Just what I expected

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Slick programmer from MGM. It's not exactly a whodunit, though the narrative starts out that way. Rather, the plot becomes a battle of wits between Capt. Maclain (Arnold) and the killer. Seems someone's knocking off members of the Hampton family, leaving daughter Jean (Rafferty) in danger. Now blind ex-cop Maclain, along with police dog Friday and comedic helper Marty, have to figure things out before more bloodletting.Arnold's Maclain has to be the most genial cop in movie annals: he even manages a chuckle in the direst circumstance. I guess that shows acceptance of his impaired condition. Good to see one of my old-time heartthrobs Frances Rafferty looking gorgeous as usual. And that's Leigh Whipper briefly as the colored butler. Too bad he doesn't get to show the soul he shows in the classics Of Mice and Men (1939) and The Ox-Bow Incident (1943). Once you see him there, you don't forget. And, of course, there's Friday who should get a canine Oscar for his winning performance.Anyway, the programmer's mainly a personality detective show, slickly done by MGM's accomplished production crew. I guess my only reservation is with some of the look-alike supporting players and keeping them straight. Still, it's an entertaining way to spend an hour that's also lost little over the years. Meanwhile, this old geezer could sure use a buddy like the genius-level Friday.

I could never understand why MGM didn't try to have a serious go of making a series about Capt. Duncan MacLain, an urbane private eye, who just happens to be blind. That does not hamper his skills as he has sharpened his remaining senses as well as being an expert wrestler. He also has an extremely smart seeing eye dog in Friday, who is almost MacLain's match in intelligence. Obviously MGM didn't feel that comfortable with private eyes on dark rainy streets, they didn't exactly fit in with the other series - heroic Dr. Kildare and the all American Hardy family. Of course they also had the Thin Man series but Nick Charles was different, he was a witty bon vivant married to a millionairess!!!The first MacLain film "Eyes in the Night" got off to a terrific start, directed by young up and coming director Fred Zinneman and with a top cast of dependable stars including Edward Arnold who fitted the role like a pair of comfy slippers. But the next one, "The Hidden Eye" appeared almost 5 years later and somehow something was missing.Jean (Frances Rafferty) is eager to marry Barry but is meeting stiff opposition from her uncle who is concerned that with a couple of recent deaths in the family it wouldn't look right. When Uncle Rodney, the man who is going to decide their fate is found murdered and Barry is already in the darkened room, suspicion naturally falls on him. Unfortunately for Barry, he seems to be being set up as that happens for the other murders too.As another reviewer says the murderer is revealed half way through but, for me, that only makes it more interesting as now, with MacLain on the case, they know they are looking for a mad man but one who presents a normal respectable front. There is drama aplenty when Friday is kidnapped - the anguish in Arnold's voice as he promises to do exactly as the kidnapper's want proves there was real affection for the dog, a beautiful Alsation, there.Frances Rafferty was just one of the numerous pretty ingenues who seemed to flood the screen in the 1940s, did a few colourless roles then disappeared. Far more interesting was the perfume counter girl - Audrey Totter gave her part as much oomph as her 60 second bit would allow. I believe she was also at the wrong studio and would have progressed quicker at Warner Bros. where her type of hard boiled dame was more appreciated.Recommended for Audrey!!

Courtsey of MGM's prolific/proficient second feature output unit, comes this sequel to Fred Zinnemann's debut feature 'Eyes In The Night', about a visually-impaired sleuth. This time around, the technical team is unfortunately less resourceful than their protagonist who is busy, with the aid of his faithful guide dog, trying to clear an innocent man of murder.The replacement of B-frisson chills with chuckles is a miscalculation on this outing, and stereotype B-movie characterisations abound from vulnerable love interest to seedy villains. The story's gritty, 'urban' settings, replete with dark alleyways and disused warehouses, are never exploited to the full effect of their classic noir trappings.The proceedings are all lighthearted enough if a little too genial. However, although there is some inevitable sentiment, the film is surprisingly unpatronising in its treatment of our blind hero. All in all it's a disappointing sequel, but not an hour-and-a-bit wasted.

(There are Spoilers) No where as good as the previous "Blind Detective" feature "Eyes in the Night" the movie "The Hidden Eye" still holds your interest up until the final moments even though the mysterious killer is revealed almost half-way through the film.After being discharged from the US Army Barry Grifford, Paul Langton, had met and fell in love with the pretty heiress to the Hampton tin fortune Jane Hampton, Frances Rafferty. The two lovebirds Barry & Jane eagerly wanting to get hitched have their wedding plans kept on hold by Jane's dad Mr. Arthur Hampton, Raymond Laugay, not wanting his daughter to get married so soon after two members of the family were founded murdered.It later turns out that Uncle Rodney Hampton, Clyde Fillmore, who eventually was to give his consent to Jane & Barrys wedding plans, with his brother Mr. Hamptons blessings, in found murdered in his office as both Jane and Barry came to visit him.Finding a mysterious note laced with his strange Jasmin perfume as well as the Areng Tree mentioned on it all clues to Uncle Rodney's murder leads to Barry. Barry was on the scene of Rodney Hampton's murder and later he was also at the scene of Mr. Hamptons murder which makes him a prime suspect. There's also the fact that the Areng Tree is native to the island of Sumatra the place where Mr. Hampton made his fortune some thirty years ago and his partner Barry father Mr. Grifford ended up losing his shirt! Are these murders the work of Barry Grifford in revenge of what he feels that old man Hampton did to his dad in swindling him of of his share of the prosperous Sumatra Hampton tin mine?Getting family friend and blind sleuth Capt. Duncan "Mac" MacLaine, Edward Arnold, on the case Jane hopes he'll get to the bottom of these murders and exonerate Barry, who has yet to be charged, of committing them. "Mac" together with his partner Marty Corbatt, William "Bill" Phillips, and faithful seeing eye dog Friday sniff out the truth behind Mr. Hampton's and Uncle Rodney's murder in the fact that the mysterious perfume was purposely planted at the murder scene to implicate poor and innocent Barry Grifford.The killer using his henchmen lead by Ferris, Morris Arkrum, realized that "Mac" has got the drop on him and the real reason for the Hampton murders. The killer happens to be in charges of the Hampton tin mine fortune and want's, with all the Hampton's out of the way, to get total control of it. The killer is also positioning Barry into a corner in that he'll murder his sweetheart Jane to exact revenge of what her dad, the late Mr. Hampton, did to his dad in bankrupting him.As "Mac" gets closer to the truth the Killer has his seeing-eye dog Friday dog-napped and held hostage in an effort to get "Mac" off his back. This all backfires with Friday together with his master "Mac", who was also later kidnapped, turning the tables on the Killer and his hoods and then working against the clock in preventing Barry from being shot by the cops as he enters the Hampton Mansion. Barry was hoodwinked by Ferris & Co, impersonating cops, into thinking that he's coming to his sweetheart Janes rescue only to have him be gunned down by the awaiting police. The cops, the real ones, were tipped off by the killer that Barry is going to the mansion to murder Jane and and then plant evidence, fake of course, to implicate him in her murder.The brave and courageous Friday who saved "Mac" earlier by attacking and tearing apart two of his and "Mac" captors at the killers hideout was rendered useless by being locked in a cab, that brought them to the Hampton Masion, by the suddenly metalized killer. "Mac" taking the killer on hand to hand made up for his loss of sight, he was blinded in WWI, by his expertise in both Oriental martial arts of Ju Jutsu and Sumo Wrestling. "Mac" ended up putting him to sleep without the help of Friday who if freed would have done a much better, or worse, job on him which the killer in not being torn to ribbons should be very very thankful for.