Sadly Over-hyped

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

Blistering performances.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

First of all, forget all about The Donna Reed Show - this movie shows us Donna Reed the actress not the TV mom we've come to know her by. She plays a good role as Barbra here! Secondly, this is a good suspenseful mystery-thriller. It sounds strange by the description of the film: A blind detective & his dog who help a woman, Norma Lawry, with a murder case. Norma has a step-daughter, Barbra, that has her mind poisoned against her by her former lover, Paul Gerente. But Paul ends up dead, Barbra blames Norma for murdering him and Norma seeks the help of a friend the blind detective Duncan 'Mac' Maclain. Sure the description sounds odd but you'll just have to watch it to see how it plays out - then it'll all fall into place.Third, I like the film and I recommend it to those that like the older mystery-thrillers speckled with comedy.8/10

Blind detective Edward Arnold (as Duncan "Mac" Maclain) and his faithful dog "Friday" are visited by actress friend Ann Harding (as Norma Lawry). Retired from the stage, Ms. Harding is worried because an old flame is making love to her bratty teenage step-daughter Donna Reed (as Barbara). Harding attempts to visit Ms. Reed at her lover's apartment and finds a dead body. Reed thinks Harding committed the murder and demands she leave husband and father Reginald Denny (as Stephen Lawry). Harding asks Mr. Arnold to investigate, but the dead body is missing...To investigate, Arnold moves into Harding's estate posing as her heretofore unknown "Uncle Mac" and finds the household staff infiltrated with Nazi spies. Next to show up as a guest is playwright Katherine Emery (as Cheli Scott), who plays a surprisingly central role. Everyone has a lot of fun, especially Arnold and his dog "Friday". New director Fred Zinnemann handles his second full-length feature assignment well. This was the first in a series of crime dramas starring Arnold as the disabled detective. "The Hidden Eye" (1945) was a belated second, and last, adventure.****** Eyes in the Night (10/16/42) Fred Zinnemann ~ Edward Arnold, Ann Harding, Donna Reed, Katherine Emery

I thought this was a great movie. I found the concept of a lead blind detective and a very active smart sidekick, the dog made this a very unique movie to watch. Great use of the fact he was blind in some scenes. Not sure if the dog made it into other movies, but one very smart animal and this added another layer to the movie.The acting seemed a little stilted, but overall I found this to be very entertaining, and somewhat groundbreaking with the mix of character traits, plot and action scenes. Highly recommended.

That dog Friday! In between Rin-Tin-Tin in the 1920s (also a German shepherd) and Lassie just a season or two later I discovered by seeing this film for the first time that there was also Friday, actor-dog extraordinaire! Not only was Edward Arnold deprived of a series and confined to but one more sequel to this very clever and entertaining movie in which his character as a blind detective might have gone on for quite a while, but Friday never got off the ground as a dog star either. And judging from his astonishing tricks and acting accomplishments in this film he would have continued as a canine sensation if they'd only have let him! As to handicapped detectives, Edward Arnold's role seemed to be a clear predecessor to Raymond Burr's Ironside some decades later as a wheelchair-bound but equally efficacious lawyer.As I watched this plot unfold, with the manipulative and steely step-daughter played so brilliantly and uncharacteristically (considering her later popular and more sympathetic roles) by Donna Reed as she constantly confronted her long-suffering stepmother Ann Harding, I could not help but be struck by the parallel to Mildred Pierce, filmed just a few years later. In that film the corresponding parts were taken by a likewise debuting and equally bitchy Ann Blyth and the much put-upon mother, veteran Joan Crawford. I wonder if the makers of MP had Eyes in the Night in the back of their mind as they wove their own plot.