Eyes in the Night

When I got married three years ago and moved into a nice house, my access to technology jumped forward quite a bit. Living alone, I watched movies on DVD or via Amazon on my computer and simply didn't worry about being more advanced.

But our HOA fees included TV. I went on a "recording movies off of Turner Classic Movies" jihad and soon our DVR was over half-full.

It soon became a running gag with my wife that I had all those movies waiting for me to watch and I never seemed to get around to watching them. But recently, I had to have my gallbladder removed and that left me convalescing at home for a time before I could return to work. And, by golly, I actually watched a bunch of those movies.

One of them is a real gem. In 1942, the novel The Odor of Violets, by Baynard Kendrick, was adapted into a film titled Eyes in the Night. Edward Arnold--a wonderful character actor who often played heavies--was given the lead role as blind detective "Mac" Maclain. Though as good as Arnold is in his role, his seeing-eye dog Friday nearly steals the movie from him.

Anyway, "Mac" might be blind, but this doesn't slow him down. He's sharp-witted, of course, but he's surprisingly capable in a fight and often seems more aware of what is going on around him than those with working eyes.

The case he investigates involves the murder of a sleazy actor, but this soon expands to also involve a cadre of Nazi spies after a particular secret. The spies are working as the household staff of a scientist. Mac, as he begins to suspect what's going on, takes the role of an obnoxious uncle and arrives for a visit. Soon, there's a sometimes subtle game of cat-and-mouse going on, with the spies looking for an opportunity to break into a safe and Mac "accidentally" interrupting their plans.

Arnold is so much fun to watch in the role of Mac it makes one's heart break to know that he never reprised the role. But the rest of the cast it great as well. I especially appreciate the way the script take the time to give the various bad guys individual personalities. Mac's banter with the butler, for instance, is all the more priceless because of this:

• Hansen : Oh, you're blind sir?

  Duncan 'Mac' Maclain : Blind as a bat!

  Hansen : Excuse me sir I'm terribly sorry.

  Duncan 'Mac' Maclain : What is there to be sorry about? Plenty of great men were blind - Milton, Homer, they were blind, weren't they?

  Hansen : Yes, but they complained about it.

  Duncan 'Mac' Maclain : Oh, they did?

  Hansen : Yes sir. "O loss of sight, of thee I must complain! Blind among enemies, O, worse than chains, Dungeon, or beggary, or decrepit age..."

Anyway, the spies are eventually forced to come out into the open, taking the scientist and his family hostage. This, in turn, forces Mac into a gun fight in a pitch-dark room after he sends his dog Friday off to fetch help. It's a climax that generates more than it's share of honest tension.

Eyes in the Night is available to watch on Youtube and is well-worth your time. Within a few weeks, by the way, we'll take a look at the novel on which the movie is based.