The Face at the Window (1939 film)

The Face at the Window
The Face at the Window
Directed by	George King
Written by	A. R. Rawlinson (scenario and dialogue); Randall Faye (treatment)
Based on	the "Famous Melodrama", The Face at the Window by F. Brooke Warren
Produced by	George King
Starring	Tod Slaughter
Cinematography	Hone Glendinning
Edited by	Jack Harris
Music by	Jack Beaver
Production; company	George King Productions
Distributed by	British Lion Film Corporation (UK); Arthur Ziehm (U.S.)
Release date	April 1939;
Running time	65 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

The Face at the Window is a 1939 British horror film directed by George King.^[1] It was the second sound film adaptation of the 1897 stage melodrama by F. Brooke Warren after the 1932 version.^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]

Plot

In Paris in 1880, a series of murders involving a grotesque face appearing at victims' windows, is attributed to a mysterious Wolf Man. After being accused of being the perpetrator, bank clerk Lucien Cortier (John Warwick) seeks to uncover the true identity of the murderer. Chevalier Lucio del Gardo seems determined to successfully prosecute Cortier for the murders.

Cast

Tod Slaughter – Chevalier Lucio del Gardo
Marjorie Taylor – Cecile de Brisson
John Warwick – Lucien Cortier
Leonard Henry – Gaston, the Cook
Aubrey Mallalieu – M. de Brisson
Robert Adair – Police Inspector Gouffert
Wallace Evennett – Professor LeBlanc
Kay Lewis – Babette, the Maid
Bill Shine – Pierre, Babette's Beau
Margaret Yarde – La Pinan
Harry Terry – The Face at the Window

Critical reception

In a contemporary review, Film Weekly called the film "a vintage thriller, put over in the right, rich spirit of years ago";^[6] while more recently Britmovie praised "a sinister Tod Slaughter hamming it up marvellously."^[7] and the Radio Times wrote, "As with any film featuring the outrageously operatic antics of early horror star Tod Slaughter, this slow, stagebound murder-mystery would be completely unwatchable without the producer-star's presence."^[5]

References

^ "The Face at the Window (1939)". Archived from the original on 23 November 2016.
^ Pitts, Michael R. RKO Radio Pictures Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Films, 1929–1956, pp. 100-01 (2015)
^ Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 48. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2.
^ "F. Brooke Warren". Archived from the original on 23 November 2016.
^ ^a ^b "The Face at the Window (1939)".
^ "BFI Screenonline: Face at the Window, the (1939)".
^ "The Face at the Window | Britmovie | Home of British Films". www.britmovie.co.uk. Archived from the original on 26 November 2009.

External links

This 1930s horror film-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] "The Face at the Window (1939)". Archived from the original on 23 November 2016.

[2] Pitts, Michael R. RKO Radio Pictures Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Films, 1929–1956, pp. 100-01 (2015)

[3] Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 48. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2.

[4] "F. Brooke Warren". Archived from the original on 23 November 2016.

[radiotimes-5] "The Face at the Window (1939)".

[6] "BFI Screenonline: Face at the Window, the (1939)".

[britmovie-7] "The Face at the Window | Britmovie | Home of British Films". www.britmovie.co.uk. Archived from the original on 26 November 2009.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]