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Rear Window Overview:

Rear Window (1954) was a Mystery - Romance Film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and produced by Alfred Hitchcock.

The film was based on the short story It Had to Be Murder written by Cornell Woolrich published in Dime Detective Magazine in Feb 1942.

SYNOPSIS

This thoroughly enjoyable mystery classic from Hitchcock pokes amiably at the inherent voyeurism of the movie audience. Restless magazine photographer Stewart bides his time while confined to a wheelchair with observing the behavior of his neighbors from the vantage point of his rear window. His only other distractions during the day our visits from his model girlfriend Kelly and nurse Ritter. After waking in the night, Stewart is convinced he sees salesman Burr disposing of evidence that would indicate a hideous murder, with his nagging wife the obvious victim. But when Stewart's story doesn't wash with a policeman pal, he sends Kelly into the apartment to search for more clues. As Stewart watches helplessly, Burr returns to his apartment. Now aware of Stewart's snooping, Burr attacks the wheelchair-bound voyeur. Witty and beautifully produced (Hitchcock constructed the largest set of its time at Paramount–31 full-scale apartments), this is an enduring popular and critical favorite.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

Rear Window was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1997.

Academy Awards 1954 --- Ceremony Number 27 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best CinematographyRobert BurksNominated
Best DirectorAlfred HitchcockNominated
Best WritingJohn Michael HayesNominated
See More Oscar Winners

Rear Window BlogHub Articles:

Roadgames: A Little Bit of Rear Window, a Dash of Duel

By Rick29 on Oct 7, 2024 From Classic Film & TV Cafe

Quid (Stacy Keach) with his harmonica.Directed by Hitchcock admirer Richard Franklin, Roadgames (1981) follows truck driver Patrick Quid (Stacy Keach) as he traverses the desolate highways of rural Australia after witnessing what may have been the aftermath of a murder. You see, there's a serial kil... Read full article

James Stewart, Grace Kelly, and Thelma Ritter debate “Rear Window” ethics

By Stephen Reginald on Dec 5, 2023 From Classic Movie Man

James Stewart, Grace Kelly, and Thelma Ritter debate “Rear Window” ethics Rear Window (1954) is an American mystery thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, and Thelma Ritter. The script was by John Michael Hayes, the cinematograp... Read full article

4K UHD Blu-ray Review: Rear Window

By Devon Powell on Sep 2, 2021 From Hitchcock Master

Distributor: Universal Pictures Release Date: September 07, 2021 Region — 4K UHD: Region Free BLU-RAY: Region A Length: 01:52:27 Video — 4K UHD: 2160P (HEVC, H.265) BLU-RAY: 1080P (MPEG-4, AVC) Audio (4K UHD & Blu-ray): 2.0 Mono English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono Spanish (Latin American) ... Read full article

Rear Window: In the Heat of the Night

By Devon Powell on Sep 13, 2020 From Hitchcock Master

Exclusive Guest Article By: Robert Jones This article is the first in a series of four guest articles to appear on this page in celebration of Universal’s release of ‘The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection.’  “How do you know what the world is like? Do you know the world is ... Read full article

The Directors’ Chair: Rear Window

By Theresa Brown on Aug 25, 2020 From Classic Movie Hub Blog

The Directors’ Chair: Rear Window (Hitchcock, 1954) “REAR WINDOW” (1954) – CURIOSITY KILLED THE… James Stewart, Rear Window Holed up in his apartment with a broken leg, a photo journalist played by James Stewart, whiles away his recuperative time watching his neig... Read full article

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Rear Window Quotes:

Lisa: According to you, people should be born, live, and die in the same place.
Lt. Doyle: How do you do?
Lisa: We think Thorwald's guilty.
Lisa: What's he doing? Cleaning house?
Jeff: He's washing and scrubbing down the bathroom walls.
Stella: Must've splattered a lot.
[both Jeff and Lisa look at Stella with disgust]
Stella: Come on, that's what were all thinkin'. He killed her in there, now he has to clean up those stains before he leaves.
Lisa: Stella... your choice of words!
Stella: Nobody ever invented a polite word for a killin' yet.
Jeff: When am I going to see you again?
Lisa: [angry] Not for a long time...
[softening]
Lisa: at least not until tomorrow night.
Lisa: Tell me exactly what you saw and what you think it means.
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Rear Window Facts
The first German dubbing was created in 1955. After the rights to this movie reverted back to Alfred Hitchcock, all prints of this version were destroyed. When the film became available again in 1984, a new dubbing had to be created since the old version could not be located. It is presumed lost.
The entire picture was shot on one set, which required months of planning and construction. The apartment-courtyard set measured 98 feet wide, 185 feet long and 40 feet high, and consisted of 31 apartments, eight of which were completely furnished. The courtyard was set 20 to 30 feet below stage level, and some of the buildings were the equivalent of five or six stories high. The film was shot quickly on the heels of Dial M for Murder, November 27 1953-February 26 1954.
To accommodate the enormous set, a higher ceiling was required. Alfred Hitchcock had the production company tear out the entire floor of the studio, revealing the basement. What the audience sees as the courtyard was originally the basement level of the studio.
The love affair between war photographer Robert Capa and actress Ingrid Bergman is believed to be Alfred Hitchcock's inspiration for the film's romantic aspect.
The book that Lisa is reading at the end is an actual book, "Beyond the High Himalayas" by Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas.
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