Rear Window (1954)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

John Michael Hayes (screenplay)
Cornell Woolrich (based on the short story by)

Release Date:

14 January 1955 (Japan)

Genre:

Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

The Essential Hitchcock

Plot:

A wheelchair bound photographer spies on his neighbours from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.

Plot Keywords:

Apartment | Neighbor | Salesman | Window | Photographer

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

James Stewart	...	L.B. 'Jeff' Jefferies
Grace Kelly	...	Lisa Carol Fremont
Wendell Corey	...	Det. Lt. Thomas J. Doyle
Thelma Ritter	...	Stella
Raymond Burr	...	Lars Thorwald
Judith Evelyn	...	Miss Lonelyhearts
Ross Bagdasarian	...	Songwriter
Georgine Darcy	...	Miss Torso
Sara Berner	...	Woman on Fire Escape
Frank Cady	...	Man on Fire Escape
Jesslyn Fax	...	Miss Hearing Aid
Rand Harper	...	Newlywed
Irene Winston	...	Mrs. Emma Thorwald
Havis Davenport	...	Newlywed
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jerry Antes	...	Dancer with Miss Torso (uncredited)
Barbara Bailey	...	Choreographer with Miss Torso (uncredited)
Benny Bartlett	...	Man with Miss Torso (uncredited)
Nick Borgani	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Sue Casey	...	Sunbather (uncredited)
Iphigenie Castiglioni	...	Woman with Bird (uncredited)
James Cornell	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Don Dunning	...	Detective (uncredited)
Marla English	...	Girl at Songwriter's Party (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Songwriter's Party Guest with Poodle (uncredited)
Art Gilmore	...	Radio Announcer (voice) (uncredited)
Fred Graham	...	Detective (uncredited)
Kathryn Grant	...	Girl at Songwriter's Party (uncredited)
Charles Harvey	...	Small Role (uncredited)
Len Hendry	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Man Winding Clock in Songwriter's Apartment (uncredited)
Harry Landers	...	Man with Miss Lonelyhearts (uncredited)
Alan Lee	...	Newlyweds' Landlord (uncredited)
Mike Mahoney	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Jonni Paris	...	Sunbather (uncredited)
Eddie Parker	...	Detective (uncredited)
Robert Sherman	...	Small Role (uncredited)
Dick Simmons	...	Man with Miss Torso (uncredited)
Ralph Smiley	...	Carl the Waiter (uncredited)
Jack Stoney	...	Ice Man (uncredited)
Anthony Warde	...	Detective (uncredited)
Gig Young	...	L.B. Jefferies' Editor (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing credits
John Michael Hayes		(screenplay)
Cornell Woolrich		(based on the short story by)

Produced by
James C. Katz	....	restoration produced for Universal by (1998 restoration)
Alfred Hitchcock	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Franz Waxman		(music score by)

Cinematography by
Robert Burks		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
George Tomasini

Art Direction by
J. McMillan Johnson		(as Joseph MacMillan Johnson)
Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Ray Moyer

Costume Design by
Edith Head		(costumes)

Makeup Department
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
C.O. Erickson	....	unit production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Herbert Coleman	....	assistant director
Lloyd Allen	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Dorothea Holt	....	illustrator (uncredited)
Gene Lauritzen	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)

Sound Department
John Cope	....	sound recordist
Harry Lindgren	....	sound recordist
Howard Beals	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Richard LeGrand Jr.	....	supervising sound editor (1998 restoration) (uncredited)
Loren L. Ryder	....	sound recording mixer (uncredited)
Harry E. Snodgrass	....	sound editor (1998 restoration) (uncredited)
Samuel Webb	....	assistant sound editor (1998 restoration) (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
John P. Fulton	....	special photographic effects
Scott Dougherty	....	digital restoration producer: Cinesite (1998 restoration) (uncredited)
Jerry Pooler	....	digital restoration supervisor (1998 restoration) (uncredited)
Irmin Roberts	....	special visual effects (uncredited)
Tiffany Smith	....	digital restoration coordinator: Cinesite (1998 restoration) (uncredited)

Stunts
Fred Graham	....	stunt detective (uncredited)
Ted Mapes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Parker	....	stunt detective (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
William Schurr	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Leonard J. South	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Sharon McGeeney	....	negative cutting (1998 restoration)
Steve Johnson	....	colorist (uncredited)
Sharon McGeeney	....	editorial (1998 restoration) (uncredited)
Jeff Smithwick	....	color timer: Technicolor (1998 restoration) (uncredited)

Other crew
Robert A. Harris	....	restored for Universal by (1998 restoration)
Bob Landry	....	technical advisor
Joanne Lawson	....	restoration assistant (1998 restoration)
Richard Mueller	....	Technicolor color consultant
Marlene Noble	....	restoration & research assistant (1998 restoration)
Irene Ives	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Thanks
Herbert Coleman	....	special thanks (1998 restoration)
Georgine Darcy	....	special thanks (1998 restoration)
Patricia Hitchcock	....	special thanks (1998 restoration) (as Pat Hitchcock O'Connell)
Bob O'Neil	....	special thanks: Universal Studios Restoration Department (1998 restoration)
Bill Varney	....	special thanks: Universal Studios Restoration Department (1998 restoration)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures
• Patron Inc.

