Eyes in the Night (1942)

Fantastic!

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

A Cast of Familiars and Director Fred Zinnemann's Second Movie Makes this More Interesting than the Average Wartime B-Movie. There are Gimmicks Galore to Entertain. Edward Arnold as a Blind Detective Overacts and Gets On the Nerves Occasionally but is Helped Greatly by Some Gadgets and His Seeing Eye Dog Friday who Steals the Show.Donna Reed is a Bitchy Stepdaughter, and Katherine Emery as a Cold Blooded Nazi Spy Also Add Some Spice to the Proceedings. There are Stylistic Flourishes and Quite a Bit of Action and Intrigue.Just About Everybody Connected to This Movie did Better Things but as an Ensemble All Jammed Into this Entertaining Little Movie, Add Some Weight to This WWII, Audience Friendly, Piece of Fluff.

An amateurish screenplay and some one-dimensional characterizations dominate this ridiculous thriller where a not-quite so thin man had a brief attempt (2 films in a 3 year period) at a series that never got off the ground. It all starts with the murder of a ham actor who was leading on the stepdaughter of an old flame, and that old flame's ousting by the jealous step-daughter from her father's home. Donna Reed, future Oscar Winner for "From Here to Eternity", gives an entirely too impish and testy performance, snarling as if she were preparing for an audition to play Veda in "Mildred Pierce". Ann Harding and Edward Arnold fare better but the best performance is by a German Shepherd named Friday, obviously given the role since Asta was unavailable.It's obvious from the get-go where this film is going, basically a dime store novel whose structure earned a quick read after being bought on the close-out shelves but ultimately ended up in a thrift shop once that initial read was completed. For MGM to have commissioned this as a screenplay with a cast of former "A" stars seems misguided with its preposterous story, ridiculously melodramatic writing and cartoon villains (a la Boris and Natasha) drawing groans.

Blind detective Edward Arnold (as Duncan "Mac" Maclain) and his faithful dog "Friday" are visited by actress friend Ann Harding (as Norma Lawry). Retired from the stage, Ms. Harding is worried because an old flame is making love to her bratty teenage step-daughter Donna Reed (as Barbara). Harding attempts to visit Ms. Reed at her lover's apartment and finds a dead body. Reed thinks Harding committed the murder and demands she leave husband and father Reginald Denny (as Stephen Lawry). Harding asks Mr. Arnold to investigate, but the dead body is missing...To investigate, Arnold moves into Harding's estate posing as her heretofore unknown "Uncle Mac" and finds the household staff infiltrated with Nazi spies. Next to show up as a guest is playwright Katherine Emery (as Cheli Scott), who plays a surprisingly central role. Everyone has a lot of fun, especially Arnold and his dog "Friday". New director Fred Zinnemann handles his second full-length feature assignment well. This was the first in a series of crime dramas starring Arnold as the disabled detective. "The Hidden Eye" (1945) was a belated second, and last, adventure.****** Eyes in the Night (10/16/42) Fred Zinnemann ~ Edward Arnold, Ann Harding, Donna Reed, Katherine Emery

Eyes in the Night is directed by Fred Zinnemann and adapted to screenplay by Guy Trosper and Howard Emett Rogers from Baynard Kendrick's novel The Odor of Violets. It stars Edward Arnold, Ann Harding, Donna Reed, Stephen McNally, Katherine Emery, Allen Jenkins, Stanley Ridges and Friday the dog. Photography is shared between Robert Planck and Charles Lawton and the music is scored by Lennie Hayton. Plot finds Arnold as blind detective Duncan Maclain, also a judo expert, he is always accompanied by his intelligent seeing-eye dog, Friday. Maclain is called on to a murder case for his friend, Norma Lawry (Harding), but the body is missing and there appears to be something very sinister going on at the Lawry family home.A cracking little thriller boosted by a top cast (Donna Reed playing a bitch step-daughter!) and moody photography. What it lacks in simplicity of plot it more than makes up for in terms of execution and tone, with the added "gimmick" of the detective being blind further enhancing the effectiveness of the picture. In fact, that Arnold is so good, and his dog so brilliant (seriously, this is one great dog), it marks this out as ingenious considering the limits of the Wartime story. Zinnemann knits it together skillfully, never letting the pace sag or the tension drop, while there's some great scenes dotted throughout: such as one filmed in total darkness, lit up intermittently by the flash of pistol fire. With the film 99% set at night of in darkened rooms, this lets Planck (The Canterville Ghost/Moonfleet) & Lawton (3:10 To Yuma/The Tall T) dally in atmospheric shadows and murky low lights.Clocking in at a slim 80 minutes with never a dull moment, Eyes in the Night is one of the more enjoyable film's of its type. Deserves a bigger audience. 7.5/10