''The Face at the Window'' is a
melodramatic detective
play
Play most commonly refers to:
* Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment
* Play (theatre), a work of drama
Play may refer also to:
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* P ...
written by F. Brooke Warren and first produced in 1897.
[Pitts, Michael R. RKO Radio Pictures Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Films, 1929–1956, pp. 100–01 (2015)]
Plot
Set in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
, the play's villain is a
serial killer
A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A
*
*
*
* with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
named Le Loup, who precedes his killings with a loud wolf-howl. He is pursued by the
master detective Paul Gouffet. In an iconic scene, Gouffet causes a dead victim to complete the act of writing his murderer's name by passing an electric current through the arm muscles.
Adaptations
The 1897 play gave rise to a succession of
film versions. The
1939 adaptation is the best known, but the list of adaptations includes:
[Pitts, Michael R]
RKO Radio Pictures Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Films, 1929–1956
pp. 100–01 (2015) (with some details on 1919, 1920, 1932, and 1939 films)
* A
1919 Australian silent film directed by
Charles Villiers.
* A
1920 British silent film directed by
Wilfred Noy
Wilfred Noy (born Wilfred Noy Blumberg, 24 December 1883 – 29 March 1948) was an English film director, actor, screenwriter and producer of the silent era. Noy was the maternal uncle of Leslie Howard.Eforgan, Estel. Leslie Howard: The Los ...
.
* A
1932 British film directed by
Leslie S. Hiscott
Leslie Stephenson Hiscott (25 July 18943 May 1968) was an English film director and screenwriter who made over sixty films between 1925 and 1956. He was born in London in 1894. He directed ''Alibi'' (1931), the first ever depiction of Hercule ...
.
* A
1939 British film directed by
George King George King may refer to:
Politics
* George King (Australian politician) (1814–1894), New South Wales and Queensland politician
* George King, 3rd Earl of Kingston (1771–1839), Irish nobleman and MP for County Roscommon
* George Clift King (18 ...
.
References
1897 plays
Melodramas
British plays adapted into films
{{1890s-play-stub