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Creator/JimmyStewart plays John "Scottie" Ferguson, a San Francisco detective who, because of a rooftop chase which leads to the death of one of his fellow officers, develops a paralyzing fear of heights. Having retired from police work, he is persuaded to go back on the job by his old college friend Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore), who wants him to trail his wife Madeleine who has been behaving oddly. As he observes the beautiful, mysterious Madeleine (Creator/KimNovak), Scottie begins developing feelings for her -- feelings that are reciprocated by her. However, Madeleine appears to be possessed by the spirit of her dead ancestor Carlotta Valdes, who is trying to get her to commit suicide. Scottie tries to help her out of this apparent madness, but in vain; he finds himself watching helplessly as Madeleine plunges to her death from the roof of a mission's bell tower, unable to reach her in time due to his acrophobia.

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Creator/JimmyStewart plays John "Scottie" Ferguson, a San Francisco police detective who, because of a rooftop chase which leads to the death of one of his fellow officers, develops a paralyzing fear of heights. Having retired from police work, retired, he is persuaded to go back on the job by his old college friend Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore), who wants him to trail his wife Madeleine who has been behaving oddly. As he observes the beautiful, mysterious Madeleine (Creator/KimNovak), Scottie begins developing feelings for her -- feelings that are reciprocated by her. However, Madeleine appears to be possessed by the spirit of her dead ancestor Carlotta Valdes, who is trying to get her to commit suicide. Scottie tries to help her out of this apparent madness, but in vain; he finds himself watching helplessly as Madeleine plunges to her death from the roof of a mission's bell tower, unable to reach her in time due to his acrophobia.
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not a trope anymore. moving to Viewer Name Confusion on YMMV


* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Since the character names aren't listed in the credits, there's some confusion on the spelling of the two leads. According to the screenplay, it's Scottie and Madeleine.
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Examples Are Not Arguable. sounds like something you want to put on WMG


* PetTheDog: Possibly. Gavin Elster may be a [[spoiler:wife-murdering scumbag]], but he at least has the decency to offer some consoling words to Scottie after the latter is savaged by the coroner, rather than publicly blaming him. How sincere he is in this (if in nothing else) is a matter of interpretation.
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* PetTheDog: Possibly. Gavin Elster may be a [[spoiler:wife-murdering scumbag]], but he at least has the decency to offer some consoling words to Scottie after the latter is savaged by the coroner, rather than publicly blaming him. How sincere he is in this (if in nothing else) is a matter of interpretation.

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rename


* SexySweaterGirl: Judy Barton's standard tight-sweater-and-bullet-bra ensemble contrast Judy's earthy sexuality with Madeleine the icy blond in the gray suit.



* SweaterGirl: Judy Barton's standard tight-sweater-and-bullet-bra ensemble contrast Judy's earthy sexuality with Madeleine the icy blond in the gray suit.

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** Early on, Elster asks Scottie is he believes someone dead could enter and take possession of a living being. Scottie is incredulous, but this is precisely what he encounters later [[spoiler: but not really]].

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** Early on, Elster asks Scottie Right before she throws herself off the bell tower, as she is he believes someone dead could enter and take possession of a living being. Scottie is incredulous, but about to leave Scottie, Madeleine says "Look, it’s not fair, it’s too late it wasn’t supposed to happen this is precisely what he encounters later [[spoiler: but not really]].way, it shouldn’t have happened"--in a noticeably different accent. This foreshadows TheReveal.


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* TheReveal: Around 2/3 of the way through the film, after Scottie bids Judy goodbye at her apartment. Judy ''is'' Madeleine, or rather, she was the woman that Scottie was following around. She was impersonating Madeleine as part of a murder plot.
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* AdaptationalKarma: Inverted. [[spoiler:Gavin Elster gets away with murder; his counterpart from the original novel, Gevigne, is killed in a German air raid before the audience even finds out about his murder plot.]]

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