In New York, in a huge building. This summer evening, it is very hot in the apartment of Woodry. The son of the house, Tommy can not sleep in his room, settled for the night on the balcony. In his sleep, he saw the stairs that gives vis-à-vis, a murder ... When he tells his story, his parents do not believe. But the neighbor across the street knows that the child saw his gesture ...
A little known gem that this modest RKO production which finds its originality by the transposition of the story The boy who cried wolf in the world of film noir. We discover the misadventures Young Tommy (Bobby Driscoll) with a tendency to invent stories will play well when tours will end up witnessing a murder committed by true neighbors and no one will believe. The first part develops the newspaper of the young hero through the difficulties facing his parents his imagination and used it to illustrate an axis in the world of ordinary boy with building this hall and stairs of the buildings very common New York .
Bobby Driscoll boils engaging and verbal machine gun flow deploys a nice kid energy storyteller and his distress when not Vintage for the crime he has seen real results in a lot of empathy for the misunderstanding of the adult world. The script builds all the elements maliciously against Tommy to his surroundings constantly put in doubt his accusations, while the murder itself announces the second game with a terrific burst of violence by adopting the perspective of the child. 
The film thus follows in its aesthetic and narrative dimension of the original tale. Entire second part of the film develops and the elements of early (cons dive from the point of view of the child, from top to bottom exploration of the building) in a dark side and terrifying to the exact form of nightmarish imagery neat seen previously. 
The film takes a classical imagery of film noir with its dark alleys and menacing, but its imposing buildings seen in the eyes of Tommy he inspire a heavy atmosphere that immerses us in the heart of childish terrors. Moreover, the threat embodied in a Machiavellian Paul Stewart (no stranger to the role of villain in the film noir as the famous Fourth speed Aldrich) composing a memorable villain. We are constantly surprised by the differences in violence and cruelty that the film indulges toward the child, anticipating 5 years before some time The Night of the Hunter . 
Tezlaff former cinematographer Ted moved on to directing it also intends to push up the tension with its confusing frames, compositions dark plans where every dark corner is a hidden danger for Tommy. Tension mounts permanently to a memorable final chase where the boy is facing a lot of resources alone and helpless at his pursuers. Although as in any tale, all's well that ends well, the film has taken in areas darn uncomfortable with its different variations. Original and masterfully executed, a success story like that. 
Released on DVD Zone 2 in French by Editions Montparnasse Collection RKO Preview
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