Go offline with the Player FM app!
Rear Window (1954) ft. VP Morris
Manage episode 431565263 series 2912293
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
You can now follow us on Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok (@gmoatpodcast) or find our Facebook page at Greatest Movie of All-Time Podcast.
For more on the episode, go to: https://www.ronnyduncanstudios.com//post/rear-window-1954-ft-vp-morris
For the entire rankings list so far, go to:Full Graded List - Greatest Movies of All-Time
Ronny Duncan Studios
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
256 episodes
Manage episode 431565263 series 2912293
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
You can now follow us on Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok (@gmoatpodcast) or find our Facebook page at Greatest Movie of All-Time Podcast.
For more on the episode, go to: https://www.ronnyduncanstudios.com//post/rear-window-1954-ft-vp-morris
For the entire rankings list so far, go to:Full Graded List - Greatest Movies of All-Time
Ronny Duncan Studios
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
256 episodes
Усі епізоди
×Welcome to Player FM!
Player FM is scanning the web for high-quality podcasts for you to enjoy right now. It's the best podcast app and works on Android, iPhone, and the web. Signup to sync subscriptions across devices.