One of Hitchcock's best.

Rating: Null/10 (18 June 2000)

One of my favorite Hitchcock films. The plot couldn't be better. The cast is amazing. Considered as one of Hitchcock's masterpieces. James Stewart and Grace Kelly star on this one. Stewart as a reporter with a broken leg on a wheelchair who always is spying his neighbors and suspects that a man who lives in his same neighborhood has murdered his wife. Grace Kelly appears as his girlfriend. Thelma Ritter does a great job as a sarcastic maid and Raymond Burr (from "Perry Mason") as the "suspect". Considering the role of Burr in PERRY MASON, it was a little hard for me to adjust to the idea that his the "bad guy" on this one. The atmosphere of a neighborhood where everyone's life is so detailed (miss "lonely hearts", the sculptor, the newlyweds, the ballet dancer, the couple who sleeps on the fire escape and Mrs. and Mrs. Thorwald) gives a really interesting climax to the film. Alfred Hitchcock was nominated to an Academy award for Best director, and screenwriter John Michael Hayes for Best Screenplay. The TV remake cannot be compared to this one (but I don't think that is extremely bad considering other remakes from Hitchcock films). James Stewart second appearance on a Hitchcock film (since ROPE) and Kelly's first. A must-see for Hitchcock fans.