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1954) (USA) (theatrical) (as A Paramount Release)
• Les Films Paramount (1955) (France) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures International (1955) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Paramount (1955) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1962) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1966) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Universal Pictures (1983-2000) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Cinema International Corporation (C.I.C.) (1984) (Japan) (theatrical)
• MCA Home Video (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures (1999) (Germany) (VHS)
• USA Films (2000) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Universal Pictures (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Victor Entertainment (2001) (Japan) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2002) (Japan) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Seven Films (2008) (Greece) (theatrical) (reissue)
• Paramount (1955) (Austria) (theatrical)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• MCA Home Video (video)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Universal Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Video (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Film Archive, The  special thanks (1998 restoration) (as The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Film Archive)
• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Margaret Herrick Library  special thanks (1998 restoration) (as The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Margaret Herrick Library)
• Cinesite  'THE KISS' digitally restored at (1998 restoration) (as Cinesite, an Eastman Kodak Company)
• Pacific Title/Mirage  additional score digitally restored at (1998 restoration) (as Pacific Title/Mirage Digital)
• Pacific Title/Mirage  optical internegative (1998 restoration)
• Superior Film Service  negative cutting (1998 restoration) (as Superior Film Service, Inc.)
• Technicolor  dye transfer prints by (1998 restoration)
• Universal Studios Sound Facilities  sound editing and re-recording at (1998 restoration) (as Universal Studios Sound Facility)
• Universal Studios Sound Restoration Department  special thanks (1998 restoration) (as Universal Studios Restoration Department)
• YCM Laboratories  master interpositives (1998 restoration)

Also Known As:

"Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window" - UK (complete title), USA (complete title)
"La ventana indiscreta" - Argentina, Mexico, Peru (imdb display title), Spain, Uruguay (imdb display title)
"Fenêtre sur cour" - Belgium (French title), Canada (French title), France
"Das Fenster zum Hof" - Austria, West Germany
"A Janela Indiscreta" - Portugal
"Arka pencere" - Turkey (Turkish title)
"De man aan het venster" - Belgium (Flemish title)
"De stille getuige" - Netherlands (informal literal title)
"Fönstret åt gården" - Sweden
"Hátsó ablak" - Hungary
"Halon Ahori" - Israel (Hebrew title)
"In spatele ferestrei" - Romania (imdb display title)
"Janela Indiscreta" - Brazil
"La finestra sul cortile" - Italy
"Okno do dvora" - Czechoslovakia
"Okno na podwórze" - Poland
"Prozor u dvoriste" - Serbia (imdb display title)
"Prozor u dvoriste" - Croatia (DVD title)
"Siopilos martyras" - Greece (reissue title)
"Siopilos martys" - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)
"Skjulte øjne" - Denmark
"Takaikkuna" - Finland
"Uramado" - Japan
"Vinduet mot bakgården" - Norway

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) (negative) | Color (Technicolor) (prints)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

USA:PG (re-rating) (1983) (cerfiticate no. 27069) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) (1983) | Canada:G (Quebec) (1983) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | USA:Approved (PCA #16938) | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Iceland:L | Germany:12 | West Germany:16 (f) | Brazil:12 | Sweden:11 (re-rating) (1984) | Sweden:15 (original rating) (1955) | New Zealand:PG | Italy:T | Japan:G (2009) | Australia:M (TV rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #27069: 1998 restoration) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-8 | France:U (2000 re-release) | Netherlands:AL | Norway:16 | South Korea:15 | UK:PG | Peru:14 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

All the apartments in Thorwald's building had electricity and running water, and could be lived in.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Early on, Jeff wheels himself over to the window and bumps his leg (the one in the cast) against the wall below the window, yet he doesn't grimace at all. Once a broken leg in a cast begins healing, it's no more sensitive to such bumps than an uninjured leg.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Voice on radio:Men, are you over 40? When you wake up in the morning, do you feel tired and rundown? Do you have that listless feeling...
[the camera pans around the courtyard; cut to later in the day]
Jeff:[answering phone] Jefferies.
L.B. Jefferies' Editor:Congratulations, Jeff!
Jeff:For what?
L.B. Jefferies' Editor:For getting rid of that cast!
Jeff:Who said I was getting rid of it?
L.B. Jefferies' Editor:This is Wednesday; seven weeks from the day you broke your leg. Yes or no?
Jeff:Gunnison, how did you ever get to be such a big editor with such a small memory?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! (2008)

Soundtrack:

To See You (Is to Love You)

Reading from Top to Bottom...Hitchcock's Sophisticated Masterpiece

Not only does REAR WINDOW (RW) have Alfred Hitchcock's trademark wit, suspense, and romance (with a touch of friction) in spades, but it's one of his most well-crafted, cleverly-staged movies; in fact, even though RW is based on a Cornell Woolrich story, I can't imagine this story being told as effectively in any medium other than cinema. However, the technical accomplishments (explained most entertainingly in the DVD's documentaries) would be nothing without the engaging characters. James Stewart's neighbors are interesting enough to warrant their own movies, and in addition to providing a wry microcosm of New York City life (the only dated thing about it is the lack of air conditioning), they all reflect possible outcomes for the somewhat stormy romance between laid-up shutterbug Stewart and the luminous Grace Kelly as his upscale fashion maven inamorata. As Brent Spiner said while hosting a showing of RW on TNT, the real perversion of the film is Stewart's reluctance to commit to the irresistible Kelly! In fact, one of the things I like about the movie is the way it shows these two very different people gradually learning to compromise and work together. The piquant final shot shows that a woman can have a happy relationship with a man without submerging her own personality -- refreshing for the 1950s! Great supporting cast, too, including Wendell Corey, Raymond Burr in one of his last bad-guy roles before PERRY MASON, and the scene-stealing Thelma Ritter. Incidentally, the restored special edition RW DVD was put together just in time to include Georgine Darcy ("Miss Torso"), then one of the last surviving cast members. Darcy died earlier this year; she will be missed.