For all the fame he achieved early in his career as a tough gangster, no one plays the kind gentleman with weight of the world on his shoulders like Edward G. Robinson. The Window In the Window is a solid film made all the more absorbing by Robinson's heartbreaking portrayal of an essentially good man lured to evil one tragic step at a time. Watching how the plot unfolds is riveting, but the primary attraction here is the emotional experience -- how sympathy for the characters can and does outweigh our objective judgment.

The film makes a great companion piece to Scarlet Street, which stars the same three leads, is also directed by the great expressionist Fritz Lang, was released the same year, and explores similar themes.