EYES IN THE NIGHT

US, 1942, 81 minutes, Black and white.
Edward Arnold, Anne Harding, Donna Reed, Alan Jenkins, Horace Mc Nally,
Directed by Fred Zinemann.

Eyes in the Night is a short supporting feature, a detective thriller as well as a wartime thriller with Nazi agents operating in Washington. It is also one of the early feature films of the celebrated director Fred Zinemann, was to win Oscars as best director for From Here to Eternity, 1953, and A Man for all Seasons, 1966. He was to direct a wide range of films from High Noon to Oklahoma to The Nun’s Story.

Edward Arnold portrays a blind police officer, with his own guide dog, Friday. He is approached by an old friend, Anne Harding. Her husband is an inventor, completing his work, about to test it out. He has a daughter from a previous marriage, a precocious young girl played by Donna Reed (Zinemann was to direct to a Best Supporting Actress Oscar in From Here to Eternity). She is infatuated with an older actor who had previously been a suitor for her stepmother.
The actor is found murdered and the mother under suspicion. The blind detective, assisted by his humorous sidekick, Allen Jenkins, finds that the body is missing, but the rug is returned by Stephen Mc Nally (here, Horace Mc Nally). He rings his wife at the home of the inventor which leads to the unmasking of a Nazi ring, led by the director of a play that the daughter is appearing in, her assistant is the house Butler, with a number of thugs in attendance.

The detective impersonates an old uncle, infiltrating the house, getting the leads, pretending to be drunk, boisterously playing the piano, and spoiling all the plans. There are some pleasant seriousness and comedy with Friday, the dog, going to the rescue.

1. A small entertaining thriller, detective work, spy rings in World War II?

2. Black-and-white photography, musical score, use of the piano? The early work of the director?

3. The title, the irony with the blind detective – able to read in bed with the lights out! The contrast with the Nazi ring and the spies’ eyes in the night?

4. The establishment of the character of Mac, his gymnastic manipulations for the police, his sidekick suffering? The servant in the house, his clash with Friday? Harding come to visit? His receiving her, happy memories of the past? The explanation of the situation, her stepdaughter and hostility, her husband and his inventions? The husband going out on the trial run, the arrival of the actor, the girl going out with him, Harding deciding not to accompany her husband? Going to the theatre, the confrontation with the actor and warning him?

5. Harding, going to the actor’s house, finding the dead body, the girl accusing her? Blackmailing her stepmother to leave the house while she kept quiet?

6. Mac, the sidekick, going to the house, the sidekick giving all the descriptions for the blind man? The fact that there was no body? hearing someone come, hiding, Gabriel and his bringing the rug back, his wife at Harding’s house? Their interrogation of him?

7. Mac, his decision to go to the house, pretending to be the grand uncle, getting in, taking over, his gruff manner, playing the piano, the drink and drug in the drink, meeting everyone, interactions with the butler, with the maid, the note about her husband, her wanting to cooperate, her fears, her being killed and her body dumped? The other thugs? His not going to bed, wandering the house, playing the piano, singing, disturbing everyone, thwarting the plans to rob the safe?

8. The theatre director, her late rehearsal, it emerging that she was the leader of the group, getting the daughter out of the house? Allowing the daughter to go, her asking to stay the night? The clashes about authority with the butler? Her being in charge? Having to cope with Mac and his antics? The butler having to deal with him as well? Harding and her playing the part? The daughter and her anger at finding him in the house?

9. The inventor, completing his test, success, the plan to submit the details to the government? The deadline for the Nazis to rob the safe?

10. The detective, the note with Friday, being put in the basement, the trick with the cards and knocking out his guardian, the confrontation with the butler, breaking the globe, in his element in the dark? Shootings?

11. The scientist and his refusal to give the number for the safe, the threat to his daughter, refusing to give the information, the detective getting him to stall?

12. Gabriel arriving, the lies, the group realising the detective had been deceiving them?

13. Friday, his race home, the distraction and flirting with the other dog, in the basement, getting out, crashing through the window, freeing the assistant?

14. The final confrontation, the arrival of the police, the daughter punching this theatre director, and everything resolved? – And the daughter going out with the detective on a date! And the end with the two dogs getting together!!