2026 #TCMFF Wrap-Up

Another Turner Classic Film Festival (TCMFF) is in the books. This year’s festival was held from April 30 to May 3. The anticipation for the TCMFF is huge. Thinking about the film festival helps get me through the Chicago winters.

At this festival, I saw 11 movies. This total is the lowest of all my festivals, dating back to 2015. There were so many movies I wanted to see that I had to be strategic, so I passed on some films to guarantee that I’d get into the ones I really wanted to see and the ones I knew would be the most popular.

 

What did I see?

Thursday, April 30

Out of the Past (1947) I love this classic film noir starring Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer, co-starring Kirk Douglas and Rhonda Fleming. The movie was introduced by Eddie Muller and Dana Delany. The film we saw at the Egyptian Theatre was a 4K restoration by Warner Bros. Discovery. Not as famous as Double Indemnity (1944), but every bit as good. A must-see on any screen.

Man Hunt (1941). This World War II drama stars Walter Pidgeon and Joan Bennett. Pidgeon stars as a big-game hunter whose failure at assassinating Hitler puts him on the run. He meets up with Bennett, a Cockney streetwalker who helps to hide him from his Nazi pursuers. Directed by Fritz Lang, this is the beginning of his collaboration with Bennett that included The Woman in the Window (1944), Scarlet Street (1945), and The Secret Beyond the Door (1947). The film was screened in Chinese Multiplex #6.

Friday, May 1

Letty Lynton (1932). The movie that everyone has been dying to see for over 90 years. If you’re a classic movie fan, you’ve heard of this film. Presented in a beautiful 4K restoration by Warner Bros. Discovery. The film stars Joan Crawford and Robert Montgomery. The other star is the clothes designed for Crawford by the legendary M-G-M costume designer, Adrian. The film was introduced by Eddie Muller, George Feltenstein, and Casey LaLonde, Joan Crawford’s grandson. According to Muller and LaLonde, this was the movie that made Joan Crawford, Joan Crawford. At the screening, we learned that the film will be released on Blu-Ray in June. The film was screened in the Egyptian Theatre.

Joan Crawford in the Letty Lynton dress

Strangers on a Train (1951) As soon as Letty Lynton let out, I was back on line at the Egyptian Theatre. Strangers on a Train was the beginning of Alfred Hitchcock’s amazing string of classic movies. After a series of box-office disappointments like Rope (1948), Under Capricorn (1949), and Stage Fright (1950), many people thought Hitchcock had lost his touch. Strangers on a Train put that idea to rest. Hitchcock would produce a string of classics, including Rear Window (1954), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), Psycho (1960), and The Birds (1963). The film was introduced by Alicia Malone with special guest Carol Burnett. She was an usher at the old Warner Bros. Theatre on Hollywood Blvd. while on summer break from college. Strangers was playing, and in the old days, movies ran continuously. You could walk into the theater during the middle of the movie, sit down, watch, and then when the movie got to the part where you came in, you’d leave. While Carol was working as an usher, an old couple came during the film’s finale and wanted to be seated. Carol tried to convince the couple that they should wait until the film started again because it would spoil their enjoyment. The manager overheard this “discussion,” and Carol was fired on the spot. When she became famous, and she was asked where she’d like her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, she asked for it to be right in front of the old movie theater. Years later, when Alfred Hitchcock heard about Carol’s firing, he sent her a framed copy of the movie poster. He wrote, “Dear Carol, I’m sorry. Alfred Hitchcock.”

Fred MacMurray and Carole Lombard

The Princess Comes Across (1936) is a forgotten screwball comedy/mystery starring Carole Lombard and Fred MacMurray. This was the second of four films the stars made together. Alicia Malone interviewed Kate MacMurray, the daughter of Fred MacMurray and June Haver. Kate spoke lovingly of her father and his friendship with Lombard. She said he was his favorite leading lady, although I heard her say at the screening of The Egg and I at an earlier festival that Claudette Colbert was his favorite. In any event, it was a delightful movie shown in a packed Theater #4. Kate had never seen the movie on the big screen, so she stayed and watched it with us. She was sitting right behind me.

Saturday, May 2

Phantom Lady (1944) Saturday morning was relaxing. I decided to skip all the early-morning movies and have a nice breakfast at 25 Degrees, inside the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. I wanted to get into see Phantom Lady in Theater #4, so that was one of the reasons I passed on the earlier films. After breakfast, I went to the Multiplex and was first in line for Phantom. The theater was totally sold out, so my strategy worked. Eddie Muller interviewed Christina Lane, the author of her 2020 biography, Phantom Lady: Hollywood Producer Joan Harrison. It was a great introduction, but the 35mm print was not the best, which was a bit disappointing. Fortunately, the film is good enough that you could get past the less-than-perfect print. I’m glad I got to see it on the big screen.

Ella Raines and Alan Curtis in the shadows

There’s Always Tomorrow (1956) is a classic Douglas Sirk melodrama starring Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray, and Joan Bennett. MacMurray is a married (to Bennett) father of three children and feels like his life is dull and meaningless. When Stanwyck surprises MacMurray with a visit while she’s in town, he begins to think that life with Stanwyck, an old colleague, would be better than the life he’s currently living. How will it all end? The movie was introduced by Dana Dalany and former child actress Gigi Perreau, who starred in the film as the older daughter of MacMurray and Bennett’s characters. Perreau had some interesting stories about the making of the film, including the fact that she felt that Stanwyck was in total control of the movie and not in a bad way. She said she, “Missy,” played cards and smoked cigarettes with the crew, which was something she would never have been allowed to do as a teenager on the set. Another packed house in Theater #4.

The Devil and Miss Jones (1941) is a delightful comedy starring Jean Arthur, Robert Cummings, Spring Byington, Edmund Gwenn, and Charles Coburn. It’s a tale of labor versus management. Charles Coburn is a rich industrialist who owns a New York City department store. He’s so rich that he didn’t even know he owned it, until he was hanged in effigy by a disgruntled department store staff that includes Arthur, Cummings, and Byington. Cummings is an organizer fighting for better treatment for employees. Coburn is convinced that he can get things under control by going undercover as a department store employee. Much to his own surprise, he becomes friendly with the “agitators” and becomes their champion. I don’t remember who introduced this film, but it attracted a good crowd in Multiplex Theater #1.

