Program Notes

“If you don’t experience delicious terror when you see Rear Window,” Alfred Hitchcock once said, “then pinch yourself — you are most probably dead.”

The “Master of Suspense” amply defends his well-deserved title with this witty and macabre tale of voyeurism and murder starring Academy-Award winner James Stewart and one of the most beautiful women ever to grace the screen, the late Princess of Monaco, Grace Kelly.

Considered by the peerless director and his critics to be among “The Master’s” greatest films, Rear Window attempts to unearth the Peeping Tom in all of us, and illustrate how obsessive curiosity can kill more than a cat.

The tale is literally seen through the eyes of Hitchcock’s protagonist L.B. (Jeff) Jefferies (Stewart). An avowed bachelor and freelance photographer, Jeff is reluctantly confined to his Greenwich Village apartment during a summer heat wave due to a broken leg.

Things begin to heat up considerably for Jeff and his amorous girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly) when he begins to pass the time by spying on all the neighbors in his courtyard, an action brought vividly to life through Hitchcock’s ever-moving camera and Waxman’s music. When Jeff’s high-powered binoculars spot a neighbor, Lars Thornwald (Raymond Burr), apparently disposing of the body of his freshly murdered invalid wife, the photographer attempts to convince Lisa and a detective friend (Wendell Corey) to investigate. After constant nagging, and the discovery of a dead dog near the area when Jeff suspects the body is buried, Lisa acts as his “legs” and attempts to uncover more clues. Entering Lars’ apartment, Lisa gets the evidence required to summon the police. But by the time they arrive, Lars escapes. Aware of Jeff’s suspicions, Lars breaks in on the wheelchair bound man and a desperate struggle ensues. The fight ends in typically ironic Hitchcock fashion, leaving the audience to interpret the future behavior of the Master’s cast of characters.

Rear Window is among the handful of Hitchcock classics that legal entanglements rendered unavailable for viewing for over two decades. The copyright renewal of the original Cornell Woolrich short story was recently decided in a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court.

Waxman’s score for Rear Window (Paramount, 1954) was actually a brilliant and carefully orchestrated collection of popular songs and melodies designed to provide a backdrop to the action. In addition to the conventional film accompaniment, much of the score is intended to serve as diegetic background music heard in the apartment complex. The Ballet contains a quotation from Farewell and Frenzy in A Place in the Sun.

The complete concert suite, arranged by Christopher Palmer, from the composers original scores, has been recorded by David Firman with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on The Golden Age of Hollywood: 4. John Mauceri has recorded most of the suite with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra (Toccata Classics). The first recording was conducted by Paul Bateman with the City of Prague Philharmonic (Silva Screen).