NIGHT HAS A THOUSAND EYES

US, 1948, 81 minutes, Black and white.
Edward G. Robinson, Gail Russell, John Lund, Virginia Bruce, William Demarest.
Directed by John Farrow.

The Night has a Thousand Eyes is an interesting and entertaining, if contrived, mystery thriller. Based on a story by Cornel Woolrich, writing under the name of William Irish and author of a great number of thrillers including The Bride Wore Black and The Mississippi Mermaid. The film was directed by John Farrow, a director whose films have dated in succeeding decades but noted for his adventure films. Here he has Edward G. Robinson as a strange magician and the attractive Gail Russell as a psychic heroine. The film is good in its atmosphere and involves audiences despite its now dated style.

1. The significance and tone of the title, atmosphere, menace, indication of themes?

2. The style of the film, black and white studio-made thriller of the forties, the nature of the dialogue and its affected tone? The conventions of the thriller?

3. The use of camera in this film, the fluidity of the camera work, the creation of moody the use of music and the feelings of eeriness necessary for the impact?

4. The importance of the structure of the film: the initial suicide attempt and audience response to this, seeing the main star in a suicide attempt, the highlighting of Triton? His sinister presence? The use of the flashbacks and the punctuation of the return to the present? The intimations of strange happenings? The hands, the clocks, the importance of a third person narrative inviting the audience to reflect on the eerie events?

5. The focusing on Triton's gift, how plausible was this, could it be a reality? His experience of the gift, for good and for evil? The effect on his life and his reflecting on this? A good man afflicted with a strange gift? The effect on his career, wealth, death? The aspects of puzzle and what he van not able to see clearly?

6. The character of Triton at the start with audience suspicion of him, Edward, G. Robinson and his particular style and personality in this role? The gaining of sympathy for the character? His work, his kindness, his friends, the film's visualizing of the examples of his knowing what was to happen? Making this seem credible? People's gratitude for his help? The experience of something coming on him from outside and his inability to do anything about it?

7. The decisions that he had to make an a consequence of his gift, the strange isolation of his life, his friendship with Courtland, with Jean? The sense of doom? The pain that he had to bear? The visualizing of his house loneliness, fear?

8. The characterization of Jean and her relationship with Triton, with Courtland? The windfall of money and happiness? Triton's foreseeing death? The fear. danger? Jenny and Whitney? Elliot? Fears, precautions to save a repetition of the past?

9. How convincing van Elliot an the hero of this kind of film, love for Jenny, his being particularly obtuse and suspicious? The American hero?

10. The portrayal of the police, their suspicions, the building up of suspense?

11. The relationship between Jenny and Courtland? The pleasing aspects of the relationship yet her sense of evil? The importance of this sense of doom?

12. Comment on the portrayal of the various incidents which gave flavour to the films the vaudeville acts in detail, Triton and the party, his home, the police and their suspicions?

13. How well did the film build up suspense to the final dangerous time? The audience's feeling of uncertainty, coincidences, clues and their gradual fulfilment? The build-up and the time seeming to pass and yet Jenny still in danger? A satisfactory suspense and fear experience? The relief when Jenny was saved and the murderer revealed? (The financial implications and the comment on greed?)

14. Roy well did the film blend conventions of fear, romance, melodrama? Why do audiences find these ingredients satisfying?