Sunday, May 3

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) is one of my favorite movies. I’ve always wanted to see it on the big screen, and it was a great experience. What we saw was a restored version of the film that looked brand new. I was a special guest of author Alison Macor, who introduced the movie. She wrote a book, The Making of The Best Years of Our Lives: The HollywoodClassic That United a Nation. Seeing it with an audience was special. When two of the main characters got together, the audience applauded. Thanks to Alison, I got a “golden ticket,” which meant I didn’t have to wait in line and had a reserved seat! Not bad. There was a good crowd, although I think it should have been packed in Multiplex Theater #1.

Dana Andrews and Teresa Wright

From Song to Scene was an event in Club TCM with a trio of music supervisors, with Eddie Muller moderating. The job of the music supervisor is to work with the director to make sure the music used in a film matches the narrative. One of the three music supervisors, Maureen Crowe, graduated from high school with me. We both graduated from Holy Trinity High School, Hicksville, Long Island, New York. We last saw each other at our high school reunion in October and planned on seeing each other during the festival. However, she wasn’t on the TCM schedule at that time. It was great seeing her in action, and she and her colleagues were thrilled by the positive reaction.

Maureen and me

Trouble in Paradise (1932) I have to admit that I don’t think I’ve seen this pre-Code classic from beginning to end. I’ve seen parts of it over the years, so seeing it on the big screen in a beautiful 4K digital restoration was a real treat. Director Ernst Lubitsch was a master of pre-Code comedies, and Trouble may be his best film from this period. The movie was introduced by Julia Sweeney, a true Lubitsch fan. Her introduction was funny, informative, and brief. Translation: it was perfect! I think Multiplex #1 was sold out for this showing.

Kay Francis, Herbert Marshall, and Miriam Hopkins

Lady Windemere’s Fan (1925) was a silent film version of the Oscar Wilde play, directed by Ernst Lubitsch (two Lubitsch films in one day). It starred a very young Ronald Colman. The film was accompanied by the Molto Alto Motion Picture Orchestra. The film, restored by The Museum of Modern Art, was beautiful. It looked as good as it probably looked in 1925 when it first premiered. The last three festivals, I’ve ended with a silent film (last year’s silent, Beau Geste (1926), also starred Ronald Colman).  The film was introduced by TCM host Jacqueline Stewart in the Egyptian Theatre.

Another great festival is in the books.

I’m already thinking of next year!

 

 

 

Unlocking the Vault: A Psychological Descent into Hitchcock’s “Marnie”

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Marnie (1964) is a psychological thriller that delves into the fractured psyche of its titular protagonist, played by Tippi Hedren. The story follows Margaret “Marnie” Edgar, a beautiful and calculating habitual thief who uses a series of aliases to secure secretarial positions at high-end firms. After gaining the trust of her employers, she meticulously robs their safes and vanishes without a trace, changing her appearance and moving on to her next mark. Her cold, detached efficiency suggests a woman driven by a deep-seated compulsion rather than mere greed.

The plot thickens when Marnie takes a job at Rutland’s in Philadelphia, where she catches the eye of the wealthy and sophisticated Mark Rutland, portrayed by Sean Connery. Unlike her previous victims, Mark is a keen observer who becomes fascinated by Marnie’s elusive nature and her peculiar, visceral reactions to specific stimuli, such as the color red and the sound of thunderstorms. Despite his suspicions about her identity, Mark finds himself drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse, fueled by an obsessive desire to possess and “cure” her.

When Mark eventually catches Marnie in the act of a robbery, he chooses not to turn her over to the police. Instead, he uses the threat of imprisonment to coerce her into marriage, hoping to uncover the roots of her kleptomania and frigidity. As they embark on a troubled honeymoon and a tense domestic life, the film shifts from a caper story into a dark exploration of power dynamics and psychological trauma. Mark assumes the role of a dominant amateur psychoanalyst, determined to break through Marnie's icy exterior and solve the mystery of her behavior.

The narrative is haunted by the presence of Marnie’s mother, Bernice, a cold and judgmental woman living in Baltimore, whose approval Marnie desperately seeks. The tension builds as Mark’s investigation into Marnie's past forces a confrontation with suppressed memories and the source of her debilitating phobias. Hitchcock uses stylized visuals and a sweeping Bernard Herrmann score to heighten the atmosphere of dread and mystery, leaving the audience to wonder whether Marnie can ever truly be “saved” or is forever a prisoner of her own history.

Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery

Alfred Hitchcock (1899–1980) was a legendary English filmmaker known as the “Master of Suspense,” whose career spanned over fifty years and fundamentally shaped the thriller genre. Born on August 13, 1899, in London, he began his career in the silent era before moving to Hollywood in 1939, where he directed some of the most influential films in cinema history, including Rebecca (1940), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), and Psycho (1960). Hitchcock was a pioneer of technical innovation, famous for his use of “MacGuffins,” bird’s-eye view shots, and the “Dolly zoom,” as well as his iconic cameo appearances in nearly all of his films. A master of psychological manipulation and visual storytelling, he received the AFI Life Achievement Award and was knighted shortly before his death on April 29, 1980, leaving a legacy that continues to define modern cinematic language.

Tippi Hedren (1930) is an American actress and dedicated animal rights activist whose cinematic legacy was defined by her collaboration with Alfred Hitchcock. Born Nathalie Kay Hedren in New Ulm, Minnesota, she was a successful fashion model in New York and Los Angeles before Hitchcock discovered her in a television commercial. He cast her as the resilient Melanie Daniels in The Birds (1963) and subsequently as the troubled lead in Marnie (1964), performances that earned her a Golden Globe and solidified her status as an iconic Hitchcock Blonde. Following her film career, Hedren shifted her focus to wildlife conservation, founding the Shambala Preserve in California to provide a sanctuary for exotic big cats. She is also recognized for her humanitarian work—notably her role in helping to establish the Vietnamese-American nail salon industry—and for being the matriarch of an acting dynasty that includes her daughter, Melanie Griffith, and granddaughter, Dakota Johnson.

