Professional photographer L.B. "Jeff" Jeffries breaks his leg while getting an action shot at an auto race. Confined to his New York apartment, he spends his time looking out of the rear window observing the neighbors. He begins to suspect that a man across the courtyard may have murdered his wife. Jeff enlists the help of his high society fashion-consultant girlfriend Lisa Freemont and his visiting nurse Stella to investigate.
Cast: Grace Kelly, James Stewart
Crew: Alfred Hitchcock (Director), Robert Burks (Director of Photography), Franz Waxman (Music Director)
Rating: A (India)
Genres: Drama
Release Dates: 29 Jan 1955 (India)
Tagline: The Essential Hitchcock
Did you know? All of the sound in the film is diegetic, meaning that all the music, speech and other sounds all come from within the world of the film [with the exception of non-diegetic orchestral music heard in the first three shots of the film]. Read More
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as Lisa Carol Fremont
as L.B. 'Jeff' Jefferies
as Man on Fire Escape
as Miss Torso
as Newlywed
as Mrs. Emma Thorwald
as Miss Hearing Aid
as Miss Lonelyhearts
as Newlywed
as Lars Thorwald
as Woman on Fire Escape
as Stella
as Det. Lt. Thomas J. Doyle
Direction
Director
Production
Production Company
Writers
Screenplay Writer
Camera and Electrical
Director of Photography
Music
Music Director
Sound
Location Sound Recordist
Costume and Wardrobe
Costume Designer
Editorial
Editor
Film Type:
Feature
Language:
English
Colour Info:
Black & White
Sound Mix:
Mono
Camera:
Mitchell NC/BNC
Frame Rate:
24 fps
Aspect Ratio:
1.37:1
Stereoscopy:
No
Taglines:
The Essential Hitchcock
In deadly danger...because they saw too much!
It only takes one witness to spoil the perfect crime.
Seeing isn't always believing.
Suspense Of Screaming Proportions!
In deadly danger...because they saw too much!
It only takes one witness to spoil the perfect crime.
Seeing isn't always believing.
Suspense Of Screaming Proportions!
Filming Locations:
Goofs:
Continuity
Lisa takes the binoculars away from Jeff and wraps the neck cord around them before putting them on a small cupboard. When Jeff picks up the binoculars later, the neck cord is no longer wrapped around them.
Continuity
The amount of brandy in the detective's glass increases between shots.
Continuity
When Jeff grabs the box of flashbulbs, all four can be seen in the box. But when he backs up more, there are only two left.
Audio/Video Mismatch
When Miss Lonelyhearts and the songwriter are talking about his record in his apartment, the dubbed-in dialogue doesn't sync with the picture, even to the extent of Miss Lonelyhearts being heard to say "I can't tell you what this music has meant to me," while her mouth isn't moving.
Audio/Video Mismatch
At around 52 minutes: When Jeff's nurse goes to the door saying she's going to find out the name of the freight carrier that is taking off with the trunk, someone who sounds nothing like James Stewart has dubbed him with the peculiar sounding line "I'll keep an eye on the alley". Jimmy Stewart is holding the binoculars over his mouth but we can see that he's not moving his lips! Prior to that, when he says "don't do anything foolish" his lips are still moving after the audio is heard.
Continuity
The location and angle of the shadows of the "sun" are in the same place in the morning and at night.
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.
Continuity
When Lisa places her slippers into her overnight case (while sitting on Jeff's lap), they are tossed in, more to the side of the case. Later, when the detective views the suitcase, the slippers are neatly placed and sitting upright.
Lisa takes the binoculars away from Jeff and wraps the neck cord around them before putting them on a small cupboard. When Jeff picks up the binoculars later, the neck cord is no longer wrapped around them.
Continuity
The amount of brandy in the detective's glass increases between shots.
Continuity
When Jeff grabs the box of flashbulbs, all four can be seen in the box. But when he backs up more, there are only two left.
Audio/Video Mismatch
When Miss Lonelyhearts and the songwriter are talking about his record in his apartment, the dubbed-in dialogue doesn't sync with the picture, even to the extent of Miss Lonelyhearts being heard to say "I can't tell you what this music has meant to me," while her mouth isn't moving.
