IMDb > Rear Window (1954)
Rear Window
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user reviewsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Rear Window (1954) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (See all 79 | slideshow) Videos (see all 6 NEW)
Rear Window -- Ends 09/30/10. Voyeuristic invalid James Stewart spies possible murder from his apartment window in Alfred Hitchcock's unforgettable 1954 classic. Laid up in a wheelchair thanks to a broken leg, the nosy photographer gets more than he bargained for when he becomes convinced a neighbor has killed his wife. Grace Kelly is at her most luminous as Stewart's gorgeous girlfriend.
Rear Window -- A wheelchair bound photographer spies on his neighbours from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.
Rear Window -- Watch 'Rear Window' on Cinemax on Fancast
Rear Window -- MattTrailer.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
8.7/10   118,110 votes »
Your Rating:
Saving vote...
Deleting vote...
/10   (delete | history)
Sorry, there was a problem
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
John Michael Hayes (screenplay)
Cornell Woolrich (short story "It Had to Be Murder")
Contact:
View company contact information for Rear Window on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
14 January 1955 (Japan) See more »
Tagline:
Through his rear window and the eye of his powerful camera he watched a great city tell on itself, expose its cheating ways...and Murder! See more »
Plot:
A wheelchair bound photographer spies on his neighbours from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder. Full summary » | Full synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 5 nominations See more »
User Reviews:
A Deep & Entertaining Classic See more (488 total) »


Additional Details

Also Known As:
"Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window" - USA (complete title)
See more »
Runtime:
112 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Eastmancolor) (negative) | Color (Technicolor) (prints)
Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 See more »
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) | 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

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The 35mm camera that James Stewart holds with the huge telephoto lens attached is an early 1950s Exakta Varex VX manufactured in Dresden, Germany. The Paramount property department purposely covered over the name with black masking tape.See more »
Goofs:
Continuity: When Jeff is getting back into the wheelchair after Stella has given him a massage, his pajama top jumps from being unbuttoned to buttoned between shots.See more »
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.
Gunnison:Congratulations, Jeff!
Jeff:For what?
Gunnison:For getting rid of that cast!
Jeff:Who said I was getting rid of it?
Gunnison: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?
[...]
See more »
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Saboteur: A Closer Look (2000) (V)See more »
Soundtrack:
LisaSee more »

FAQ

What happened to Miss Lonelyheart in the end?
Where is Hitchcock's cameo in "Rear Window"?
What did the little dog dig up in the garden?
See more »
86 out of 115 people found the following review useful.
A Deep & Entertaining Classic, 20 June 2001
Author: Snow Leopard from Ohio

One of Hitchcock's greatest masterpieces, "Rear Window" is a deep and entertaining classic with many strengths, and a little bit of everything. A fine suspense story is combined with romantic tension in the main plot, and there are numerous sub-plots, some humorous and some moving, all with many psychological overtones. The main characters are wonderfully portrayed and full of life. The apparently simple setting in an apartment complex is developed into a world filled with intriguing and sometimes unsettling possibilities, and this apparently average neighborhood comes to life with a wealth of lavish visual detail and interesting minor characters. It is the kind of film-making that (like many of Hitchcock's greatest movies) is very flattering to the viewer. The director assumes that his audience will pay close enough attention to appreciate the many subtleties with which he has filled the movie. It rewards both careful attention and repeated viewings, since there is much more here than merely a suspense plot, as good as that story is in itself.

For the first 30 minutes or so, we simply get to know the characters. Jimmy Stewart gives one of his best performances as a photographer recuperating from an injury, forced to spend several weeks staring out his apartment window at the minor dramas in the lives of his neighbors. Grace Kelly is ideal in the role of his perfect girlfriend, who can never find a way to break down Stewart's reserve. The study of their relationship would have made a good movie by itself. Almost every action and every word between them is filled with meaning, and what they see in the lives of others is an interesting reflection of the tensions and possibilities in their own present and future. Thelma Ritter is wonderful as a colorful, no-nonsense nurse who constantly sheds some light - sometimes unwanted - on what is happening between them. The action and suspense that occur later serves in large part as a catalyst that resolves some of the important issues between the two.

After we get to know the characters and their world, things start to happen, as Stewart becomes engrossed in some of the things he has seen. The ethical and moral concerns of meddling in others' affairs become intertwined with more urgent questions about what may have happened in those other apartments, and from then on the tension builds steadily. It leads up to a riveting climactic sequence filled with suspense, and made even more meaningful by our awareness of its deeper significance to the main characters.

There is much more that could be said, but you should see this for yourself. It is a classic that will be enjoyed not only by thriller fans, but by anyone who appreciates carefully crafted movies with a lot of depth.

Was the above review useful to you?
See more (488 total) »

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Rear Window (1954)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
This film is possibly the best introduction to cinema for anyone. kBillysuperSounds
Boring beginning bert_stevie
Some story flaws sunsetboulevard16
My favorite hitchcock film.. i_luv_hockey_death
High rating by females under 18 martin392
Worst Acting Ever? Ahm_Shere
See more »

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
The Departed Shadow of a Doubt The Black Dahlia The Best Years of Our Lives The Basketball Diaries
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb top 250 movies IMDb Crime section
IMDb USA section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.