Sean Connery (1930 – 2020) was a legendary Scottish actor whose commanding presence and rugged charisma made him one of the most enduring figures in cinematic history. Born Thomas Sean Connery in Edinburgh, he worked a variety of odd jobs—including milkman and artist’s model—before finding his footing in theater and television. His career reached a turning point in 1962 when he was cast as James Bond in Dr. No, a role he would play seven times and which established the definitive template for the modern screen spy. Beyond the 007 franchise, Connery proved his versatility in projects like The Man Who Would Be King and The Hunt for Red October, eventually winning an Academy Award for his performance as the steadfast Irish cop Jim Malone in The Untouchables (1987). Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000, he remains a celebrated icon of British film, remembered for his distinctive accent, his transition from a dashing leading man to a distinguished elder statesman of the screen, and his lifelong devotion to his native Scotland.

 

Marnie trivia

• A Change in Leading Men: While Sean Connery eventually took the role of Mark Rutland, Alfred Hitchcock’s original choice for the part was actually Burt Lancaster. However, Lancaster turned down the role because he felt the character was too unsympathetic and didn't agree with the script's darker psychological undertones.
• Grace Kelly’s Potential Return: Marnie was initially intended to be the grand return to the screen for Grace Kelly. She was eager to work with Hitchcock again and briefly accepted the role in 1962, but the people of Monaco reportedly objected to their Princess playing a thief and a character with such a troubled psyche, leading her to withdraw from the project.
• The “Giant” Backdrop: To maintain total control over the lighting and atmosphere, Hitchcock filmed the scenes at Marnie's mother's house on a soundstage using a massive painted backdrop of the Baltimore shipping docks. Despite the film's 1964 release, Hitchcock opted for this stylized, old-fashioned look rather than location shooting, which added to the movie’s surreal, dreamlike quality.
• Visual Color Cues: In keeping with the film's focus on Marnie’s phobias, Hitchcock utilized specific visual techniques to represent her trauma. Whenever the color red appears on screen—such as red ink or red flowers—he often used a "red wash" over the camera lens or heightened the saturation to mimic Marnie’s internal panic and psychological distress.

 

Click HERE to join the online discussion on Monday, April 20, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation and a link to join the discussion on Zoom.

Click HERE to watch the movie on the Internet Archive.

Discussion questions

1. The Ethics of the “Cure”: Mark Rutland chooses to blackmail Marnie into marriage rather than turning her over to the authorities, claiming he wants to "save" her. Does his behavior represent a genuine, albeit flawed, attempt at help, or is his obsession with her psychological “unlocking” simply another form of victimizing her?
2. The Visual Language of Trauma: Hitchcock uses stylized techniques like the intense "red washes" and obviously painted backdrops to represent Marnie’s mental state. How do these non-realistic visual choices affect your immersion in the story? Do they help you empathize with Marnie’s fractured perspective, or do they feel dated compared to modern filmmaking?
3. Maternal Influence and Memory: The relationship between Marnie and her mother, Bernice, is the emotional core of the film’s mystery. How does the film portray the cycle of 
4. The Evolution of the "Hitchcock Blonde": Compared to Hitchcock’s other famous leading ladies—such as Grace Kelly in Rear Window or Janet Leigh in Psycho—Marnie is significantly more clinical and emotionally distant. In what ways does this character challenge or reinforce the director’s typical archetypes for his female protagonists?

Book Review: “Criss-Cross: The Making of Hitchcock's Dazzling, Subversive Masterpiece - Strangers on a Train”

Title: Criss-Cross: The Making of Hitchcock's Dazzling, Subversive Masterpiece - Strangers on a Train

By Stephen Rebello

Publisher: Running Press

ISBN: 978-0-7624-8639-7 (hardcover)

Stephen Rebello’s Criss-Cross is a carefully researched and engagingly written telling of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1951 thriller, Strangers on a Train, chronicling its production against the backdrop of a politically paranoid Hollywood. Coming off a string of critical and commercial flops in the late 1940s, the film represented a gamble for Hitchcock, who adapted Patricia Highsmith's dark, complex debut novel. Rebello frames Strangers on a Train as the comeback vehicle that inaugurated the director's “Golden Decade,” which would eventually include classics like Vertigo, Rear Window, North by Northwest, and Psycho. The book details how this project, initially deemed “unsavory” by critics, was rife with conflict, feuds, and creative compromises, yet ultimately yielded a masterful and enduring suspense film.

A central strength of Criss-Cross lies in its deep dive into the chaotic and often adversarial screenwriting process. Rebello reveals the surprising tension between the notoriously meticulous Hitchcock and the celebrated hardboiled novelist Raymond Chandler, who was brought in to draft the script. Though Chandler is credited on the final film—largely due to studio executive Jack Warner’s insistence on a promotable name—Rebello details how Hitchcock ultimately utilized very little of his work. The author credits a collaborative team, including multiple female writers like Czenzi Ormonde and Whitfield Cook, with rescuing the film and helping the director navigate the necessary narrative shifts from Highsmith’s novel. This insight highlights the messy, collaborative reality of feature filmmaking and reframes the traditional understanding of the script's genesis.

Farley Granger and Robert Walker

Beyond the technical and creative battles, Rebello skillfully explores the social and cultural subversiveness embedded within the film. He illuminates the repressive atmosphere of the McCarthy era, characterized by anti-communist suspicion and intense censorship from the Breen office, which forced Hitchcock to cleverly disguise or downplay racy themes and sexual innuendo..

Finally, the book provides ringside accounts of casting and on-set drama, notably focusing on the brilliant yet troubled performance of Robert Walker as the psychotic Bruno Anthony. Rebello’s research, drawn from interviews and extensive archival material including Hitchcock’s storyboards, offers fascinating tidbits, such as how the heavy “bottle glasses” worn by Guy Haines’s wife rendered the actress practically blind. More than just a collection of anecdotes, Criss-Cross provides a definitive, authoritative look at the filmmaking process, from adapting a difficult novel to designing a character’s psychology through costume (like Bruno's garish lobster necktie). For any cinema aficionado and Hitchcock fan, Criss-Cross is a compelling read that confirms Strangers on a Train’s status as a timeless classic thriller.

