''The Shadow on the Window'' is a 1957 American

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American '' ...

crime film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combin ...

directed by

William Asher William Milton Asher (August 8, 1921 – July 16, 2012) was an American television and film producer, film director, and screenwriter. He was one of the most prolific early television directors, producing or directing over two dozen series. Wit ...

and starring

Philip Carey Philip Carey (born Eugene Joseph Carey, July 15, 1925February 6, 2009) was an American actor. Early life and education On July 15, 1925, Carey was born in Hackensack, New Jersey.Betty Garrett Betty Garrett (May 23, 1919 – February 12, 2011) was an American actress, comedian, singer and dancer. She originally performed on Broadway, and was then signed to a film contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. She appeared in several musical film ...

and John Drew Barrymore.. The

screenplay ''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993. Background After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, f ...

involves a boy (Jerry Mathers) who is traumatized after seeing his mother being terrorized by thugs.

Plot

Upon seeing his mother Linda terrorized by three thugs, young Petey (

Jerry Mathers Gerald Patrick Mathers (born June 2, 1948) is an American actor best known for his role in the television sitcom '' Leave It to Beaver'', originally broadcast from 1957 to 1963, in which he played the protagonist Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver, the y ...

) is traumatized and wanders off. Truck drivers find him and the boy is taken to police headquarters, where he is recognized as the son of detective Tony Atlas (

Philip Carey Philip Carey (born Eugene Joseph Carey, July 15, 1925February 6, 2009) was an American actor. Early life and education On July 15, 1925, Carey was born in Hackensack, New Jersey.Corey Allen Corey Allen (born Alan Cohen; June 29, 1934 – June 27, 2010) was an American film and television director, writer, producer, and actor. He began his career as an actor but eventually became a television director. He is best known for playing ...

), and Jess ( John Drew Barrymore) - are holding Linda Atlas hostage in the home of a man named Canfield (Watson Downs), for whom she had been working freelance as a stenographer. In the course of robbery, Canfield has been killed and the three are now arguing incessantly about whether to also kill Linda; they think she is the only eyewitness and do not believe her when she tells them she has a son and is worried about where he has gone. At one point, Canfield's niece and her husband come looking for him, because he had missed his regular dinner date at their home. When the couple sees Linda's car, they assume the man is entertaining a woman; they leave. Gil slips away to retrieve a gun from his mother's and stepfather's apartment. Tony and the police, in the meantime, have had some investigative success and arrive at the apartment while Gil is there. The young man runs, exchanges gunfire with Tony and is ultimately killed. Tony finds Linda's wallet in Gil's pocket. Eventually, the truckers are located and are able to provide an idea of the general vicinity where they found the boy. The police take Petey to this area and he recognizes a tractor; on the ground they find one of his toy cowboy guns. Tony's men surround the house and, when they enter, they find Canfield's body and discover that Joey, too, is dead. Jess had located a gun upstairs in the home and the two had struggled for it. Jess holds Linda at gunpoint, but Tony manages to disarm him. At the sight of his mother, Petey emerges from his state of shock.

Cast

as Linda Atlas * John Drew Barrymore as Jess Reber *

Corey Allen Corey Allen (born Alan Cohen; June 29, 1934 – June 27, 2010) was an American film and television director, writer, producer, and actor. He began his career as an actor but eventually became a television director. He is best known for playing ...

as Gil Ramsey * Gerald Sarracini as Joey Gomez *

as Petey Atlas *

Sam Gilman Sam Gilman (February 5, 1915 – December 3, 1985) was an American film and television actor. He was perhaps best known for playing Harvey Johnson in the 1961 film ''One-Eyed Jacks''. Life and career Gilman was born in Salem, Massachusetts. H ...

as Sgt. Paul Denke * Rusty Lane as Capt. McQuade * Ainslie Pryor as Dr. Hodges *

Paul Picerni Horacio Paul Picerni (December 1, 1922 – January 12, 2011) was an American actor in film and television, perhaps best known today in the role of Federal Agent Lee Hobson, second-in-command to Robert Stack's Eliot Ness, in the ABC hit televisi ...

as Bigelow * William Leslie as Stuart * Doreen Woodbury as Molly * Ellie Kent as Girl

References

External links

* * * * 1957 films 1957 crime drama films American crime thriller films American black-and-white films Columbia Pictures films 1950s English-language films Film noir Films scored by George Duning Films directed by William Asher American crime drama films 1950s American films {{1950s-crime-drama-film-stub

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links