars:

Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett, Raymond Massey

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Edward G. Robinson	...	Professor Richard Wanley
Joan Bennett	...	Alice Reed
Raymond Massey	...	Dist. Atty. Frank Lalor
Edmund Breon	...	Dr. Michael Barkstane
Dan Duryea	...	Heidt / Tim, the Doorman
Thomas E. Jackson	...	Inspector Jackson, Homicide Bureau
Dorothy Peterson	...	Mrs. Wanley
Arthur Loft	...	Claude Mazard / Frank Howard / Charlie the Hatcheck Man
Frank Dawson	...	Collins, the Steward

Storyline

Gotham College professor Wanley and his friends become obsessed with the portrait of a woman in the window next to the men's club. Wanley happens to meet the woman while admiring her portrait, and ends up in her apartment for talk and a bit of champagne. Her boyfriend bursts in and misinterprets Wanley's presence, whereupon a scuffle ensues and the boyfriend gets killed. In order to protect his reputation, the professor agrees to dump the body and help cover up the killing, but becomes increasingly suspect as the police uncover more and more clues and a blackmailer begins leaning on the woman.

---

Plot Keywords:

1940s | 40s | instructor | academic | lecture | 

---

Taglines:

The screen's greatest adventure in suspense!

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery | Thriller

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 November 1944 (USA)

Also Known As:

Once Off Guard

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Christie Corporation,International Pictures (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min 99 min (TCM print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Color (colorized) Black and White (Black & White)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The painting of Alice Reed was done by Paul Clemens. He painted portraits of many Hollywood stars, often with their children. He was married to Eleanor Parker from 1954 to 1965.

---

Goofs

when he is taking the "dead" body out of the car the "corpse's" eye opens and closes.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Richard Wanley: [lecturing] The Biblical injunction "Thou shalt not kill" is one that requires qualification in view of our broader knowledge of impulses behind homicide. The various legal categories such as first and second degree murder, the various degrees of homicide, manslaughter, are civilized recognitions of impulses of various degrees of culpability. The man who kills in self defense, for instance, must not be judged by the same standards applied to the man who kills for gain.

---

Connections

Referenced in L.A. Noire (2011)

User Reviews

A classic suspense thriller directed by the great Fritz Lang but spoiled by a cop-out ending.

This gripping suspense thriller involves a man (Edward G. Robinson) and woman (Joan Bennett) who barely know each other conspiring to cover up a murder which threatens to destroy their lives. Robinson is an aging college professor of criminal justice who thinks there is no adventure left in his life anymore; Bennett is a mysterious and beautiful model. Fritz Lang's brilliant direction and a stunning musical score build the suspense incredibly. However, this superb film is spoiled by a trivializing happy ending, probably imposed on Lang by studio hacks. In all other respects, it is a triumph of film making.