 

“Suspicion” drives a wedge between Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine

Suspicion (1941) is an American mystery-suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine. The supporting cast includes Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Nigel Bruce, Dame May Whitty, and Leo G. Carroll. It is based on the novel Before the Fact (1934) by  Francis Iles.

The film follows Lina McLaidlaw (Fontaine), a reserved and romantically inexperienced woman who is captivated by the charming and reckless playboy Johnnie Aysgarth (Grant). Despite her family’s warnings about his reputation as a spendthrift and a scoundrel, Lina quickly falls in love and marries him.

After a lavish honeymoon, Lina’s initial bliss begins to fade as she discovers the truth about Johnnie’s financial situation—he’s penniless, dishonest, and a habitual gambler. As Johnnie’s schemes become more desperate and his lies grow more elaborate, Lina’s disillusionment deepens into a terrifying suspicion.

Joan Fontaine, Cary Grant, and Nigel Bruce

Alfred Hitchcock (1899 – 1980) was an English film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century. Hitchcock directed over 50 feature films, many are classics that have been honored and studied for years. Some of Hitchcock’s classic films include The 39 Steps (1939), Rebecca (1940), Suspicion (1941), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Notorious (1946), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), and Psycho (1960).

Cary Grant (1904 – 1986) was an English-born American actor who became one of the most popular leading men in film history. Grant started his career in vaudeville before heading to Hollywood. He became a superstar in the late 1930s in a series of screwball comedies, including The Awful Truth (1937) with Irene Dunne. He was a memorable C. K. Dexter Haven in The Philadelphia Story (1940) opposite Katharine Hepburn and James Stewart. He received two Best Actor nominations for Penny Serenade (1941) and None but the Lonely Hearts (1944). Other classic Grant films include Gunga Din (1939), Only Angels Have Wings (1939), and Arsenic and Old Lace (1944). He made four popular films with Alfred Hitchcock: Suspicion (1941), Notorious (1946), To Catch a Thief (1955), and North by Northwest (1959). He was presented with an Honorary Oscar at the 42nd Academy Awards in 1970.

Joan Fontaine (1917 – 2013) was a British-American actress who starred in more than 45 films during Hollywood’s “Golden Age.” After secondary roles in Gunga Din (1939) and The Women (1939), her fortunes turned with her starring role in Alfred Hitchcock’s first American film, Rebecca (1940). She was nominated for Best Actress for her role in that film, but lost to Ginger Rogers. The next year, she worked with Hitchcock again in Suspicion and this time won the Best Actress Oscar, beating out her older sister Olivia de Havilland. She received a third and final nomination for The Constant Nymph (1943). Other popular Fontaine films include This Above All (1942), From This Day Forward (1946), Ivy (1947), Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948), The Emperor Waltz (1948), and Ivanhoe (1952). After the late 1950s, she appeared less in films and more on stage and television. Fontaine and her sister are the only siblings to have won major acting Academy Awards.

Suspicion trivia

• Joan Fontaine is the only performer to win an Oscar in an Alfred Hitchcock film.
• Fontaine read the novel the film was based on and sent Hitchcock a note offering to play the part for free, if necessary.
• This was the first film that Hitchcock produced as well as directed.
• Suspicion marked the first time Cary Grant worked with Hitchcock; he would go on to collaborate with the director on three more films, Notorious (1946), To Catch a Thief (1955), and North by Northwest (1959).
• Grant was paid $112,500 and Fontaine earned $67,750.

Click HERE to watch to movie on the Internet Archive (this print is beautiful).

Click HERE to join the online discussion on Monday, October 27, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you will receive a link to join the discussion on Zoom.

Discussion questions

1. Ambiguity and Perception: To what extent does director Alfred Hitchcock use cinematic techniques (such as lighting, camera angles, and dialogue) to keep the audience as unsure of Johnnie's true nature as Lina is? Do you believe the ambiguity benefits or harms the film's overall suspense?
2. The Character of Lina: Lina transforms from a reserved "spinster" to a woman consumed by fear. Is her growing suspicion primarily a reasonable response to Johnnie's actions, or is it a sign of psychological instability, perhaps driven by her initial insecurity and desperation to be loved?
3. Cary Grant's Casting: Cary Grant was one of Hollywood's most popular leading men at the time. How does Grant's established charming on-screen persona affect your perception of his character, Johnnie? Do you think the studio's desire to keep Grant a "hero" altered the film's thematic impact from the source novel, Before the Fact?
4. Love vs. Self-Preservation: Why does Lina remain with Johnnie even after repeatedly discovering his dishonesty, embezzlement, and the possibility that he intends to kill her? Does her decision reflect a desperate, all-consuming love, or does it say something about the limited options and societal roles for women in the period the film was made?

Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten star in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Shadow of a Doubt”

A Personal Favorite

Considered Alfred Hitchcock’s personal favorite of all his films, Shadow of a Doubt (1943), is also the only film he ever shot entirely on location. Hitchcock picked Santa Rosa, CA, because it exemplified, at least it did in 1942, the ideal American town. Film critic Bosley Crowther said in his review of the film, “The flavor and ‘feel’ of a small town has been beautifully impressed in this film by the simple expedient of shooting most of it in Santa Rosa, California.”

No Prima Donnas
One of the reasons Shadow of a Doubt was Hitchcock’s favorite was due to the cast. Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten were movie stars but weren’t prima donnas. The director was impressed with Wright’s professionalism and preparation for her role. Cotten thought Hitchcock was one of the easiest directors he ever worked with. The two hit it off and remained great friends for the rest of their lives. The rest of the supporting cast, Henry Travers, Patricia Collinge, Hume Cronyn, and MacDonald Carey were all pros, with Cronyn, before this film, a stage actor, making his movie debut in Shadow of a Doubt. He too, along with his wife, Jessica Tandy (Tandy would appear in The Birds some 20 years later.) remained friends with Hitchcock for the rest of their lives.

Teresa Wright

Idolizing Uncle Charlie
When Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotton) travels west to visit his sister and her family, the sleepy town of Santa Rosa is never the same. Handsome and debonair, Uncle Charlie is idolized by his young niece Charlene “Charlie” Newton (Teresa Wright) who has become disenchanted with her small-town life. Uncle Charlie represents glamour and excitement to young Charlie and she craves his attention.

