The definitive, in-depth look inside Alfred Hitchcocks Rear Windowthe all-time classic of voyeurism, paranoia, and murder that became one of Hollywoods greatest achievements and turned generations of viewers into a race of Peeping Toms. A must-read for film buffs, Hitchock fans old and new, and fans of classic movies and Hollywood insider history.

Before the internet and social media offered voyeuristic glimpses into the lives of others, the acclaimed Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, exposed the dangers and delights of lookingand knowingtoo much in his 1954 masterpiece Rear Window. Widely hailed as one of the greatest films ever made, it stars James Stewart and Grace Kelly at the top of their game but, in an unusual gamble, is shot entirely from within a Greenwich Village apartment . . .

Using this limited point of view, Hitchcock forces his audience to participate in his protagonists voyeuristic impulses and darkest obsessionsa bold move in the era of the Hollywood Blacklist and restrictive Hays Code. But the gamble paid off, and Rear Window became a timeless classic.

This eye-opening book goes straight to the source of Rear Windows genius by mining the original papers of Hitchcock, Jimmy Stewart, and Thelma Ritter, revealing little-known facts behind the scenes: Why taking the role of Lisa Fremont was one of the toughest decisions Grace Kelly ever made; How Hitchcock intertwined suspense and romance with inspiration from Ingrid Bergman; How he used a topless scene to distract the censors from other scenes to which they may have objected; and how Hitchcock crafted the films unforgettable villain, Lars Thorwald, by modeling him on a producer he loathedthe infamous David O. Selznick.

Filled with eye-catching photographs, outrageous anecdotes, and delicious details, this exciting book pulls back the curtain on a classic thriller thats as relevant today as everand every bit as thrilling.