James Stewart

There are many extraordinary classic films; however, Vertigo, by Alfred Hitchcock, tops the list. Alfred Hitchcock and James Stewart were household names in the 1950’s. Stewart had appeared in more than fifty films, and three of those fifty were directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The two had previously worked together on the film Rope in 1948; the film Rear Window in 1954; as well as, The Man Who Knew to Much in 1956 (Spoto 569-576). Vertigo, released in 1958, is the fourth, and final, film Hitchcock and Stewart worked on together. Stewart starred as, John “Scottie” Ferguson, alongside Kim Novak, who played the parts of Madeline Elster and Judy Barton. Tom Helmore played Madeline Elster’s husband, Gavin Elster, and Barbara Bel Geddes played the role of Midge Wood. Vertigo earns the distinction of a classic film by Hitchcock’s meticulous attention to detail in staging and camera movement, and the performance of James Stewart. The film Vertigo, is about a police detective, Scottie, who discovers…

Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 Vertigo, stars James Stewart and Kim Novak in this mystery thriller about a retired detective who has acrophobia or "vertigo". John Ferguson, or to his friends Scotty, is on a private investigation to find out if his friends wife is possessed. The story takes place in San Fransisco in the late 1950's and is about retired detective John Ferguson, who after a tragic accident has acrophobia and decides to give up on being a detective. One day, an old friend from college…

In 1954, Alfred Hitchcock directed a film which was named Rear Window. In this movie the main characters were Lisa Carol Fremont, L.B. Jeff, and Detective Doyle. L.B. Jeff was played by James Stewart is a man who is confined to his apartment and his only view of the world in looking out his window in his apartment. Lisa Carol Fremont was played by Grace Kelly, she was a model who showed interest in Jeff, but could not get his attention. Detective lieutenant Doyle was played by Wendell Corey was…

The highly popular and classic film “Vertigo” directed by Alfred Hitchcock is a cinematic masterpiece for its time. Critics such as the ones from the Variety Staff have their own opinion and gave the review- “James Stewart, on camera almost constantly, comes through with a startlingly fine performance as the lawyer-cop who suffers from acrophobia.” I highly agree with this review due to the important role James Stewart plays in the misdirecting, and ever so suspenseful film. To begin, Stewart's…

dies, Scottie spends the film aimlessly wandering. He is first in the hospital after the trauma of seeing his love die, but even after that he doesn’t do anything but drive around San Francisco. “Ah, Johnny, please try. Johnny, try! You're not lost. Mother's here.” (1h:26m) says Midge his ex-fiance that plays the moral character in the story. Hitchcock’s commentary on Nostalgia goes beyond that of the story, but also comments on filmmaking and hollywood at the time. Hollywood was thriving with…

Certain underlying motifs such as the subjective point of view, social and moral critiques, involvement of the audience, or the not ego ideal male protagonist can be used to characterize the Hitchcock film. His 1954 film Rear Window operates by implicating the viewer in the narrative as it presents a visual analysis on the nature of human curiosity and interactions. Throughout the film, L.B. Jeffries, played by James Stewart, is bound to his wheelchair and finds himself peering into the lives of…

On September 1, 1954, Rear Window was released into theaters. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, it follows a man, L.B. “Jeff” Jeffries, who is confined to his apartment in a wheelchair and passes the time by watching the everyday activities of the residents of his apartment complex out his back window. During this time, he thinks he sees one of his neighbors murdered by her husband, and with the help of his friends, he proves his neighbor’s murder and her husband’s guilt. The main characters are…

In Alfred Hitchcock’s film, Rear Window, he uses elements of film in a way that expresses to the audience what the character desires and the power relations that exist between them. In the sequence where Lisa and L.B. Jeffries have dinner from “21 Club,” their contradicting desires are expressed through these various elements. For example, Hitchcock uses framing, editing, and character positioning within the mise-en-scene to portray that Lisa desires Jeff but he doesn’t feel as strongly of her.…

Jeff told Stewart to walk into Thorwald’s apartment and search it to find enough evidence since there is a “knee deep of evidence” in the room to arrest Thorwald for murder, but officer Stewart told Jeff “I’d like to remind you of the constitution, and the phrase, “Search warrant issued by a judge who knows his Bill of Rights verbatim”, he must for evidence.” This scene is tied to the Fourth Amendment of the Bill of Rights, which states the right of the people to be safe about their houses or…

In the classical Hollywood area and beyond there is a clear and obvious depiction of the male gaze in film and it has become particularly synonymous with the work of Alfred Hitchcock, most notably in his 1958 film Vertigo. In many of Hitchcock’s films the male gaze is not only evident but is what contributes largely to the storyline. It is used to highlight the importance of the men and objectify woman to only be seen as an object of male desire. This is successfully done in Vertigo through…