Word of Mouth
As word spreads about a man they call the Merry Widow murderer, Charley suspects that he and her beloved uncle are one and the same. But when a government agent investigating the case befriends her, Charley is faced with some tough choices. Does she cooperate, putting her uncle at risk, and upsetting her mother? By getting closer to her uncle, does she put her own life in jeopardy?

Where Evil Lurks

With the help of playwright Thorton Wilder (Our Town) and screenwriter Sally Benson (Meet Me in St. Louis), Hitchcock created a truly suspenseful film. Shadow of a Doubt demonstrates one of Hitchcock’s favorite themes: evil can lurk in the most unlikely and innocent of places…within our own towns or cities and among our own families.

Alfred Hitchcock (1899 – 1980) was an English film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century. Hitchcock directed over 50 feature films, many classics that have been honored and studied for years. Some of Hitchcock’s classic films include The 39 Steps (1939), Rebecca (1940), Suspicion (1941), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Notorious (1946), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), and Psycho (1960).

Teresa Wright (1918 - 2005) was an American stage, film, and television actress. She received Academy Award nominations in her first three films, a record that still holds today. In 1942, she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Mrs. Miniver and Best Actress in The Pride of the Yankees. She won the Supporting Oscar for Mrs. Miniver, and her co-star, Greer Garson won Best Actress. Today Wright is most famous for playing Lou Gehrig’s wife in The Pride of the Yankees, The Best Years of Our Lives, and Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt (1943). Wright was a popular star throughout the 1940s starring opposite Robert Mitchum, Ray Milland, Gary Cooper, and David Niven. She starred opposite Marlon Brando in his first film role in The Men (1950). Wright continued working in film, with her last role as Miss Birdie in The Rainmaker (1997). Wright was the only non-baseball player to be honored by the New York Yankees when she passed away at age 86. 

Joseph Cotten (1905 - 1994) was an American film, stage, radio, and television actor. Cotten achieved fame on Broadway in the original stage productions of The Philadelphia Story and Sabrina Fair.  He became famous worldwide after appearing in Citizen Kane (1941) and The Magnificent Ambersons (1942). As one of the most popular leading men of the 1940s, Cotten starred in Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Gaslight (1943), Duel in the Sun (1946), and The Third Man (1949). Cotten alternated between work on stage and film into the late-1950s. Cotten also appeared on television guest-starring on The Name of the Game, Cimarron Strip, and Ironside. Cotten’s last film role was in 1981.

Joseph Cotten and Teresa Wright in a tense scene

Shadow of a Doubt trivia

• Teresa Wright didn't read the script; Alfred Hitchcock described the entire movie to her and agreed to star in it on the spot.
• Edna May Wonacott (Ann Newton) and Estelle Jewell (Catherine) were locals of Santa Rosa, where this movie was shot on location. Many of the extras were residents of the town, which was too far away from Hollywood to be affected by Actors Guild guidelines demanding the use of professional actors and actresses.
• The $40,000 Uncle Charlie deposits in the bank is equivalent to over $600,000 today.
• Hitchcock wanted William Powell to play Uncle Charlie but M-G-M wouldn’t loan him.
• The Newton home and the railway station are still standing in Santa Rosa. The library was demolished due to earthquake concerns as some of the other buildings were destroyed in the earthquake of 1969.
• Teresa Wright who played a teenager in the film was 25 years old when the film was in production.

Click HERE to watch the film on the Internet Archive. Click HERE to watch it on YouTube

Click HERE to join the online discussion on September 2, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation with a link to join the discussion on Zoom.

Discussion questions

1. Why do you think this was Alfred Hitchcock's favorite of all his films?
2. Was the setting of the film similar in some ways to the location of Boomerang!?
3. Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten give terrific performances but neither were nominated for action Oscars. Do you think this was an oversight on the Academy’s part?
4. The supporting cast is strong with many outstanding performances. Do you have a favorite?
5. Did you have a favorite scene from the film?
6. The film plays with doubles: two Charlies, the waitress working at the Til-Two bar for two weeks, and the two detectives. Did you find any other doubles?
7. Did the ending surprise you? Was it satisfying?

Doris Day and James Stewart as “The Man Who Knew Too Much”

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) is an American mystery thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring James Stewart and Doris Day. Other members of the cast include Brenda de Banzie, Bernard Miles, Daniel Gelin, and Hillary Brooke. This was a remake of Hitchcock’s 1934 film of The Man Who Knew Too Much.

Americans Dr. Benjamin “Ben” McKenna (Stewart) and popular singer Josephine “Jo” Conway (Day), and their young son Henry “Hank” McKenna are vacation in French Morocco when they meet a Frenchman Louis Bernard (Gelin). Jo is suspicious of him because of his prying questions and evasive answers.

When Bernard cancels a dinner date with Jo and Ben, only to see him arrive at the restaurant where they are sharing a meal with a friendly British couple Lucy (de Banzie) and Edward Drayton (Miles).

Who is Louis Bernard and what does he have to do with Jo, Ben, and their son Hank?

 

The Man Who Knew Too Much trivia

• Doris Day thought Hitchcock wasn’t pleased with her performance because she didn’t think he was directing her. She confronted the director and he said if she wasn’t giving him what he wanted, he would direct her. Hitchcock was very pleased with Day’s performance.
• Day didn’t wasn’t to record “Que Sera Sera” saying it was a forgettable children’s song. Day’s recording of the song was a huge hit, won an Academy Award, and became Day’s signature song.
• The movie was 37 days behind schedule and over budget.
• This was Stewart’s third collaboration with director Alfred Hitchcock.
• June Allyson, Lana Turner, Grace Kelly, Kim Novak, Jane Russell, Gene Tierney, and Ava Gardner were all considered for the role of Jo. Hitchcock saw Day in the film Storm Warning (1951) and he was convinced she had the acting chops for Jo.

