Movies

15 Rare Behind-the-Scenes Photos From ‘Rear Window’ That Show How Hitchcock Made Movie Magic

See how Hitchcock created the legendary thriller with James Stewart & Grace Kelly—even Bing Crosby!

By Abbey Bender May 13, 2025

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1. Going to the dogs

Everett Collection

Rear Window was shot entirely on a Paramount Studios soundstage, and in this cute photo, Grace Kelly pals around with actress and singer Rosemary Clooney’s Great Dane on the set. Clooney wasn’t in the film, but she was a contract player with Paramount at the time, so she and her dog were regulars on the studio lot.
2. So tall!

Everett Collection

This picture of James Stewart and Grace Kelly playing with Rosemary Clooney’s Great Dane is particularly impressive when you consider that Stewart was 6-foot-3—and that dog is almost as tall as he is!
3. The minds behind the madness

Everett Collection

Here, Alfred Hitchcock and the film’s screenwriter, John Michael Hayes, pose on set. Rear Window was the first collaboration between Hitchcock and Hayes, and the writer would go on to write three more Hitchcock classics, To Catch a Thief (1955), The Trouble With Harry (1955) and The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956).
4. Jimmy and Hitch

Alfred Hitchcock and Jimmy Stewart on the set of Rear Window Courtesy the Everett Collection

In the ’30s and ’40s, Stewart was considered cinema’s ultimate everyman, but his films with Hitchcock, which also included Rope (1948), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) and Vertigo (1958), showed that he was just as compelling in darker, more complex roles.
5. A visit from Bing

Everett Collection

Bing Crosby may not have acted in Rear Window, but he could be heard on the soundtrack, as his song “To See You Is to Love You” (originally from his 1952 film Road to Bali) is featured in the film. The crooner also paid a visit to Stewart and Kelly on set, as seen here.
6. In between scenes

Everett Collection

In this candid, Hitchcock, Kelly and Stewart take a break from filming as a crew member rearranges some equipment.
7. An iconic view

Everett Collection

It’s pretty cool to think that the view the director and his two stars are posing in front of is entirely prefabricated.
8. Checking out the ring

Paramount Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty

Here, Paramount star William Holden pays a visit to Stewart and Kelly on set and playfully points out Kelly’s engagement ring. The gorgeous actress would famously become a literal princess when she married Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956.
9. All the right notes

Paramount Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty

During a break, Kelly hangs out at the piano. If you look closely, you can see that the sheet music appears to be for a song called “Grandfather Walks.”
10. Chess break

Paramount Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty

Things seem to be pretty heated as Stewart and Wendell Corey, who played a detective in the film, play a game of chess (with a very fancy-looking chess set!) as Kelly looks on.
11. Genius at work

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

Hitchcock appears to be giving his stars some particularly dramatic direction here.
12. Happy birthday!

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

In this sweet snapshot, Kelly celebrates her 24th birthday on set.
13. Complicated camerawork

John Springer Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty

Rear Window uses intricate camerawork to capture Stewart’s spying on his neighbors from across the way, and this picture, featuring a cameraman operating a crane, gives a revealing look at how Hitchcock’s shots came together.
14. Break a leg!

Paramount Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty

In this quirky behind-the-scenes moment, Kelly signs a miniature replica of Stewart’s leg cast. The fun-sized cast was presumably some type of promotional item or souvenir for those who worked on the film.
15. Before the accident?

Paramount Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty

Kelly and Stewart look adorable while riding on a bike together, something his injured, wheelchair-bound character ironically wouldn’t be able to do. The chemistry the stars had onscreen was real, as they got along well and Stewart called Kelly an “absolutely fascinating woman” who was “completely at ease.”

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