The Window 1949

Thriller

Crime

Runtime

73 mins

Language

English

Directed by

Ted Tetzlaff

Made by

RKO Radio Pictures

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The Window Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for The Window (1949). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

In New York’s Lower East Side, young Tommy Woodry [Bobby Driscoll] has a habit of crying wolf. Late one night, while trying to sleep on the building fire escape, he glimpses his two seemingly ordinary neighbors, Joe Kellerson [Paul Stewart] and Jean Kellerson [Ruth Roman], murder a drunken sailor inside their apartment. Tommy’s story meets a cold wall: neither his parents nor the police believe him, chalking it up to one of the boy’s tall tales that never quite add up.

Mary Woodry [Barbara Hale], the boy’s mother, tries to coax Tommy into apologizing to the Kellersons, hoping to keep the peace, but the boy refuses, and suspicion surrounds him. With Ed Woodry [Arthur Kennedy], the father, away at his night job and Mary busy caring for a sick relative, the Kellersons decide to act on their fear that Tommy will expose them. They lure the boy under the pretense of going to the police, guiding him into a dark alley where they attempt to end him.

Tommy manages to slip away, but the Kellersons quickly recapture him and haul him back to their apartment in a taxi. He cries out for help, yet a passing officer hesitates, recalling the earlier visit to the station and not fully trusting the boy’s claims. The Kellersons cunningly pose as Tommy’s parents, fooling the cab driver and complicating any chance of rescue.

Back at home, Ed Woodry returns to an empty apartment and enlists a nearby police officer to search for his missing son. The chase spills into the streets and onto rooftops as Tommy dashes from danger, with the Kellersons in close pursuit toward a building that is already being demolished. The officer pieces together that Tommy may be seeking his mother, and Woodry and the officer move away from the peril, hoping the trail cools.

On the roof, the pursuit becomes a perilous game of balance. Tommy discovers the murdered sailor’s body and pushes upward, with Kellerson closing in. The stairwell buckles, leaving Kellerson gripping a shaky beam while Tommy clings to the narrow support above the void. Neighbors rally with a rescue net, ready to catch him if the beam collapses.

In the tense moment that follows, Tommy directs the rescuers to the crime scene and to the whereabouts of Mrs. Kellerson, and the murdered man’s body is finally found. The beam gives way, but the net catches him just in time. As Tommy is led to a police cruiser for safety, his father expresses pride, and the boy, thoroughly shaken, promises to stop inventing stories once and for all.

The Window Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of The Window (1949) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Tommy witnesses a murder from the fire escape

Late one night, Tommy, who has a habit of crying wolf, watches his neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Kellerson, murder a drunken sailor from his building's fire escape. The brutal act is witnessed firsthand, but no one believes him because of his reputation. The event plants the seeds of suspicion that his warnings will be dismissed again.

late night Lower East Side, apartment building

Disbelief of the testimony

Tommy tells his parents and the police what he saw, but they dismiss it as another tall tale. His credibility is undermined by years of 'crying wolf' stories. He feels isolated and convinced that danger will be ignored.

following days Tommy's home; police station

Confrontation shakes the Kellersons

Mrs. Woodry takes Tommy to apologize to the Kellersons, hoping to smooth things over. Tommy refuses to apologize, and the Kellersons become visibly suspicious of him.

soon after Kellersons' apartment

Parents away; Kellersons decide to kill

With Mrs. Woodry away and Mr. Woodry at his night job, the Kellersons decide to kill Tommy. They lock him in his room to prevent further 'escapades' and prepare to carry out their plan.

while the parents are away Woodry home

Lure and capture in a dark alley

Under the pretense of taking him to the police, the Kellersons force Tommy into a taxi and take him to a dark alley where they try to kill him. He manages to escape but is recaptured and brought back to their apartment.

night Dark alley; Kellersons' apartment

The police misdirected and the cab ride

Tommy screams for help from a passing policeman, but the officer recognizes him from earlier failed visits and doubts the story. The Kellersons also fool the taxi driver by posing as Tommy's parents, making it harder for anyone to intervene.

during kidnapping Street; taxi

Missing child triggers police response

Mr. Woodry returns from work and discovers Tommy is missing; he asks a neighborhood officer for help. The officer uses the police box to request a radio car to search the area.

after Tommy goes missing Tenement vicinity; street outside Woodry's building

Escape to the roof and pursuit

Tommy escapes and climbs onto the roof, beginning a dangerous chase as Kellerson pursues him to a nearby building under demolition.

moments after escape Roof and adjacent demolition site

Mistaken guidance and renewed pursuit

A police officer suggests that Tommy fled to his mother; the officer and Mr. Woodry leave the tenement to search. Tommy's shouts from the roof reveal his location to Kellerson.

later that night Tenement area; stairwell

Climb, collapse, and death

The chase continues upstairs; Tommy finds the body of the dead sailor as Kellerson follows. The stairwell collapses, Kellerson loses his footing, and Tommy is left clinging to a broken beam high above the ground.

moments during pursuit Building interior; stairwell/beam

Rescue and planned jump

Neighbors hear Tommy's cries for help and call for fire and rescue. A collapsible net is set up below, and rescuers urge him to jump to safety before the beam gives way.

imminent rescue Exterior of building; rescue area

Resolution and vow

Tommy explains everything to the police, revealing where to find Mrs. Kellerson and the murder victim. His father expresses pride, and Tommy promises to stop inventing stories.

at the police station after rescue Police cruiser and station

The Window Characters

Explore all characters from The Window (1949). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Tommy Woodry (Bobby Driscoll)

A perceptive yet imaginative boy who witnesses a murder and must contend with adults who doubt his story. His tall tales mask a real sensitivity to danger, and his persistence drives the plot forward. He confronts fear with stubborn resilience as he navigates a dangerous urban world.

