Hitchcock Chronology: James Stewart

January

22nd - Principal photography begins on Rope, Hitchcock's first film for Transatlantic Pictures, starring James Stewart, John Dall and Farley Granger. Although filming is completed within 8 days, Hitchcock is unhappy with the studio sunset and decides to reshoot the final 5 reels of the film, which takes a further 9 days.^[1]

November

27th - Principal photography begins Hitchcock's first film for Paramount, Rear Window, starring James Stewart and Grace Kelly. The first sequence to be filmed is the complex opening title sequence — 10 takes are required before Robert Burks is happy.^[2]^[3]^[4]

April

3rd - The BBC Radio Light Programme broadcasts a portrait of Hitchcock with contributions from Michael Balcon, Tallulah Bankhead, Ingrid Bergman, Alma Reville, Frank Mills and James Stewart.^[5]^[6]

May

22nd - Paramount hosts a charity gala permiere for The Man Who Knew Too Much in California. Hitchcock attends, along with James Stewart and Doris Day.^[7]

October

With plans to film Flamingo Feather abandoned, Hitchcock turns his attention to the French novel D'Entre Les Morts by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac, which will eventually be filmed as Vertigo. Maxwell Anderson is charged with adapting the book, and James Stewart and Vera Miles are expected to star.^[8]

April

Hitchcock, Lew Wasserman, Herman Citron and James Stewart meet at the end of April to discuss who should play the role of Madeleine/Judy in Vertigo. Wasserman favours rising star Kim Novak instead of the pregnant Vera Miles.^[9]

December

16th - Hitchcock shoots Vertigo's famous "revolving kiss" scene. On the second take, James Stewart slips and falls -- filming is interrupted for an hour whilst Stewart visits the studio doctor.^[10]

July

2nd - Actor James Stewart, who starred in "Rope", "Rear Window", "The Man Who Knew Too Much" and "Vertigo", dies aged 89.

References