FINGERS AT THE WINDOW (director: Charles Lederer; screenwriters: From a story by Rose Caylor/Lawrence P. Bachmann; cinematographers: Charles Lawton/Harry Stradling; editor: George Boemler; cast: Lew Ayres (Oliver Duffy), Laraine Day (Edwina Brown), Basil Rathbone (Dr. H. Santelle), Charles D. Brown (Inspector Gallagher), Walter Kingsford (Dr. Cromwell), Miles Mander (Dr. Kurt Immelman); Runtime: 80; MGM; 1942)
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
A snappy B-film thriller, excellently paced for broad sweeps of comedy and fright. Lew Ayres stars in a film he says in a magazine interview, "Is the kind of picture actors do when they need work." Ayres starred in the popular Dr. Kildare film series, but during WW11, just after this film was made, he became a conscientious-objector because of religious reasons, saying he couldn't kill another human being. Because of that his popularity hit a low peak and the studios blackballed him. Later on he joined the medical corps and distinguished himself while working in the battlefield. The blackball was eventually removed, but not before it did significant damage to his career. Basil Rathbone, who was a big star at the time of this film, had a small part as the villain. He took the part because it only took him only two days to shoot, as he did it in between takes while he was starring in "The Crossroads."
This is the story about a number of ax murders that has a city paralyzed with fear. Each of the six ax murderers is revealed to be done by a lunatic from the insane asylum, who remains at the scene of the crime but can't explain to the police what happened. Oliver Duffy (Ayres) is an actor whose show has just closed and while walking home from the theater at night, he spots a guy with an ax following a beautiful young lady home. Edwina Brown (Day) thinks he is trying to pick her up when he warns her she is in danger. When she walks home alone and recognizes that there is someone following her, he comes to her aid again. He stays the night sleeping on her fire escape and prevents the lunatic from striking again. He then sets a trap for the lunatic and captures him the next night.
Inspector Gallagher (Brown) congratulates the hero, but when Duffy tries to tell him his theory that there is a mastermind behind these murders sending these lunatics out with an ax, he is told by the inspector that he is either seeking more publicity for himself as an actor or that he is trying to play amateur detective, and that he should leave it to the police to solve.
Spoiler to follow in the paragraph.
There is excellent chemistry between Day and Ayres, as she plays the beautiful bimbo, who is so naive that she fails to tell Ayres who might be after her because she thinks he might not want to be with her after she tells him she was engaged to someone who jilted her, someone she met while studying ballet in Paris. Ayres is endearing as the misunderstood actor who will only be with a woman who doesn't lie. Together they make an engaging couple, bringing a wonderful sense of lightness to their roles. Rathbone is as snide and sinister as ever, hypnotising incurable lunatic patients to murder the seven people in this city who would recognize him from his Paris days. He took over Dr. Santelle's identity when the real doctor died, and therefore jilted Laraine Day to return to the States and collect the huge inheritance.
The story is as clear as mud, but the performances from the stars was sparkling. And, even though the film might be dated, it's still a lot of fun.
REVIEWED ON 11/26/2000 GRADE: B
Dennis Schwartz: "Ozus' World Movie Reviews"
http://www.sover.net/~ozus
ozus@sover.net
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