FINGERS AT THE WINDOW

US, 1942, 80 minutes, Black and white.
Lew Ayres, Laraine Day, Basil Rathbone.
Directed by Charles Lederer.

Fingers at the Window is a supporting film from MGM at the beginning of the war. Lew Ayres had appeared in several Doctor Kildare films and was very popular. He had made an impact early in his career with All Quiet on the Western Front. For World War Two, Ayres was a conscientious objector but changed his status to non-combatant. This caused difficulties at MGM who reshot the last of his Doctor Kildare films, a series that he had appeared in since the late 30s. Laraine Day who appeared in the Doctor Kildare films is the heroine here. Basil Rathbone is the villain.

The film is about what seems to be a serial killer – but it is a doctor who is hypnotising people with mental impairments to do axe murders around the city of Chicago. He is played by Basil Rathbone. Lew Ayres plays an out of work actor who sees a threat to a young woman, Laraine Day, and tries to protect her, falling in love with her, wanting to get the reward for the capture of the criminal – and achieving all that.

1. An entertaining supporting film? Serial killers? The atmosphere of Chicago in the 40s?

2. The city locations, the dark streets, the homes, apartments? The police? A touch of realism? The musical score?

3. The serial killers, the media and their response, the callous journalists, the headlines? The police, their work? Offering the reward?

4. The opening, the killing, the police, the interrogation, the doctor explaining schizophrenia? The man talking to himself? The realisation that the killers were all hypnotised by a master criminal?

5. Oliver, with the police, the closing of the show because of the killings? Walking home, dapper, seeing Edwina, trying to help, her reaction, the police? Staying on the fire escape? Warding off the attacker? The reward, his need for the money? His falling for Edwina, accompanying her, protecting her?

6. The doctor, his background in France? Edwina and her suspicions? His sending his assistant in to be identified?

7. The scene with the birdman, being hypnotised, the doctor following him, his attempts at murder, failure?

8. The dangers, the murders?

9. The build-up to the confrontation with the doctor, his suave manner? The police, Oliver? The shootings?

10. The happy ending – and a brief B-budget supporting film for entertainment?