👦 Child 🏚️ Tenement Life 🧭 Observant

Joe Kellerson (Paul Stewart)

A ruthless, calculating neighbor who becomes the film's principal threat. He and his wife manipulate others and plot to silence Tommy after the sailor's murder. His control-driven paranoia leads to a fatal confrontation when the building's fate collides with his own.

👨‍💼 Antagonist 🏚️ Neighbor 🧩 Deception

Jean Kellerson (Ruth Roman)

Joe Kellerson's wife and partner in crime. She participates in the murder plot, displaying a calm, scheming nature that enables danger to come close to Tommy. Her complicity underscores how ordinary appearances can conceal violent intent.

👩 Antagonist 🏚️ Neighbor 🧩 Deception

Ed Woodry (Arthur Kennedy)

Tommy's father, a night-shift worker who returns to find his son missing and must face the peril in the building. He embodies protective, pride-filled parental love and ultimately supports his son as they seek safety.

👨‍💼 Father 🕯️ Protective 🧭 Loyal

Mary Woodry (Barbara Hale)

Tommy's mother, caring and practical, who takes him to apologize and tries to keep him safe. Her presence reflects family bonds and the uncertain world their son navigates.

👩 Family 🏚️ Tenement Life 🧭 Protective

The Window Settings

Learn where and when The Window (1949) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Location

Lower East Side, New York

Set in a crowded Lower East Side tenement in New York City, the story unfolds within a single building and its surrounding alleyways. The dense urban environment creates a claustrophobic stage where rumors travel fast and danger feels close. The neighborhood's immigrant roots and harsh routines frame the tension between a trusting child and suspicious adults.

🗽 Lower East Side 🏚️ Tenement Life 🧭 Urban Crime

The Window Themes

Discover the main themes in The Window (1949). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

👁️

Truth

Tommy's account of witnessing the murder is dismissed by adults who assume he's fabricating another tall tale. The film uses disbelief to heighten suspense, highlighting how credibility can hinge on age and social standing. As events unfold, the audience must decide whether Tommy is telling the truth or simply imagining danger. The tension invites viewers to root for the boy's safety.

🏚️

Urban Fear

The tight, multi-story tenement and dim stairwells become a character in themselves, shaping fear as much as any person. Neighbors drift between suspicion and indifference, illustrating how crowded urban life can fragment community support. The alley and cab ride are used to mislead and trap, amplifying the sense that danger lurks just beyond the door. The architecture of the building turns everyday spaces into traps that threaten a child's safety.

💪

Courage

Tommy's persistent, brave attempts to escape and reveal the truth show that courage can be quiet but decisive. He refuses to stay silent despite disbelief and danger, navigating physical peril to expose what happened. The sequence culminates with a communal resolve to protect him and bring the truth to light.

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The Window Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of The Window (1949). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In the cramped, wind‑blown apartments of New York’s Lower East Side, a thin fire‑escape runs like a spine along the building’s façade, catching the late‑night murmurs of a city that never truly sleeps. The neighborhood hums with a mix of grit and hope, its narrow streets echoing with stories that bounce off brick walls. Within this world, an imaginative boy named Tommy Woodry spends his evenings perched on the fire‑escape, letting his vivid imagination turn the ordinary into something extraordinary.

Tommy is known for his endless yarns, a habit that both endears him to his family and leaves them wary of his more fantastical claims. His mother, Mary Woodry, balances a caring heart with a desire to keep the household peaceful, while his father, Ed Woodry, works late hours that keep him away from the building’s nightly rhythm. Their home is a modest sanctuary where the line between truth and make‑believe is constantly tested by a child whose stories have become part of the family’s daily conversation.

Above them lives the enigmatic couple, Joe Kellerson and Jean Kellerson, whose quiet presence adds a layer of mystery to the building’s tight‑knit community. One night, from his perch, Tommy witnesses something that shatters the ordinary veneer of his world, a sight that plunges him into a frantic need to be heard. The neighbors, aware that their secret may have been glimpsed, react with a cold calculation that turns the building’s familiar corridors into a maze of silent threat.

Caught between his own reputation for tall tales and the urgent belief that what he saw is real, Tommy finds himself at the heart of a tense, breath‑holding standoff. The film weaves a moody, suspense‑laden atmosphere where a child’s earnest plea collides with adult doubt, setting the stage for a gripping struggle between imagination and palpable danger.

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