Plot: What’s it about?
Rear Window
L.B. “Jeff” Jeffries (James Stewart) has spent the last six weeks of his life in a wheelchair looking out his window merely to pass the time. Unfortunately, one of the perils of being a good photographer is that occasionally he has to get in the shot; and in this case, he got hit by a car while taking the picture and has to spend seven weeks in a cast. Though wheelchair bound, he does have a maid come by to feed him and give him back massages, as sort of a “bonus” she offers unsolicited advice and warns of his future trouble that he will encounter as a result of his habits as a “Peeping Tom”. His girlfriend, Lisa (the lovely Grace Kelly) is a fashion connoisseur who models (though does not buy) thousand dollar dresses and sells them at a markup. A social butterfly she is, but her heart belongs to Jeffires, but it would seem that even if he knows it, he is reluctant to accept her love and settle down like everyone else. Jeffries has but a week to go in his cast, he scratches it with vigor, but usually to no avail. Jeffires’ real passion has become watching his neighbors in the building across the way. There’s several, all of which he has never spoken to and knows no one’s name. “Miss Torso”, a woman of incredible beauty is somewhat of a party girl, she bounces around in the morning and entertains at night. “The Newlyweds” are just that, a man and woman who have just been married and, not surprisingly, spend most of the time with their shade pulled! “Miss Lonely Hearts” is a woman who can’t seem to find Mr. Right and cries herself to sleep on more than one occasion; but perhaps the most interesting couple are the Thornwald’s.
Psycho
The setting is Phoenix, Arizona. The day and date is Friday, December 11 and the time is 2:43 PM. Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) likes to have fun on her breaks especially in the company of a man. After her break, she returns to the bank and the head man gives her a nice piece of money to hang onto to for a real estate deal. Instead, she decides to take the money for herself and go on a trip on the road away from everything. Little does she realizes what pitfalls she leads to on this road with the few stops she makes and with the non stop risk she takes.
To Catch a Thief
As the opening credits start to roll, we see a male figure dressed in black, cut in with shots of a black cat, the thief is collecting quite a slew of precious (and expensive) diamonds. Yes, this is the cat burglar. John Robie (Cary Grant) now lives in the French Riviera and is a very famous ex-jewel thief. When word of this new wave of crimes hits, he and his former crew are the first suspected. The police are on him very quickly, but he manages to give them the slip and turns tail to his old cohorts. As it turns out, they’re not too happy with their reputation due to the new jewel thief. Working in a restaurant owned by Bertain (Charles Vanel). His advice is to help Robie escape the heat and to meet with someone from Lloyd’s of London (the world’s most prestigious insurance agency). Robie figures that the best way he can get he and his friends out of hot water is to catch this thief (cleverly enough, the title of the movie) during the act and therefore clear his name. Too easy, right? Of course! We then meet Frances (Grace Kelly) and her mother, two wealthy Americans who just happen to be carrying a LOT of jewels. Robie, thinking they’re prime targets, passes himself off as a businessman from Oregon and somehow works his way into Frances’ heart. However, the stakes are a lot higher when she finds out of his mysterious past.
North by Northwest
We meet Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant), a dashing advertising executive who’s inadvertently drawn into a world of espionage when he’s mistaken for a spy. He’s then kidnapped and framed for murder. Not knowing what to do (or wanting to get caught), he eludes the police as well as some counter-spies in the form of James Mason and Martin Landau. They believe him to be a secret agent by the name of George Kaplan. Roger boards a train to Chicago where he hopes to track down his real “alter ego” and thereby clear his name. This is a Hitchcock movie and we need, well, a blonde. She comes in the form of Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint) and this leads to perhaps one of the most famous scenes in cinema – Cary Grant running from a crop duster that’s trying to kill him. This also leads us to the aforementioned climax atop one of the United States’ most iconic landmarks – Mt. Rushmore.
The Birds
While visiting a pet store to pick up a bird for her aunt, Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) meets Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor). Mitch seems like an unassuming customer of the store looking for a pair of lovebirds as a gift for his sister. So, Melanie pretends to work there to flirt with him a bit. He then reveals himself to be someone familiar with her hijinks in the past and leaves the store on a sour note. However, either because she wants to play a practical joke on him, or she just wants an excuse to see him again because he’s so darn handsome, she buys a couple of love birds from the store and hunts him down. This leads her from San Francisco to Bodega Bay, where she encounters a few other people who know Mitch, including an ex-girlfriend. More flirting happens, some good dialogue is exchanged, and everyone seems to be having a good old time with one another. Then, birds start attacking.
