The late, great Edward G. Robinson rarely met a film noir or gangster film that did not welcome him in with open arms. Whether he was causing trouble like in the claustrophobic Key Largo or playing more strait laced like his pivotal role in Double Indemnity, he was always one of the most electric personalities on the silver screen. A mid-career turn that does not get the respect it deserves is the 1948 film noir Night Has A Thousand Eyes from the prolific John Farrow (Alias Nick Beal). This period of time had a strange fascination with mentalism as twisted tales such as Nightmare Alley explored the nefarious side of the so-called “gift.” This adaptation of the novel of the same name by Cornell Woolrich did not follow the playbook most were working from which yielded surprisingly thrilling results. The film has style for days and a top notch ensemble to bring this material to life. For those who love a great film noir, it is time to take notice with this resurrection of a forgotten gem.
The thrilling opening of the film shows the attempted suicide of the the young Jean Courtland (Gail Russell, The Uninvited), the heiress to one of the largest fortunes in the country. A jump to hear death was thwarted by her fiance, Elliott Carson (John Lund, A Foreign Affair), but the mystery of what has driven her to such a point remains as perplexing as ever. She believes the pall of death follows her like a specter despite the objection from those around her. The truth resides somewhere with John Triton (Edward G. Robinson), a carnival mentalist who once faked a psychic gift that has evolved into something that might not be so fictional anymore. The excitement of the beginning slows down every so slightly as we flashback to how exactly all of these figures got to where they are now. While many might relish the idea of knowing the future, John views it as a curse that he cannot shake, especially since most of his visions involve death or substantial loss. He is a man haunted with the responsibility of trying to prevent catastrophe when it is all but assured. Such loss can really drain on a person.
To reveal too much would be a disservice to the film, but it can be said that John finds himself connected to the Courtland family and conjecture about an impending murder pits “reasonable” people against the mentalist who only wants to not see another death on his watch. The film manages to blend film noir with the supernatural pretty deftly, but the real way in which it excels is in the performance of Robinson. The man brings an unexpected tenderness to this melancholy role of an emotionally bereft man. He longs for the simple days when he was performing alongside his best friend and his wife. He is a man out of step with the typical film noir protagonist, not manifesting any of the moral deficiencies that plague the greedy and violent breed of the genre. Russell proves to be a strong presence for him to bounce off of in a really satisfying way. Lund is not half bad in his performance, but his character is such a drip that it is hard to get invested in him beyond a heavy eye roll at some of his beliefs.
Farrow directs this feature with an assured hand based on a spry script from Barré Lyndon and Jonathan Latimer. The aesthetic he creates with cinematographer John F. Seitz establishes an unsettling atmosphere where suspense climbs quite rapidly. The latter half of the film begins to sag a little bit with the repeated dismissal of John and his abilities, but the tension you feel as you lead up to the final moments makes up for it. The film lays out a series of puzzle pieces that ultimately come together to create a very enthralling narrative. The performances may be the most notable aspect of the feature, but everything is working together efficiently to make this story effective.
Video Quality
Night Has A Thousand Eyes makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to Kino Classics with a brand new 1080p master from a 2K scan. While some of the stylistic choices create a harsher aesthetic than some films, this nonetheless is a truly wonderful presentation. The black-and-white photography shot by John F. Seitz wows in high definition with natural grain intact. This was a film that was shot in strained lighting conditions at times, choosing to shoot night-for-night for pure, stark blackness. There is a pleasing amount of detail present with nice textures on the clothing and within the production design. The new transfer shows off a great amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. Black levels are very deep with no noticable occurrences of black crush or compression artifacts. The contrast is well defined, and the track only experiences a minor amount of density fluctuation in the print. Kino Classics has done some marvelous work here.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a pretty decent DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that serves this movie well considering its age and source limitations. Dialogue and background noises are represented in perfect harmony with all competing elements. This track does present with a small amount of age related wear and tear such as hissing and crackles. The track sounds a bit thin when the music comes up, which likely dates back to the source elements. The music from Victor Young never overpowers the dialogue or other important information. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. The good folks at Kino Classics have done their best to provide the most stable track possible for this one.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Film Historian Imogen Sara Smith provides a thoughtful and entertaining commentary track in which she discusses the background of this film, the life and careers of the talent on and off the screen, the place this feature occupies in the film noir genre, the themes of the picture and more that goes towards enriching your appreciation of the film
- Trailers: The two-and-a-half-minute trailer for Night Has A Thousand Eyes is provided here. There are also trailers provided for The Web, The Accused, The Woman In The Window, Calcutta and Alias Nick Beal.
Final Thoughts
Night Has A Thousand Eyes is a really engrossing film noir that is made extra special thanks to a knockout turn from the great Edward G. Robinson. The feature blends the supernatural with the film noir elements in a way that does not often come together quite as nicely. With a concise running time, this effort does not overstay its welcome and structures the reveals in a way that results in cascading thrills. Kino Classics has released a Blu-Ray featuring an excellent A/V presentation and a notable commentary track. If you are a fan of Edward G. Robinson, this should not be missed. Recommended
Night Has A Thousand Eyes will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD on November 16, 2021.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.