This is a deep look into arguably the best director’s possibly best film. I remember watching Rear Window as a child (after reading this book, I now know that it must have been the 1983 reissue) and understanding the magic of movies. O'Callaghan discussed its creation with the descendants of many of the people involved. From the building of the set (you don’t think about how elaborate it is, considering it’s effortless), to the casting, the writing of the screenplay and Hitch’s unfailing direction. The author includes the background of the main team, how they got to the point in their careers that made this masterpiece possible; as well as what happened to them after its completion. We all know how Grace Kelly became a real princess, but what happened to “Miss Torso” or to costume designer Edith Head? A few lines are also included about the business side of this, as well as the life of the movie itself. Any casual movie fan will enjoy it, but it will bring immeasurable pleasure to Hitchcock fans.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Kensington Publishing | Citadel.

Not the best of these books that focus on the making of a single movie, but nevertheless seeing the how/why behind Hitchcock’s choices was fascinating.

This was a book of a lot of interesting information on a movie I absolutely adore, but I felt like the book lacked focus. The book goes on long tangents, most notably where it comes to Grace Kelly's time in Monaco, and beyond! (The vignette about John McCain's late-night casino night in Monaco long after Grace Kelly had passed away is fun, but I thought this book was about the production and legacy of Rear Window?) I think the book was going for what Sam Wasson's The Big Goodbye did for Chinatown, where it used the biographies of Roman Polanski, Jack Nicholson, and Robert Towne; the reason that book worked so well is because that film had so much of their past in it. This book struggles to tie those elements in.

The time it spends on these tangents takes away from discussing the movie's actual culture impact. It does name-check various movies that were clearly influenced by the movie, but there could've been discussed with more depth. DePalma could've had his own chapter!

I learned a lot of things, and the book was really accessible for someone who doesn't read a ton about film theory or history. I just think it needed a little more thematic focus.

I am a massive fan of classic film, and Hitchcock is a director who has always interested me.

This excellent book looks at the process by which Cornell Woolrich’s 1942 short story “It Had to be Murder” became an outstanding example of the Hollywood studio systems in its dying years.

For those unfamiliar with the 1954 film Rear Window, James Stewart stars as LB “Jeff” Jeffries, an intrepid photographer laid up in his Greenwich Village apartment with a broken leg after a motor-racing assignment. Bored, he starts to spy on his neighbours with his telephoto lens and begins to suspect that one of them may be a murderer.  Confined to his wheelchair all he can do is watch, but Grace Kelly as Lisa Fremont – a society beauty whose lifestyle Jeff abhors as superficial – starts to take practical steps to support his ’investigation’, putting them both in danger.

Jennifer O’Callaghan paints a vivid picture of the times in which Hitchcock and his team worked to produce this timeless classic, the challenges they faced and the twists of luck and fate which brought it to life.   She shows us the way in which Rear Window fitted into, and impacted the future of, the careers of its stars and the character actors which surrounded them.  Full of revealing detail, these sections of the book were a film-buff’s delight.

Hitchcock himself is depicted in all his shades; a mordant wit, a master of visual storytelling, an innovative filmmaker, and a thin-skinned obsessive with unhealthy behaviours.

The film-MAKING takes up about half of the book. The rest covers the fascinating after-life of the film, its disappearance, restoration, and rediscovery.

O’Callaghan does some very insightful work with the film’s themes and their relation to the years between its release and now, finding parallels in Jeff’s judgemental voyeurism, McCarthy’s witch-hunts, Watergate, and the addictive pleasures and “cancellations” of modern social media.

A meticulous, illuminating study, which is also hugely enjoyable.

Jennifer O'Callaghan, Rear Window The Making of a Hitchcock Masterpiece in the Hollywood Golden Age, Kensington Publishing | Citadel, September 2025.

Thank you, NetGallery, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

This is an enticing read, with Rear Window providing the core around which a host of detailed and information about areas which usually would be only of secondary interest are woven. However, here so much becomes of direct interest because of the deft linking of fields of interest beyond matters directly related to the production of Rear Window. Naturally, there is a focus on the set. Its role in achieving Hitchcock’s aim, both artistically and foiling the intransigence of the Production Code Administration Office using the Hays Code guidelines, is intrinsic to the work. However, not only Grace Kelly and Jimmy Stewart’s roles, before and after Rear Window, are discussed. Detail about their personalities, aspirations, and activities before and after the film is revealed. Directly relevant to the film, is Kelly’s wardrobe – the costumes, what they signified, and what happened to them. And so too, is the significance of the costume designer, Edith Head. However, her professional status, past and after Rear Window is also explored. Speculation about Hitchcock’s treatment of women, particularly Tippi Hedren, and the impact of #Me Too is covered, along with Hitchcock’s relationships with other cast members and crew. Understanding Rear Window, Alfred Hitchcock and his directorial ability, the actors and the script is foremost. However, by the time the book is finished the analysis of Rear Window has served to provide exceptional insight into the world in which the film was made, its past and the future.

