A Window in London

A Window in London is a 1940 British thriller film directed by Herbert Mason starring Michael Redgrave as Peter, a crane operator, Patricia Roc as Pat, Sally Gray, Paul Lukas and Hartley Power. It is a remake of the French film Metropolitan (1939). The plot focuses on a crane operator who becomes drawn to the wife of a jealous magician - after spotting what seems to be a murder in their flat.

The film is set in London, when Waterloo Bridge was still under construction. It was released in the US in 1942 under the title Lady in Distress.

Pat (Patricia Roc), a hotel switchboard operator and Peter (Michael Redgrave) a crane operator are a happy well meaning couple, however because of their different shifts during the day they have no time for each other. While he works during the day on the construction of Waterloo Bridge his patient wife works during the night on a hotel telephone exchange. One morning on his way to work, Peter goes on the London Underground train and spots what seems to be a murder being committed on at the open window of a building overlooking the tracks. Deciding to investigate this "crime" Peter and a policeman arrive at the residence. There they find out that the couple were in fact rehearsing an illusion. Zoltini is a bad tempered magician and his wife Vivienne (Sally Gray) is his assistant. The suspicious magician becomes sure that his wife is having an affair with Peter - every time he sees her with the handsome stranger. On another night Zoltini and Vivienne have an argument on the backstage - leading to him slapping her in the face. As a result, Vivienne leaves (while her husband performs on stage) and takes a taxi with Peter up to his crane. Furious with Vivienne for leaving during the 'vanishing women' sequence of their performance, Zoltini looks for his wife while Pat has been sacked from the hotel for not paying attention to her job.

Filming took place at Waterloo Bridge which was still under construction. Eliot Makeham who had an uncredited role as the doorman previously had roles in Mason's East Meets West and Take My Tip. In the past when Patricia Roc saw several West End productions, she saw "many of the great actors" (including Michael Redgrave) perform on stage. The "central plot" of A Window in London inspired Jules White's Hiss and Yell.