Audio/Video Mismatch
At around 52 minutes: When Jeff's nurse goes to the door saying she's going to find out the name of the freight carrier that is taking off with the trunk, someone who sounds nothing like James Stewart has dubbed him with the peculiar sounding line "I'll keep an eye on the alley". Jimmy Stewart is holding the binoculars over his mouth but we can see that he's not moving his lips! Prior to that, when he says "don't do anything foolish" his lips are still moving after the audio is heard.
Continuity
The location and angle of the shadows of the "sun" are in the same place in the morning and at night.
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.
Continuity
When Lisa places her slippers into her overnight case (while sitting on Jeff's lap), they are tossed in, more to the side of the case. Later, when the detective views the suitcase, the slippers are neatly placed and sitting upright.
Trivia:
The film negative was considerably damaged as a result of color dye fading as early as the 1960s. Nearly all of the yellow image dyes had faded out. Despite fears that the film had been irrevocably damaged, preservation experts were able to restore the film nearly to its original coloration.
To accommodate the enormous set, a higher ceiling was required. Alfred Hitchcock had the production company tear out the entire floor of the studio, revealing the basement. What the audience sees as the courtyard was originally the basement level of the studio.
Alfred Hitchcock gave Georgine Darcy free range to choreograph her own dance moves for her character, Miss Torso. Darcy was to dance on her own volition during filming. Hitchcock's only restriction was that he forbade her to take professional dance lessons, as he wanted her to maintain the imprecision of an amateur dancer.
Once during the filming, the lights were so hot that they set off the soundstage sprinkler system.
All the apartments in Thorwald's building had electricity and running water, and could be lived in.
All of the sound in the film is diegetic, meaning that all the music, speech and other sounds all come from within the world of the film [with the exception of non-diegetic orchestral music heard in the first three shots of the film].
During the month-long shoot Georgine Darcy, who played "Miss Torso", "lived" in her apartment all day, relaxing between takes as if really at home.
While shooting, Alfred Hitchcock worked only in Jeff's "apartment." The actors in other apartments wore flesh-colored earpieces so that he could radio his directions to them.
The entire picture was shot on one set, which required months of planning and construction. The apartment-courtyard set measured 98 feet wide, 185 feet long and 40 feet high, and consisted of 31 apartments, eight of which were completely furnished. The courtyard was set 20 to 30 feet below stage level, and some of the buildings were the equivalent of five or six stories high. The film was shot quickly on the heels of Dial M for Murder (1954), November 27 1953-February 26 1954.
The only film in which Grace Kelly is seen with a cigarette. She refused to smoke in films, except this once.
The theme music of a Few Dollars More is used as background music in the film.
To accommodate the enormous set, a higher ceiling was required. Alfred Hitchcock had the production company tear out the entire floor of the studio, revealing the basement. What the audience sees as the courtyard was originally the basement level of the studio.
Alfred Hitchcock gave Georgine Darcy free range to choreograph her own dance moves for her character, Miss Torso. Darcy was to dance on her own volition during filming. Hitchcock's only restriction was that he forbade her to take professional dance lessons, as he wanted her to maintain the imprecision of an amateur dancer.
Once during the filming, the lights were so hot that they set off the soundstage sprinkler system.
All the apartments in Thorwald's building had electricity and running water, and could be lived in.
All of the sound in the film is diegetic, meaning that all the music, speech and other sounds all come from within the world of the film [with the exception of non-diegetic orchestral music heard in the first three shots of the film].
During the month-long shoot Georgine Darcy, who played "Miss Torso", "lived" in her apartment all day, relaxing between takes as if really at home.
While shooting, Alfred Hitchcock worked only in Jeff's "apartment." The actors in other apartments wore flesh-colored earpieces so that he could radio his directions to them.
The entire picture was shot on one set, which required months of planning and construction. The apartment-courtyard set measured 98 feet wide, 185 feet long and 40 feet high, and consisted of 31 apartments, eight of which were completely furnished. The courtyard was set 20 to 30 feet below stage level, and some of the buildings were the equivalent of five or six stories high. The film was shot quickly on the heels of Dial M for Murder (1954), November 27 1953-February 26 1954.
The only film in which Grace Kelly is seen with a cigarette. She refused to smoke in films, except this once.
The theme music of a Few Dollars More is used as background music in the film.