 

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Doris Day and James Stewart

Discussion questions

1. If you saw the original 1934 version, which did you enjoy more?
2. Were Stewart and Day believable as a married couple?
3. Was Hitchcock right to trust his instincts in choosing Day for the role of Jo?
4. Did you have any sympathy for Lucy Drayton? Do you think she had any idea how far her husband would go regarding Henry?
5. Were the London locations a plus?
6. Did anything about the movie surprise you?

Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope starring James Stewart, John Dall, and Farley Granger

Rope (1948) is an American crime thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring James Stewart, John Dall, and Farley Granger. Other members of the cast include Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Constance Collier, Douglas Dick, and Joan Chandler.

To young men, Brandon Shaw (Dall) and Philip Morgan (Granger) strangle a former classmate from prep school in what they think was the perfect murder. The Manhattan bachelors’ murder was inspired by conversations with their prep-school housemaster Rupert Cadell (Stewart) who taught them some concepts from Nietzsche’s writings about the superiority of certain individuals.

Brandon and Phillip are so brazen in their feelings of superiority that they have hidden the body of David Kentley (Dick Hogan) in a trunk in their dining room. Not only that, but the trunk is being used as a buffet during a party Brandon and Phillip are hosting.

Did Brandon and Phillip commit the “perfect crime?”

 

Farley Granger, James Stewart, and John Dall

Rope trivia

• This was Hitchcock’s first color movie.
• James Stewart was unhappy with the film and thought he was miscast.
• The movie was shot in ten takes, making it look like one continuous take.
• The film was loosely based on the Leopold and Loeb case, a real-life murder committed by University of Chicago students Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb.
• Cary Grant was Hitchcock’s first choice to play Rupert Cadell.
• James Stewart earned $300,000. The total budget for the film was $1.5 million dollars.

 

Click HERE to watch the movie on YouTube.

 

Click HERE to join the online discussion on July 15, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you will receive an email invitation with a link to join the meeting on Zoom.

 

Discussion questions

1. Some critics felt the “continuous take” filming was a distraction. Did it think it was a distraction? Did you even notice it?
2. James Stewart thought he was miscast; did you agree with him?
3. Did you have any sympathy for Brandon and Phillip?
4. What did you think of John Dall and Farley Granger as Brandon and Phillip? What did you think of their on-screen relationship.
5. Did anything about the film surprise you?

Joel McCrea and Laraine Day in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Foreign Correspondent”

Foreign Correspondent (1940) is an American spy thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Joel McCrea, Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall, and George Sanders. The screenplay was written by Charles Bennett and Joan Harrison. The music was by Alfred Newman and the cinematography was by Rudolph Mate.

Before the outbreak of World War II, Mr. Powers (Harry Davenport), editor of the New York Morning Globe, sends crime reporter John Jones (McCrea) to report on the situation there.

While in the Netherlands, Jones attends an event sponsored by the Universal Peace Party led by Stephen Fisher (Marshall). When the keynote speaker Van Meer (Albert Basserman) becomes ill, he is replaced by Carol Fisher (Day), Stephen Fisher’s daughter. Earlier, Jones had insulted Carol but now finds her irresistible.

As Jones continues to delve into European politics, he becomes suspicious of the Universal Peace Party and Carol’s father.

Does the Universal Peace Party really stand for peace or do they have another agenda?

Alfred Hitchcock (1899 – 1980) was an English film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century. Hitchcock directed over 50 feature films, many are classics that have been honored and studied for years. Some of Hitchcock’s classic films include The 39 Steps (1939), Rebecca (1940), Suspicion (1941), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Notorious (1946), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), and Psycho (1960).

Joel McCrea (1905 – 1990) was an American movie star who appeared in over 100 films. During his almost-five-decades career, McCrea worked with some of the top directors in Hollywood including Alfred Hitchcock (Foreign Correspondent 1940), Preston Sturges (Sullivan’s Travels 1941, The Palm Beach Story 1942), and George Stevens (The More the Merrier 1943). McCrea worked opposite some of the top leading actresses of the day including Miriam Hopkins, Irene Dunne, Veronica Lake, Claudette Colbert, and Barbara Stanwyck with whom he made six films. He was the first actor to play Dr. Kildare in the film Internes Can’t Take Money (1937) costarring Stanwyck. McCrea married actress Frances Dee in 1933. The two were married until Joel died in 1990.

Laraine Day (1920 – 2007) was an American actress. Day appeared in films, stage, radio, and television. In 1939, she signed with M-G-M and starred as Nurse Mary Lamont in the popular film series Dr. Kildare. She made seven Dr. Kildare movies with Lew Ayres in the title role. In 1946, she signed a contract with RKO. Her contract stipulated that she would make one movie per year at $100,000. During the late 1940s, Day co-starred with John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, and Robert Mitchum. Some of Day’s films include Those Endearing Young Charms (1945), The Locket (1946), and Tycoon (1947) with John Wayne.

 

Foreign Correspondent trivia

• Gary Cooper was offered the John Jones role but turned it down. He regretted it once he saw the film.
• Alfred Hitchcock had two films up for Best Picture of 1940. This film and Rebecca.
• Hitchcock had wanted Barbara Stanwyck or Joan Fontaine for the female lead.
• The film was made before the U.S. had entered the war. The closing scenes of the movie were added when it became clear that the bombing of London was imminent.
• An entire square was built on a ten-acre site for $200,000 (over $4M today).
• A flight on the Clipper 314 cost $675.00 round trip which is roughly $12,000 in today’s dollars.
• Laraine Day was 19 years old during production.
• The film was a box-office hit but the film’s budget was so high that it didn’t make a profit for the filmmakers.

 

Joel McCrea, Laraine Day, and George Sanders

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Click HERE to watch the movie on YouTube.

Discussion questions

1. Where do you think this film ranks with other Hitchcock movies?
2. The film is famous for its elaborate set pieces. Were you impressed with the film’s recreation of Amsterdam?
3. Joel McCrea was Hitchcock’s second choice for the lead. What did you think of his performance?
4. Laraine Day was only 19 years old when she took on the role of Carol Fisher. What did you think of her performance?
5. Were there any other performances that you enjoyed?

