Posted on 07/03/2023 2:06:11 PM PDT by nickcarraway
While both Alfred Hitchcock and James Stewart collaborated with some of the greatest figures in the history of Hollywood, it’s no secret that they helped each other reach the pinnacle of their respective careers. Having worked together on masterpieces like Vertigo and Rope, Hitchcock and Stewart struck up a fascinating creative partnership that continues to have a seminal impact on the current trajectory of American cinema.
Although Vertigo is often the most-discussed out of all their collaborations, Rear Window is right up there with the very best when it comes to either of their illustrious filmographies. An incredibly complex thriller that completely changed the genre forever, Rear Window stars Stewart as an injured photographer who is stuck in his Greenwich Village apartment with a broken leg. Not used to a life of confinement, he starts spying on the neighbours to keep himself entertained.
Stewart’s performance in Rear Window is simply remarkable, steadily increasing in intensity as Hitchcock deftly weaves a tale of paranoia and intrigue. Due to his outspoken opinions on actors (he called them “cattle”), many were intimidated by the prospect of working with Hitchcock. However, on the set of Rear Window, it was the other way around because Hitchcock was reportedly a “little afraid” of Stewart’s behaviour and attitude.
When asked about the production process and the relationship between Hitchcock and Stewart, Rear Window co-star Wendell Corey revealed that there was a lot of tension. “There was a whopping big ego underneath that allegedly shy, stuttering, bumbling persona,” Corey said. “When Jimmy Stewart didn’t like the way a scene was going, he could yell with the best of them — you could hear him over to the next sound stage!”
According to Corey, Stewart was very meticulous about the details of each and every shot, often pointing out the flaws in the setup for multiple takes. The actor admitted that in addition to the crew, even Hitchcock was a little intimidated by Stewart. Corey added: “He was plenty fussy about the right shots, the right lighting, and he could out-argue and out-shout Hitchcock — I even think Hitch got a little afraid of him at times. There was steel under all that mush, believe me!”
Despite the on-set tension, Rear Window turned out to be one of the finest cinematic projects both of them had ever worked on. It’s an infinitely nuanced commentary on voyeurism and our connection with the cinematic medium, even anticipating modern issues such as surveillance states and contemporary media’s exploitation of the spectacle. In a post-pandemic world, it’s almost impossible to not be terrified by the claustrophobia of Rear Window.
Watch the trailer below.
My favorite movie of all time is North By Northwest.
I also think that Dial M For Murder is seriously underrated.
That was such a cool and offbeat show intro. Lots of creativity packed into those few seconds.
” over the age for aviation cadet training.”
He was already a pilot.
When asked how a conservative and liberal could be long time best friends, Stewart replied "There are some things we just don't talk about."
And think about it. Fonda's kids and Stewart losing a (step)son in Vietnam
Stewart was a bomber pilot in WWII. I doubt he would back off. My dad was a B24 tailgunner, They’d been through a lot and didn’t take guff. As had Hitchcock, who filmed the extermination camps.
Maureen O’hara played his wife in the comedy “mr hobbs takes a vacation.”
She said her part was not very showy for the major star that she was.
She had to resign herself to being marginalized b/c when she tried to give herself more exposure, stewart objected.
“He was not a very generous actor, “ O’hara concluded.
Stage play in a different sense. The entire film happens in the apartment of the killers on a single set. With continuous single camera shots that seemed to last forever. Watching the film is literally watching a staged drama.
Rear Window is one of my all-time favorite movies, and I love the scene when Grace Kelly comes to spend the night; she pops open her Mark Cross case and a mass of tulle virtually EXPLODES out of it!
I loved when he would come on and read the poems that he and Gloria had written together...what a marriage!
The smooching scenes between Grant and Bergman in Notorious are legendary.
Oooops...Carry=Cary...
Air Force Reserve was established by Truman in 1948 but WTH is the Air Force Reserves?
That's the entire subplot going on in the movie. Essentially Grace Kelly is the top super model in NYC who has a thing for older men who are risk takers. She makes considerably more money than Stewart's character. Who is an international photographer who risks life and limb to get photographs in war torn areas around the Globe.
She is trying to get him to settle down. He is not ready to give up his freedom. He is getting a taste of being a "kept man" with a broken leg dependent on his girlfriend and housekeeper while he's on the mend. Grace is pulling out all the stops to show that it can be quite pleasant in the cage he is trying to avoid.
The script is ahead of its time when you consider all the problems women who make a lot of money in today's society face when trying to have a relationship. It was also quite risqué for the time showing a single woman essentially stay over at her boyfriends apartment throwing herself at him. There is also the taboo of a much older man with a 20 something woman.
The script and Hitchcock hide so much social commentary in this film that it adds to the tension of what the main plot is all about. Having seen this a number of times it takes a few viewings before you are desensitized to Grace Kelly's charm and start to see the subtleties of the script.
Tell us more, tell us more. How are you pals with Tippi?
I have to admit to a crush on Birds-era Miss Hedren. She had it going on. In a big way.
In any case, truly had an incredible knack for casting the right people for the right parts. You put Doris Day in the lead in The Birds, it’s a different movie. You cast anyone other than Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates, it’s a different movie.
I love Rear Window. Got to be one of the greatest.
Agreed, North by Northwest is my favorite
Surprisedly, nobody mentioned The Man Who Knew Too Much.
Oh well, ka sera sera
Check Wiki for Tippi Hedren and the section re Hitchcock. He was a real sleaze and she couldn’t stand him.
See my #15.
-PJ
Steward’s service was certainly not trivial, being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for actions as deputy commander of the 2nd Bombardment Wing, the French Croix de Guerre with palm, and the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters.
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