The Woman in the Window (1944)

 (This blog post is part of the Joan Bennett Blogathon hosted by In The Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood)

The Woman in the Window (1944) is a pivotal film in cinematic history. It is counted not only as an early film noir, but one of the movies fundamental to the development of film noir. Arguably, it was director Fritz Lang's second film noir, immediately following his first (Ministry of Fear, released earlier in 1944). It would also be an important role for Joan Bennett. Beginning her career as a blonde ingenue, she went brunette in Trade Winds (1938), taking on a more sultry persona. With Woman in the Wind Miss Bennett became a film noir femme fatale. In the next few years she would appear in several more film noirs.

The Woman in the Window originated with screenwriter Nunnally Johnson, who had written such films as Jesse James (1939) and The Grapes of Wrath (1940). It was in 1943 that Mr. Johnson co-founded the independent production company International Pictures with producer William Goetz and RKO executive Leo Spitz. It was Mr. Spitz who secured distribution through RKO for International's movies. International Pictures' first film would be the comedy Casanova Brown (1944), which was both produced and written by Nunnally Johnson. International Pictures' second film would be an adaptation of the best-selling novel Once Off Guard by J. H. Wallis. Renamed The Woman in the Window, it would also be both produced and written by Nunnally Johnson.

The Woman in the Window would see director Fritz Lang and actress Joan Bennett working together for the first time since Man Hunt (1941). Edward G. Robinson played the male lead. A significant role would be played by Dan Duryea. Best known for playing antagonistic roles in films, he had earlier worked with Fritz Lang in Ministry of Fear (1944). Aside from Mr. Duryea's obvious talent, Fritz Lang insisted on casting him because he had noticed that in the novel every male character tended to be older and he wanted at least one younger man in the film. Raymond Massey played a pivotal role in the film as District Attorney Frank Lalor.

The Woman in the Window centred on middle-aged psychology professor Richard Wanley (Edward G. Robinson) who becomes fascinated by a painting of a woman in a store window. Eventually on one of his trips by the storefront he meets the woman in the painting, Alice Reed (Joan Bennett). He convinces Alice to join him for a drink. Unfortunately, when they go back to Alice's apartment, the wealthy man who has been keeping Alice, Claude Mazard (played by Arthur Loft) shows up and causes a scene leading to Richard killing him. From there Richard and Alice must figure out how to cover up Mazard's death.

The Woman in the Window received overwhelmingly positive reviews. It also proved to be a hit at the box office. Both the success of the film and Fritz Lang's desire for independence from the major studios would lead to Joan Bennett, Mr. Lang, and Miss Bennett's husband at the time, Walter Wanger, founding Diana Production Company. It would also lead to another movie teaming Edward G. Robinson with Joan Bennett, Scarlett Street (1945), produced by Diana Production Company and directed by Fritz Lang.

The Woman in the Window remains highly respected to this day. The films holds an unusually high 95% rating at Rotten Tomatoes. It is regarded as one of the best films Fritz Lang made in Hollywood. The film is also regarded as featuring one of Joan Bennett's best performances. Perhaps the only objection ever made to the film is its ending, which I won't reveal here. One has to suspect that the film's ending came about largely because of the Production Code. The original novel Once Off Guard ended with Professor Wanley, an ending that would have clearly violated the Code. Speaking for myself, The Woman in the Window is a remarkable piece of work regardless of its ending.

The Woman in the Window would have a lasting impact on film noir. Indeed, when Nino Frank first applied the term film noir to American films released in France in 1946, The Woman in the Window was included among those films. In their book Panorama du film noir américain 1941–1953, Raymond Borde and Étienne Chaumeton used The Woman in the Window as one of the examples in their attempt to define film noir. The influence of The Woman in the Window on film noir can be seen on further film noirs, as well as the related genre of neo-noir. The film would also have an influence on the careers of Fritz Lang and Joan Bennett. Mr. Lang would make several more noirs, while Joan Bennett would become one of noir's best known femme fatales. Nearly 75 years after its release. the influence of The Woman in the Window is still being felt.