 

Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin, and Janet Leigh star in Alfred Hitchock’s suspense classic “Psycho”

Psycho (1960) is an American suspense thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin, and Janet Leigh. The supporting cast included Martin Balsam, John McIntire, Simon Oakland, Frank Albertson, and Pat Hitchcock. The music was by Bernard Herrmann and the cinematography was by John L. Russell. The film was edited by long-time Hitchcock collaborator George Tomasini.

What happens when Marion Crane (Leigh) an on-the-run thief meets Normal Bates (Perkins) an odd motel proprietor? That is the mystery of Psycho.

Marion Crane has left town with $40,000 in cash from her employer. She hopes that if her boyfriend Sam Loomis (Gavin) can pay off his debts, they can be married. When Marion goes missing her sister Lila  Crane (Miles) teams up with Sam to try and track her down.

Will Lila and Sam find Marion or discover more than they bargained for once they visit the Bates Motel?

Alfred Hitchcock (1899 – 1980) was an English film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century. Hitchcock directed over 50 feature films, many are classics that have been honored and studied for years. Some of Hitchcock’s classic films include The 39 Steps (1939), Rebecca (1940), Suspicion (1941), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Notorious (1946), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), and Psycho (1960).

Janet Leigh as Marion Crane

Anthony Perkins (1932 – 1992) was an American stage and film actor. Perkins got his start in summer stock but worked in movies before his Broadway debut. His first film was The Actress (1953), co-starring Spencer Tracy, Jean Simmons, and Teresa Wright. He made his Broadway debut in Tea and Sympathy (1953) replacing John Kerr in the role of Tom Lee. He then returned to Hollywood to star in Friendly Persuasion (1956) with Gary Cooper and Dorothy McGuire. Perkins was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his performance in that film. Other films followed including Fear Strikes Out (1957), This Angry Age (1958) Desire Under the Elms (1958), The Matchmaker (1958), and Tall Story (1960). It would be Perkins’s role as Norman Bates in Psycho (1960) that would define him for the rest of his life and career.

Janet Leigh (1927 – 2004) was an American actress. Leigh was discovered by actress Norma Shearer who helped her secure a contract with M-G-M. Leigh made her movie debut in The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947) co-starring Van Johnson. Other films followed including Act of Violence (1948), Little Women (1949), Angels in the Outfield (1951), and The Naked Spur (1953).  After she left M-G-M, Leigh signed contracts with Universal and Columbia. In 1958, Leigh co-starred with Charlton Heston in the film noir classic Touch of Evil directed by Orson Welles. Her most famous role was as Marion Crane in Psycho (1960) for which she was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award. Later films include The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Bye, Bye Birdie (1963), and Wives and Lovers (1963). Leigh took a three-year break from acting, turning down some major roles, to concentrate on raising her two young daughters. She returned to film acting in 1966 starring in Kid Rodelo, Harper, and Three on a Couch co-starring Jerry Lewis. Apart from her acting, Leigh wrote four books, two novels, and two nonfiction works.

Vera Miles (1929 - ) is an American actress (retired) who was a popular leading lady in film during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1957, Miles signed a five-year personal contract with Alfred Hitchcock. Earlier he cast her opposite Henry Fonda in The Wrong Man (1956) and was his original choice for the female lead in Vertigo (1958). Hitchcock was grooming Miles as his next “cool blonde” replacing the recently retired Grace Kelly. When Miles became pregnant, she lost the role to Kim Novak. Miles starred in two classic John Ford westerns: The Searchers (1956) and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). Other film roles include Lila Crane in Psycho (1960), Beau James (1957), The FBI Story (1959), and Hellfighters (1968).

John Gavin (1931 -2018) was an American actor and diplomat. He was president of the Screen Actors Guild (1971 – 1973) and was the United States Ambassador to Mexico (1981 – 1986). Gavin was a successful leading man in the late 1950s through the late 1960s. Some of Gavin’s films include Imitation of Life (1959), Spartacus (1960), Midnight Lace (1960), and Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967). He was the hero, playing Sam Loomis in Psycho (1960), probably his most famous role. He was set to take over the role of James Bond in Diamonds are Forever (1971) when George Lazenby left the role. Sean Connery ended up playing the role instead. Once again, Gavin was set to play 007 in Live and Let Die (1973), but the producer wanted a British actor to play Bond so the role went to Roger Moore. Gavin was married to actress and singer Constance Towers.

Psycho trivia

• Hitchcock was so pleased with Bernard Herrmann’s score that he doubled his salary.
• The director had the cast and crew pledge that they wouldn’t say anything about the movie’s storyline.
• The rights to the novel by Robert Bloch were purchased by Hitchcock for only $9,000.
• Both Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh said they didn’t mind being stereotyped because of their work in Psycho. Both obtained screen immortality by their roles in the classic film.
• Hitchcock was so anxious to make Psycho that he took a percentage deal (60% of the gross) instead of his normal $250,000 fee.
• The movie was filmed in black and white because Hitchcock thought it would be too gory in color.

Vera Miles, John Gavin, and Anthony Perkins

Click HERE to join the discussion on March 25, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation and link to join the discussion on Zoom.

Click HERE to watch the movie on YouTube.

Discussion questions

1. How much did the music contribute to the overall success and feel of Psycho?
2. Hitchcock made Psycho for under one million dollars. Did the movie look cheap to you?
3. Anthony Perkins was forever typecast because of his performance as Norman Bates. What did you make of his performance?
4. Janet Leigh was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, losing to Shirley Jones in Elmer Gantry. Do you think Leigh’s performance was Oscar-worthy?
5. The acting attention is always on Leigh and Perkins, but what did you think of the performances of Vera Miles and John Gavin?
6. Anthony Perkins wasn’t nominated for his performance. Do you think the Academy made a mistake in not recognizing him?

James Stewart, Grace Kelly, and Thelma Ritter debate “Rear Window” ethics

Rear Window (1954) is an American mystery thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, and Thelma Ritter. The script was by John Michael Hayes, the cinematography was by Robert Burks, and the music was by Franz Waxman.

A favorite with both the public and critics, Rear Window’s reputation only seems to grow with each passing year. 

