Rear Window (1954) ft. VP Morris

Dana and Tom with returning guest, VP Morris (an award-winning thriller and horror writer and podcaster; vpmorris.com, @teawriterepeat on IG and X, The Dead Letters Podcast; previously on Scream and The Shining) discuss the 1950s mystery classic, Rear Window for its 70th Anniversary: directed by Alfred Hitchcock, written by John Michael Hayes, music by Franz Waxman, starring James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Raymond Burr, and Thelma Ritter.

Plot Summary: In Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window," we find ourselves confined within the claustrophobic confines of a Greenwich Village apartment, peering through the lens of LB Jefferies (James Stewart), a wheelchair-bound photographer. His summer pastime is a voyeuristic venture into the lives of his neighbors, a cross-section of urban archetypes played out in the building's courtyard. Each window frames a fragment of humanity, from the lonely Miss Lonelyhearts to the tantalizing Miss Torso.

The plot pivots on Jeff's suspicion that a neighbor, Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr), has murdered his wife. This suspicion, shared and fueled by his glamorous girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly) and his nurse Stella (Thelma Ritter), drives the narrative forward. Hitchcock masterfully crafts tension not through action, but through the act of watching—turning the audience into voyeurs complicit in Jeff's obsessions.

"Rear Window" is not merely a suspense thriller; it is a meditation on isolation and the ethics of observation. Stewart's performance, marked by vulnerability and determination, anchors the film's exploration of human curiosity and its consequences. Grace Kelly, in her role, adds a layer of sophistication and intrigue, embodying the tension between adventure and domesticity. "Rear Window" remains a timeless classic, a window not just into the lives of its characters, but into the genius of Hitchcock's cinematic vision.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Background

01:29 Background, Cast, and Recognition for Rear Window

02:20 Recognition for Rear Window

04:14 Relationship(s) to Rear Window

09:13 What is Rear Window About?

24:54 Plot Summary for Rear Window

26:53 Did You Know?

31:47 First Break

32:29 Ask Dana Anything

41:12 Best Performance(s)

50:16 Best/Favorite/Indelible Scene(s)

54:34 Second Break

55:33 In Memoriam

56:32 Remembering Bob Newhart

01:01:54 Best/Funniest Lines

01:05:31 The Stanley Rubric - Legacy

01:10:20 The Stanley Rubric - Impact/Significance

01:15:38 The Stanley Rubric - Novelty

01:26:20 The Stanley Rubric - Rewatchability

01:29:06 The Stanley Rubric - Audience Score and Final Total

01:31:31 Remaining and Listener Questions

01:47:02 Thank You to VP Morris

01:48:05 Final Thoughts for the Week

01:50:04 Credits

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Keywords:

Rear Window, Alfred Hitchcock, marriage, voyeurism, ethics of observation, remake, casting choices, Rear Window, film, classic, legacy, industry, impact, significance, industry reception, audience reception, Hitchcock, novel, classic, rewatchable