On loan from Walt Disney, Bobby Driscoll, a child actor par excellence, lends a good deal of believability to this familiar and predictable plot concerning an imaginative youngster who can't get anyone to believe his story about being the sole witness to a murder. "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" in modern dress (from a story by Cornell Woolrich!) needed a stronger, perhaps multi-layered approach; it's too straightforward and square, and the audience is always two steps ahead of the action. The adult characters are exasperating and foolish, though Driscoll's grounded presence is just what this scenario requires (he deservedly received a non-competitive Juvenile Oscar for his work). Vivid black-and-white cinematography by Robert De Grasse and William Steiner also deserves praise--though the film isn't a noir: it's a family picture on a tight budget, aimed at the mass market. Overall results decent, but not superior. One Oscar nomination: Best Editing. One BAFTA nomination: Best Film From any Source. Screenwriter Mel Dinelli was a WGA nominee for Best Written American Drama. **1/2 from ****
Review of The Window