L.B. “Jeff” Jefferies (James Stewart) is confined to a wheelchair after breaking his leg while photographing a racetrack accident. While recuperating in his Greenwich Village apartment, Jeff suspects that his neighbor across the courtyard, Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr) murdered his invalid wife. At first, his girlfriend Lisa Freemont (Kelly) and home-care nurse Stella (Ritter) think he’s imagining things, but soon both begin suspecting there may be some truth to his suspicions.

Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window is a master class in filmmaking; its technique and storytelling are timeless.

Grace Kelly

Alfred Hitchcock (1899 – 1980) was an English film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century. Hitchcock directed over 50 feature films, many of which are classics that have been honored and studied for years. Some of Hitchcock’s classic films include The 39 Steps (1939), Rebecca (1940), Suspicion (1941), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Notorious (1946), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), and Psycho (1960).

James Stewart (1908 - 1997) was an American actor whose career spanned almost five decades and 80 films. Stewart often portrayed the ideal of the average American who was decent and honest. Stewart signed a seven-year contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer where he appeared in a variety of supporting roles in B and A pictures. It wasn’t until he was loaned out to Columbia Pictures to costar in Frank Capra’s You Can’t Take It With You (1938) that his home studio began to notice. Still, his best roles were on loan to other studios including Mr. Smith Goes to Washinton (1939) at Columbia again and Destry Rides Again (1939) at Universal. M-G-M eventually cast him in The Philadelphia Story (1940) where he won the Academy Award for Best Actor which cemented his reputation as a leading man and star. From there he went on to make The Shop Around the Corner (1940) and The Mortal Storm (1940). After serving in the United States Army from 1941 to 1945, Stewart returned to Hollywood where he continued as a popular leading man. During the 1950s, Steward made two films with director Alfred Hitchcock, considered two of the director’s best films: Rear Window (1954) and Vertigo (1958). Vertigo was voted the greatest film ever made by Sight & Sound in 2012.

Grace Kelly (1929 – 1982) was an American film actress who after a fairly brief Hollywood career became the Princess of Monaco by marrying Prince Rainier III in 1956. Kelly appeared in theater productions in New York City and on live television during the early 1950s. For her role in Mogambo (1953), Kelly was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. She lost the Oscar but became a major star with lead roles in five films released in 1954: Dial M for Murder, Rear Window, The Country Girl, Green Fire, and The Bridges of Toko-Ri. She would make only three more movies—To Catch a Thief, The Swan (1955), and High Society (1956)—before retiring from films.

James Stewart (1908 - 1997) was an American actor whose career spanned almost five decades and 80 films. Stewart often portrayed the ideal of the average American who was decent and honest. Stewart signed a seven-year contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer where he appeared in various supporting roles in B and A pictures. It wasn’t until he was loaned out to Columbia Pictures to costar in Frank Capra’s You Can’t Take It With You (1938) that his home studio began to notice. Still, his best roles were on loan to other studios including Mr. Smith Goes to Washinton (1939) at Columbia again and Destry Rides Again (1939) at Universal. M-G-M eventually cast him in The Philadelphia Story (1940) where he won the Academy Award for Best Actor which cemented his reputation as a leading man and star. From there he went on to make The Shop Around the Corner (1940) and The Mortal Storm (1940). After serving in the United States Army from 1941 to 1945, Stewart returned to Hollywood where he continued as a popular leading man. During the 1950s, Steward made two films with director Alfred Hitchcock, considered two of the director’s best films: Rear Window (1954) and Vertigo (1958). Vertigo was voted the greatest film ever made by Sight & Sound in 2012.

Wendell Corey (1914 – 1968) was an American film and stage actor. After appearing in the hit Broadway play Dream Girl (1945), Corey was spotted by producer Wallis who put him under contract at Paramount. He started out in supporting roles, but he was elevated to leading man with The File on Thelma Jordon. As film roles diminished, Corey turned to television where he made guest appearances on Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Untouchables, Perry Mason, and The Wild Wild West.

Thelma Ritter (1902 - 1969) was an American actress best known for her portrayal of working-class characters. She was nominated six times in the Best Supporting Actress category, more than any other actress in the category. Ritter won the Best Actress in a Musical Tony Award in 1958 for New Girl in Town. She made her unbilled screen debut in Miracle on 34th Street (1947) and a character actress was born. Ritter quickly became a favorite of studio chief Daryl F. Zanuck who cast her in A Letter to Three Wives (1949), All About Eve (1950), The Model and the Marriage Broker (1951), With a Song in My Heart (1952), and Titanic (1953). Perhaps her most famous role was as James Stewart's nurse in Rear Window (1954). Ritter was a good friend of director George Seaton, who cast her in her first film role in Miracle on 34th Street. It was only fitting that Ritter's last film What's So Bad About Feeling Good (1968), was also directed by Seaton.

Thelma Ritter and James Stewart

Rear Window trivia

• The entire movie was shot on one set. It was the largest set piece built on the Paramount lot up to that time.
• The actors in the apartments other than Jeff’s (Stewart’s) all wore earpieces so Hitchcock could direct them remotely.
• All of the apartments in Thorwald’s building had electricity and running water and could be lived in.
• Of the four films Steward made with Hitchcock, Rear Window was his personal favorite.

Click HERE to watch the movie on YouTube.

Rear Window trivia

• The entire movie was shot on one set. It was the largest set piece built on the Paramount lot up to that time.
• The actors in the apartments other than Jeff’s (Stewart’s) all wore earpieces so Hitchcock could direct them remotely.
• All of the apartments in Thorwald’s building had electricity and running water and could be lived in.
• Of the four films Stewart made with Hitchcock, Rear Window was his personal favorite.

 

Click HERE to join the discussion on December 11, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you’ll receive an invitation and a link to join the discussion on Zoom.

 

Discussion questions

1. Do you think that Lisa and Jeff’s relationship was believable?
2. Have you ever “observed” your neighbors the way Jeff’s character did?
3. Do you think Hitchcock was commenting on our voyeuristic society?
4. What do you think Hitchcock would have thought of today’s reality TV?
5. Hitchcock tells so much of the story with the camera; do you have a favorite scene or visual image?
6. What did you think of the performances?
7. Of all of Hitchcock’s films, Read Window’s reputation seems to get better with age. Why do you think that is?