Accompanying text refers to the ‘eye-catching photographs’ which I cannot refer to as they are not available on my kindle version. Although there is no bibliography or citations, the acknowledgements cover the large and significant range of primary and secondary sources, including interviews with relevant authorities to a degree that gives this work the imprimatur of thoughtful authenticity.

Examples of the chapter titles are worth recounting as they depict faithfully the complexities that Jennifer O'Callaghan unearths. ‘Just a Little Neighbourhood’ conveys the closeness, voyeurism, intimate knowledge about relative strangers that will be the focus of the film. ‘Juggling Wolves in Hollywood’ covers, as expected the Production Code Association but also moves on to Dial M for Murder, the impact of television, Hitchcock’s shortcomings along with others and the impact on screenwriters, producers, and directors of the McCarthy period. Technical problems are also advanced as part of the difficulties of bringing Rear Window to fruition. As with all the succeeding chapters, the multitude of information is balanced and well organised.

The balance, organisation, and streamlining of events, information about personalities together with the ever-present Hitchcock and details about the film make for a wonderful read. Jennifer O'Callaghan has written an engrossing narrative, which reads almost as though she has employed the best of fictional writing while producing a non-fiction text.

While occasionally repetitive, this strikes the balance between behind the scenes details, cultural legacy and analysis of the film itself. I appreciated that it continued to follow the careers of its main actors beyond the film, and was especially surprised to learn that the musician in the film created Alvin and the Chipmunks. The legal battles were not as engaging, but I understand the need to include them when telling the 'full picture' of the film's history.

4-4.5 but could easily bump up to a 5 with the pictures included in the released version.

Had a great blend of the film making process and the story of the main players in and around the film. Enjoyed understanding the context of the film in the pre-release scenes and then how it has aged up to the present day.

My only slight criticism is that there were times where it felt like the book jumped randomly between areas, which disrupted the flow. Not a major negative but noticeable at times.

This was an excellent book. It was well-written. I would highly recommend this book. It's very easy to read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

This is an enjoyable narrative tracing Alfred Hitchcock's process in developing, shooting, and promoting his classic 50s flick Rear Window. It's chock-a-block with facts about the production itself, its (literally) groundbreaking multistory set, and all the key players, both those in front of and behind the camera.. O'Callaghan is generally easy-to-read, although her habit of referring to the principals (particularly 'Jimmy' and 'Grace') by their first names gets a bit cloying and fan-clubby. Still she clearly knows her audience and what has resulted is a useful and readable guide to one of Hitch' s very best Technicolor films.

Thank you NetGalley and Citadel Press Books/Kensington Publishing Corp. for the opportunity to read "Rear Window: The Making of a Hitchcock Masterpiece in the Hollywood Golden Age" in exchange for my honest opinion.

Ms. O'Callaghan has captured the essence of this film with descriptions that will have the movie playing in your head as you read her words. We learn that the movie was based on Cornell Woolrich's "It Had To Be Murder". The process behind the movie from first idea until the credits rolled on the finished film are described in wonderful detail. How the casting behind Jimmy Stewart, Grace Kelly and Raymond Burr came about. How the set cost an unheard of $72,000 to build in 1953.

There are beautiful descriptions of the fantastic wardrobe that Grace Kelly wore in the film, her elegance and professionalism.

We also learn about the Productions Codes of the time, censorship and the McCarthy Era

Highly recommend this books to fans of "Rear Window" and any of Hitchcock's films.

This cinematic gem opens the curtains on the creation of my favorite Hitchcock film--one of the most highly regarded in movie history.

I found it thrilling to learn all the deets from the idea; to a look at Hitch's career; the actors Jimmy Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter, Raymond Burr; the iconic set that perfectly captures NYC after WWII, and my favorite chapter on the glorious Edith-Head-designed costumes for Grace, which played as important a role as any of the actors.

The author has an intensive entertainment reporting background and it shows in this beautifully written book that unscrolls like a movie. Rear Window scenes played through my head as I read, and when I reached the last page, I started again. Hurrah!