Rear Window (1954)
Grace Kelly, James Stewart, Raymond Burr, Thelma Ritter

In the movie Rear Window the audience watches the hero as he watches his neighbors. Freelance photographer L. B. Jeffries (James Stewart) is in a wheelchair and housebound while waiting for his broken leg to heal. His only visitors are his girlfriend Lisa Freemont (Grace Kelly) and his unsympathetic, wisecracking nurse Stella, played by wonderful Thelma Ritter. With nothing to do and limited visitors Jeffries spends his time looking out of his apartment rear window and into the windows of his neighbors. As he looks, he finds himself drawn into their lives. The woman who nags her traveling salesman husband, the newlyweds who keep their window shade down at all times except when they occasionally come up for air; the beautiful young ballet dancer who practices everyday, the unsuccessful composer, the older couple with the little dog who does nothing but bark and middle-aged woman Jeffries has dubbed "Miss Lonelyheart." Miss Lonelyheart lives alone but sets her dinner table for two and holds conversations with her make imaginary lover.

When Jeffries relates the daily goings on to his girlfriend Lisa, she chastises him for being a voyeur and invading his neighbor’s privacy. Jeffries nurse Stella notes, "We've become a race of Peeping Toms. What people ought to do is get outside their own house and look in for a change." Nevertheless Jeffries continues watch. He now uses his binoculars and his always by his side camera. Then he notices that the salesman's nagging wife is not only quiet but absent from the scene. What happened to her? Jeffries watches the salesman, as he appears to cautiously leave his apartment in the middle of the night. Why is he sneaking out of his own home? Why is the salesman cleaning knives and a saw, what where they used for? What was in the trunk that he had shipped? Jeffries is convinced that the salesman has killed his wife. He sets out to prove it. He enlists the help of a friend, Thomas Doyle (Wendell Corey) who is a lieutenant in the police department. Jeffries also believes that the salesman, Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr) has killed his neighbor’s small dog because the dog was digging in the garden for something that the salesman had buried. He wants Doyle to investigate even though there is no evidence that this is true.

As with all Alfred Hitchcock movies, you can always find humor just below the surface. In "Rear Window" Jeffries says, "He killed a dog last night because the dog was scratching around in the garden. You know why? Because he had something buried in that garden that the dog scented." Doyle’s response is "Like an old hambone?" Jeffries says, "I don't know what pet names Thorwald had for his wife." A little sick humor? Perhaps, but it does make you smile; and it is so like Hitchcock to do this.

When Jeffries cannot get help from Doyle he persuades Lisa and Stella to help him get some answers. They dig in Thorwald's garden and break into his home. It doesn't matter how often you watch this film you still hold your breath and want to shout "get out, get out", when Lisa is searching Thorwald's apartment and he walks in. This is good stuff. Also, since Hitch managed to appear in every one of his films, look for him where you least expect to find him here. If you do not see him the first time, watch the movie again. You can never see Rear Window too many times.

Rated PG-13

Rear Window was Grace Kelly's fifth movie, she made two more with Hitchcock, Dial M for Murder (1954) and To Catch a Thief (1955). Kelly went on to make seven more movies before she married Prince Ranier of Monoca in 1956 and became Princess Grace. Raymond Burr later became readily identifiable as "Perry Mason" and later "Ironsides".

~Vanette Ryanes

Vanette Ryanes is a true movie maven. She has been an avid movie fan for more than 35 years and has a video library of 200 plus movies. She has a vast knowledge of classic black and white, noir and vintage color movies. If you have questions about movies contact Vanette, (Vannie to her friends) for answers, advice and recommendations.

Photo: Rear Window movie poster Allposters.com