Three movies fromAlfred Hitchcock- all of which are classics in their own right - share a surprising connection that binds them all together. During the 1950s, the critically acclaimed and celebrated filmmaker helmed a handful of now-legendary films, includingTo Catch a Thief,Rear Window,The Man Who Knew Too Much,Vertigo, andNorth by Northwest. Three of these all star James Stewart, who hadworked with Hitchcock in the prior decade via the 1948 thriller,Rope.
For both of them,James Stewart and Alfred Hitchcock’s three collaborationsin the 1950s amounted to some of their best works. Six years after working together on Rope, the two teamed up again forRear Window, with Grace Kelly as the female lead. In 1956, Stewart replaced Leslie Banks in Hitchcock’s remake of his 1936 mystery classic,The Man Who Knew Too Much. The fourth and final film to feature Hitchcock as the director and Stewart as the star wasVertigo, which hit theaters in 1958. Interestingly, the decision to include Stewart in all three of these films in particular served a special purpose.
Alfred Hitchcock Designed Vertigo, Rear Window, And The Man Who Knew Too Much To Be A Trilogy
The Last 3 Of Alfred Hitchcock’s 4 James Stewart Movies Form A Trilogy
In the 1950s, Alfred Hitchcock decided that he wanted three of his movies to complete a “trilogy.“Rear Windowwas part 1,The Man Who Knew Too Muchwas part 2, andVertigowas part 3. Of course, all followed separate stories and different casts of characters, but Hitchcock’s idea wasn’t for them to share a single narrative. Rather, he wanted them to be linked thematically. According toJimmy Stewart: A Biographyby Marc Eliot, Hitchcock’s aim was to look at three subsequent life chapters: romance, marriage, and loss.
Each film was to be devoted to one of the three themes and go through them in order, with part 1 covering two people being in love, part 2 diving into the struggles that come with marriage, and part 3 exploring the emotional trauma that comes with the loss of that love.
Another way that Hitchcock sought to ensure that the three movies in his trilogy were interconnected was for them to have one constant, which was James Stewart playing the main protagonist.As for the female characters meant to build the stories of romance, marriage, and loss with Stewart’s heroes, Hitchcock decided to rotate them out. One ofAlfred Hitchcock’s most frequent collaborators, Grace Kelly played the female lead inRear Window, withThe Man Who Knew Too Muchmoving on to Doris Day, andVertigomemorably pairing him with Kim Novak.
Alfred Hitchcock & James Stewart’s 3 1950s Movies Being A Trilogy Makes Perfect Sense
The Central Theme Of Each Movie Fits Alfred Hitchcock’s Trilogy Plan
Knowing the backstory behind the joint plans forRear Window,The Man Who Knew Too Much, andVertigo, it’s not difficult to see how they fit together as a trilogy, even if they don’t share much in common narratively speaking. While the specific challenges Stewart’s characters have to overcome vary from film to film,the internal struggle he deals with matches up with perfectly with each of the three themes, which represent stages in a romantic relationship.
InRear Window, Stewart’s Jeffries is in love with Lisa, but is hesitant to commit to their relationship due to his concerns about the life he’d be dragging her into as the wife of a military photojournalist.The Man Who Knew Too Muchjumps to the next stage, with Stewart’s character being someone already married for quite some time, and with the strength of their relationship now being tested by the kidnapping of their child.
The final installment in Alfred Hitchcock’s trilogy, deals with the pain that comes with one of two romantic partners' inevitable death. Much of the film revolves around the “vertigo” Stewart’s Scottie has developed after witnessing his wife’s tragic demise. Put together, theAlfred Hitchcockmovies make for an epic, three-part emotional journey.
Vertigo
Cast
Vertigo: Released in 1958, Vertigo is a psychological thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The film follows a retired San Francisco detective with acrophobia, played by James Stewart, as he investigates the peculiar behavior of an old friend’s wife, portrayed by Kim Novak, leading to a complex obsession.
The Man Who Knew Too Much
The Man Who Knew Too Much is a suspense thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock, featuring James Stewart and Doris Day as a vacationing couple in Morocco. Their ordinary trip turns into a desperate mission when they become entangled in an assassination plot and their son is kidnapped to ensure their silence.
Rear Window
Rear Window: Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, this suspense film follows a wheelchair-bound photographer, played by James Stewart, who becomes convinced of a murder while observing his neighbors from his apartment window. Set in a New York City neighborhood, the narrative explores themes of voyeurism and suspicion.
