Night Has a Thousand Eyes

Night Has a Thousand Eyes is a 1948 film noir, starring Edward G. Robinson and directed by John Farrow. The screenplay was written by Barré Lyndon and Jonathan Latimer. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Cornell Woolrich, originally published under the pseudonym George Hopley.[3]

Night Has a Thousand Eyes
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn Farrow
Produced byEndre Bohem
Screenplay byBarré Lyndon
Jonathan Latimer
Based onNight Has a Thousand Eyes
by Cornell Woolrich
StarringEdward G. Robinson
Gail Russell
John Lund
Virginia Bruce
Music byVictor Young
CinematographyJohn F. Seitz
Edited byEda Warren
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • October 13, 1948 (1948-10-13) (United States)
Running time
81 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1.9 million[1]
Box office$1.5 million (US rentals)[2]

The film includes the original Angels Flight on Bunker Hill in Downtown Los Angeles as a location.

Synopsis

The film opens in New Orleans, where John Triton (Robinson) is "The Mental Wizard", a nightclub fortune teller. During a show one evening, Triton suddenly urges an audience member to rush home, cautioning that her son is in danger. As the story unfolds, Triton struggles with his new-found psychic ability, as all of his relentlessly bleak predictions prove accurate. Jerome Cowan (of Maltese Falcon fame) plays Whitney Courtland, Triton's best friend, who becomes wealthy using tips from the now-psychic Triton.

Cast

Reception

The film is generally praised for its gloomy adaptation of Woolrich's writing. In his book Art of Noir, Eddie Muller writes: "No film more faithfully captured Woolrich's sense of doomed predestination than Night Has a Thousand Eyes." Time Out Film Guide, however (in spite of praising the cinematography by John F. Seitz), gives the thriller a negative review:

"Aside from the fine opening sequence -- Lund's rescue of Gail Russell from the brink of suicide, and discovery of her mortal terror of the stars -- a disappointing adaptation of Cornell Woolrich's superb novel."[4]

Music

The film's main theme (written by Jerry Brainin and Buddy Bernier) became a jazz standard, having been recorded by Horace Silver, Carmen McRae, Harry Beckett, Paul Desmond and John Coltrane, among others.

References

Notes

  1. Joseph W. Taylor, Staff Correspondent, "Biggest Film Firm: Paramount's Puzzler: Will Attendance Slide Be Brief or Prolonged?", Wall Street Journal (New York, N.Y.), 21 July 1947: 1.
  2. "Top Grossers of 1948", Variety, January 5, 1949 p. 46.
  3. Night Has a Thousand Eyes at the American Film Institute Catalog.
  4. TimeOut film review, no date. Accessed July 5, 2013.

Bibliography

  • Eddie Muller (2002). Art of Noir. Overlook Hardcover. ISBN 1-58567-073-1.

Streaming audio

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