pixrox1 Review of Screenwriter John Michael Hayes on 'Rear Window'

Screenwriter John Michael Hayes on 'Rear Window' (2001 Video)

REAR WINDOW was based on a 35-page short story . . .

[8/10 · 29 June 2014]

. . . which is why the story never came up once during the first "working dinner" between director Alfred Hitchcock and screenwriter John Michael Hayes ostensibly concerning this film project, according to the documentary short entitled SCREENWRITER JOHN MICHAEL HAYES ON REAR WINDOW. Let's face it, what was there to discuss that Ol' Hitch could've put into words? Would he say, "I might have used a cute gimmick during ROPE to keep my crew on edge and drive the producers nuts, but by the time I get done with REAR WINDOW it will be such a notorious pain-in-the-butt that folks will long for the "good times" at the end of ROPE, declaring that making ROPE was a walk in the park compared to slaving away on REAR WINDOW?" Would he talk about a fiendish plan to scoop out basements and sub-basements on the "REAR WINDOW sound stage" and his plot to tie up every piece of lighting equipment in Hollywood to simulate the great outdoors (when any director with a few common cents would have BUILT THIS SET OUTSIDE!)? Would Hitch the infamous Svengali brag about the no-dating-royalty clause he thought was ironclad in Grace Kelly's contract? Only Heaven knows.