Trivia / Rear Window

• Actor-Inspired Element:
  • Lisa did not exist in the original story. Screenwriter John Michael Hayes was encouraged to spend time with Grace Kelly before writing for her. As a result many of Lisa's characteristics were inspired by Kelly.
  • Georgine Darcy choreographed most of her dance moves.
• Cast the Expert: Ross Bagdasarian playing a songwriter.
• Creator's Favorite Episode: James Stewart named this as his favourite of his collaborations with Hitchcock.
• Deleted Role: Joe Flynn (of later McHale's Navy fame) filmed a scene that ended up getting cut.
• Enforced Method Acting: One elaborate set involved the outside of a bunch of buildings, and one scene where a man and a woman on the "back porch" were supposed to go back inside through one of two windows, carrying the mattress they had out back in, when it started to rain. Hitchcock told them to go into different windows, so when the scene came, their confusion was real, but it made for a very convincing portrayal of people surprised by the rain and trying to get back inside in a hurry.
• Method Acting: Hitchcock instructed Georgine Darcy ("Miss Torso") not to take professional dance lessons, so as to convincingly play an enthusiastic amateur.
• Playing Against Type:
  • James Stewart, usually cast as a Nice Guy, plays a character who has bitter ideas about marriage and a touch of voyeurism in him. These darker aspects became a bit of a theme in the actor's post-World War II career.
  • Raymond Burr, better known for his heroic characters like Perry Mason, Ironside, and Steve Martin, plays the villain.
• Production Posse: One of four films that Alfred Hitchcock made with Jimmy Stewart (along with Rope, The Man Who Knew Too Much and Vertigo), and one of three he made with Grace Kelly (along with Dial M for Murder and To Catch a Thief).
• Uncredited Role: Gig Young, as The Voice of Jeff's editor Gunnison.
• What Could Have Been: Jeff was originally to speak with his editor in the editor's office, and the scene was filmed on an office set with James Stewart and Gig Young. Hitchcock decided that leaving the apartment was too much of a distraction, however, so the scene was relocated to the apartment and took place over the phone instead.
• Write Who You Know: Hitchcock had Raymond Burr make his characterization of Lars Thorwald into a very specific Take That! to David O. Selznick, who Hitchcock had a very public falling-out with. The grey hair and glasses and various mannerisms of Thorwald were based on Selznick.

---