Vertigo
Vertigo has been called, by many, Hitchcock’s greatest work. Now that’s saying quite a bit. As for me, my favorite is “Rear Window”, but that’s just me. No matter which way you cut it, the film and the director (and the lead actor) are all great. Vertigo is the oft-imitated film by one Alfred Hitchcock and starring one of his favorite leading actors, James Stewart. To say that this is his greatest work is (again) saying a lot, but who am I to argue? Vertigo is the study of one man’s sickness, sometimes physically (in the form of Vertigo) and emotionally (his obsession for a woman he cannot have). Yet even today, Vertigo still maintains its suspense and for those who have never seen it, it’s required viewing for any wannabe film critic! As most all of us know, Hitchcock had a thing for blondes in his movies, in this it’s Kim Novak (in “Psycho” it’s Janet Leigh, in “Rear Window” it’s Grace Kelly, in “North by Northwest” it’s Eva Marie Saint, etc.), but he uses this to fool us and his main character. You see, Novak plays two parts in this movie making it one of his most confusing, but yet utterly brilliant, movies of all time.
Video: How’s it look?
Each of these films has a standalone 4K release and while not all of them are on the same level, suffice it to say that they each look the best they can (as of this writing). Subtle nuances exist in each of the transfers, but all give off a vibe that’s consistent with that of the mid 50’s to early 60’s. Tweed suits, striking blonde hair, dark and light scenes all look their best. Detail has been improved on each title and with the exception of Psycho, colors abound and are plentiful. Aspect ratios vary from 1.66:1 to 1.85:1 as Hitchcock wasn’t a wide advocate of films shot in scope. That’s OK though, we’ll give him a pass. Of note, the latest (again, as of this writing) 4K entries of To Catch a Thief and North by Northwest are both present here, so if you were holding out on those – fear not.
Audio: How’s it sound?
Likewise the audio on all the releases is consistent with their respective 4K releases. Though films of this era don’t necessarily scream “I need to turn the volume down”, there are some good moments. Notably Psycho has the most iconic soundtrack in the shower scene, but there are others in the set that really take advantage of the limited channels available. Vocals are clear and rich and if you’ve never heard Cary Grant or James Stewart speak in full uncompressed glory – now’s your chance.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Rear Window
- Rear Window Ethics: An Original Documentary
- A Conversation with Screenwriter John Michael Hayes
- Pure Cinema: Through the Eyes of the Master
- Breaking Barriers: The Sound of Hitchcock
- Hitchcock/Truffaut
- Masters of Cinema
- Production Photographs
- Theatrical Trailer
- Re-release Trailer Narrated by James Stewart
- Feature Commentary with John Fawell, Author of Hitchcock’s Rear Window: the Well Made Film
- To Catch a Thief
- Filmmaker Focus: Leonard Maltin on To Catch a Thief
- Behind the Gates: Cary Grant and Grace Kelly (2009)
- C ommentary by Dr. Drew Casper, Hitchcock Film Historian, and more!
- Vertigo
- Obsessed with Vertigo: New Life of Hitchcock’s Masterpiece
- Partners in Crime: Hitchcock’s Collaborators
- Foreign Censorship Ending
- Hitchcock/Truffaut
- Feature Commentary with Film Director William Friedkin
- Theatrical Trailer
- Restoration Theatrical Trailer
- 100 Years of Universal: The Lew Wasserman Era
- North by Northwest
- North by Northwest: Cinematography, Score, and the Art of the Edit
- Destination Hitchcock: The Making of North by Northwest
- The Master’s Touch: Hitchcock’s Signature Style
- North by Northwest: One for the Ages
- A Guided Tour with Alfred Hitchcock
- Commentary by Screenwriter Ernest Lehman
- Psycho
- Psycho Uncut
- The extended version of the movie as seen in theaters in 1960 is exactly as intended by Alfred Hitchcock.
- The Making of Psycho
- Psycho Sound
- In The Master’s Shadow: Hitchcock’s Legacy
- Hitchcock/Truffaut
- Newsreel Footage: The Release of Psycho
- The Shower Scene: With and Without Music
- The Shower Sequence: Storyboards by Saul Bass
- The Psycho Archives
- Posters and Psycho Ads
- Lobby Cards
- Behind-the-Scenes Photographs
- Production Photographs
- Psycho Theatrical Trailers
- Psycho Re-release Trailers
- Feature Commentary with Stephen Rebello, author of “Alfred Hitchcock and The Making of Psycho“
- Psycho Uncut
- The Birds
- The Birds: Hitchcock’s Monster Movie
- All About The Birds
- Tippi Hedren’s Screen Test
- Deleted Scenes
- The Original Ending
- Hitchcock/Truffaut
- The Birds Is Coming (Universal International Newsreel)
- Suspense Story: National Press Club Hears Hitchcock (Universal International Newsreel)
- Theatrical Trailer
- 100 Years of Universal: Restoring the Classics
- 100 Years of Universal: The Lot
The Bottom Line
Collectors…this one’s for you. As mentioned above, all of these films have existing 4K standalone releases and likely any fan of Hitchcock (or great films) will have them in their collection. The real draw is the oversized book with tidbits, information and notes about the production. While it might not occupy the same space as your typical 4K or Blu-ray discs, it’s nice to have. And these are limited to 5,500 copies (somewhat of an arbitrary number) so act quick before those prices go up!
