Release: 1954 Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock Written by: Cornell Woolrich (short story) and
John Michael Hayes (screenplay)
Starring:
James Stewart as L. B. Jefferies Grace Kelly as Lisa Carol Fremont Wendell Corey as Det. Lt. Thomas J. Doyle Thelma Ritter as Stella Raymond Burr as Lars Thorwald
There are rare stories captured on film that will remain
classics for generations. Alfred Hitchcock, it seems, is responsible
for creating several of the most enduring and amazing of them all.
One such enduring classic is Rear Window, released
in 1954. Every element, including production, characters, storytelling,
suspense, acting, music, scares and pace come together to create a
living piece of art that is a joy to behold.
The story centers on L.B. Jefferies (James Stewart), a professional
photographer who is stuck inside his apartment while he heals from a
nasty leg injury. With little to keep him occupied Jefferies becomes
addicted to watching the drama that unfolds daily outside his rear
window.
Jefferies’ view faces a neighboring apartment building
several stories high, and he can watch the day to day activities of the
occupants from his window vantage-point. There is “Miss
Lonely-heart”, the aging single woman who pretends that she
is having romantic dinners with handsome men, all the while talking to
an empty chair and thin air. Then there is “Miss
Torso”, the leggy dancer that entertains wealthy gentlemen in
her apartment searching for the one she will finally love. Other
players in the real-life drama include the old couple that sleeps on
the fire escape to beat the heat, the struggling composer who creates
beautiful piano melodies and…Mr. Thorwald (Raymond Burr).
Thorwald spends his days tending to his bed-ridden wife. Between the
constant care that she requires and the frequent fights she draws him
into, it appears to Jefferies, as he watches them unnoticed from the
window across the courtyard, that Thorwald is getting pretty tired of
the burden. Suddenly, one day, Mrs. Thorwald vanishes.
Rear Window takes us through Jefferies’
quest to figure out what happened to Mrs. Thorwald and how to prove
that her disappearance is the result of foul-play by her
less-than-adoring husband. Because Jefferies is unable to leave his
apartment he employs his nurse (Thelma Ritter) and girlfriend (Grace
Kelly) to assist the amateur sleuth in his quest for the truth.
From
the beginning Rear Window has a lush and crisp
feel. Shot originally in color, Rear Window was
remastered several times before being restored to the look and feel of
the original colors in 1998. The characters are incredible. Jimmy
Stewart is his smart-aleck self, of course, and the nurse Stella adds a
street-smart sass that could steal the show…if
it was not for Grace Kelly. Grace is absolutely stunning in Rear
Window and she exudes a style and class that is matched only
by her beauty and ability to create a compelling character. Grace Kelly
was one of a kind.
The music is the perfect complement to what happens on the screen in Rear
Window, and the pace is flawless as the viewer is drawn ever
deeper into the drama of Mr. Thorwald and the epic tales of those
viewed through the rear window. Alfred Hitchcock is not called
“the master of suspense” for nothing - Rear
Window will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to
finish, no matter how many times you watch it.
The
reality that everybody has things they do in their private lives
that would be hard to explain if viewed by others is a timeless truth
that will never be outdated. Thanks to Alfred Hitchcock Rear
Window dramatizes that fact with the same result. Questions
or comments about Rear Window? Contact us!
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Jefferies’ view faces a neighboring apartment building
several stories high, and he can watch the day to day activities of the
occupants from his window vantage-point. There is “Miss
Lonely-heart”, the aging single woman who pretends that she
is having romantic dinners with handsome men, all the while talking to
an empty chair and thin air. Then there is “Miss
Torso”, the leggy dancer that entertains wealthy gentlemen in
her apartment searching for the one she will finally love. Other
players in the real-life drama include the old couple that sleeps on
the fire escape to beat the heat, the struggling composer who creates
beautiful piano melodies and…Mr. Thorwald (Raymond Burr).
Thorwald spends his days tending to his bed-ridden wife. Between the
constant care that she requires and the frequent fights she draws him
into, it appears to Jefferies, as he watches them unnoticed from the
window across the courtyard, that Thorwald is getting pretty tired of
the burden. Suddenly, one day, Mrs. Thorwald vanishes.
show…if
it was not for Grace Kelly. Grace is absolutely stunning in Rear
Window and she exudes a style and class that is matched only
by her beauty and ability to create a compelling character. Grace Kelly
was one of a kind.
