L. B. Jefferies (Jeff)

Protagonist Jeff, played by James Stewart, is a WWII veteran who lives alone, avoiding of the frequent advances made by love interest Lisa to settle down and get married. A photojournalist with a penchant for intrepid travel, Jeff’s sense of power and masculinity has been taken away, having suffered a broken leg on a photo shoot before the film opens, and spends the entire film in his pyjamas and a wheelchair. Jeff’s job involves observing people, which perhaps makes it understandable that he turns to peeping on his neighbours through a telephoto lens when his freedom to walk is taken away. At times, Jeff questions the ethics of what he is doing. He will undertake a transformation over the course of the film, as alluded to in his reference of his cast as a ‘plaster cocoon’, becoming aware of his affections for Lisa when he sees her in peril, and evolving in his views on women. Initially sceptical of the value of their contributions, seen in his dismissal of their communication as ‘nagging’ and doubtful of their ability to adapt to difficult situations, Jeff will come to rely on the advice and physical capacity of women to do the work he cannot do, and to admire female courage.

L. B. Jefferies (Jeff) Quotes

‘Next Wednesday I emerge from this plaster cocoon.’ (Jeff) Scene 1

‘Six weeks sitting in a two-room apartment with nothing to do but look out the window at the neighbours.’ (Jeff) Scene 1

‘It’s about time you got married before you turn into a lonesome and bitter old man.’ (Gunnison to Jeff) Scene 1

‘Maybe in the high-rent district they discuss, in my neighbourhood they still nag.’ (Jeff to his editor, Gunnison, about women) Scene 1

‘Right now, I’d welcome trouble.’ (Jeff to Stella) Scene 2

‘You’re too stubborn to argue with.’ (Lisa to Jeff) Scene 4

‘How far does a girl have to go before you’ll notice her?’
‘Well, if she’s pretty enough, she doesn’t have to go anywhere.’ (Lisa to Jeff) Scene 7

‘I wonder if it’s ethical to watch a man with binoculars and a long-focus lens.’ (Jeff to Lisa) Scene 10

‘Gee, I’m proud of ya.’ (Jeff to Lisa) Scene 12

Lisa Fremont

Lisa is presented as glamourous and wealthy, seen in her elegant dress and manner of speaking, and as doting on the pyjama-clad Jeff, pining for his attention, craving his affection and, ultimately, desiring wedlock. Like Jeff, Lisa is engaged in a profession that keeps her at arms-length, a world of fashion meetings and interactions that seems to lack meaningful connection and that leaves her tempted to engage in voyeurism with Jeff. For all the societal expectations of the day, Lisa takes the initiative in spending the night with Jeff and in sleuthing at the Thorwald apartment.

Rather than undergoing a transformation, Lisa is more of a revelation. Neither Jeff nor the viewer could have predicted that the elegantly dressed Lisa at the start of the film would dig for a murder weapon in the garden or climb through the Thorwald window in heels, which ultimately makes her the heroine of the film. A casually dressed Lisa at the end of the film demonstrates her ability to be adaptable and to rise to any occasion: ‘If there’s one thing I know, it’s how to where the proper clothes.’

Lisa Fremont Quotes

‘She belongs to that rarefied atmosphere of Park Avenue, expensive restaurants and literary cocktail parties.’ (Jeff, about Lisa) Scene 2

‘Is this the Lisa Fremont who never wears the same dress twice?’
‘Only because it’s expected of her.’ (Jeff to Lisa) Scene 3

‘Well, if there’s one thing I know, it’s how to wear the proper clothes.’ (Lisa to Jeff) Scene 4

‘OK, chief. What’s my next assignment?’ (Lisa to Jeff) Scene 8

‘You said I’ll have to live out of one suitcase. I’ll bet yours isn’t this small.’ (Lisa to Jeff) Scene 10

‘Of course, they can do the same thing to me, watch me like a bug under a glass, if they want to.’ (Jeff to Lisa) Scene 10

Stella

Jeff’s nurse, the pragmatic and frank Stella, is portrayed as the intelligent, older woman, her wisdom extending beyond her medical knowledge to include a prediction of the demise of the car company, General Motors. She immediately foresees that Jeff’s voyeurism will lead to trouble and only joins in when convinced that a crime has been committed. Stella represents the stereotypical woman of post-war America, making her sandwiches herself, and contrasts the slightly more progressive Lisa, who orders in dinner from her favourite restaurant, signifying the emerging role of women at the time.

Stella Quotes

‘Get back! He’ll see you.’
‘I’m not shy. I’ve been looked at before.’ (Jeff to Stella when Mr Thorwald looks suspiciously out of his window) Scene 6

‘I can’t tell you what a welcome sight this is. No wonder your husband still loves you.’ (Jeff to Stella when she brings his breakfast) Scene 8

‘Nobody ever invented a polite word for a killing yet.’ (Stella to Jeff and Lisa) Scene 11

‘No thanks. I don’t want any part of her.’ (Stella to policeman who offers her to have a look at what Thorwald had initially buried in the garden bed) Scene 12

Detective Lieutenant Tom Doyle

The calm and measured Lieutenant Doyle flew planes with Jeff in the war and now works at a local precinct. He is married with children and encourages Jeff to do the same. Doyle is unwilling to compromise his professional ethics to search the Thorwald apartment without a warrant. There is a sense of alpha-male competition in Doyle and Jeff’s friendship, seen when Tom refers to playing a part in Jeff’s receiving of a medal for which the implication is that Doyle received no credit, and in Doyle’s fascination with Lisa’s overnight bag when he sees it laying open in Jeff’s apartment.

Tom Doyle Quotes

‘Well, I think you saw something there’s probably a very simple explanation for.’ (Doyle to Jeff) Scene 8

‘How’s your wife?’ (Jeff to Doyle when Doyle leers at Miss Torso) Scene 9

‘If I were caught in there, they’d have my badge within ten minutes.’ (Doyle to Jeff, about not wanting to search Mr Thorwald’s apartment for evidence without a warrant) Scene 9

Lars and Anna Thorwald

The Thorwalds are a married couple, with Anna bedridden due to sickness and Lars having to wait on her. Like all the couples in the film, they represent a possible outcome for Jeff and Lisa if they were to marry. Following Lars’ suspicious behaviour and Anna going missing, Jeff suspects that Lars has killed Anna. Although it is revealed that Lars is a murderer, the murder itself is not as significant you would expect from a Hitchcock film with Lars appearing thirty minutes into the film, giving Hitchcock ample time to establish the importance of the relationship between Lisa and Jeff. Lars’ instantaneous confession also belittles the severity of the crime. Lars can be viewed as a two-dimensional villain, often hiding in the shadows and, in his confrontation with Jeff, portrayed as a slow-moving monster reminiscent of a silent film.

Lars and Anna Thorwald Quotes

‘He’s quiet, drinks, but not to drunkenness. Pays his bills promptly with money earned as a costume jewellery salesman: wholesale. Kept to himself.’ (Doyle about Mr Thorwald) Scene 9

‘Well, I never saw him ask her for advice. She volunteered plenty, but I never saw him ask her for any.’ (Jeff to Lisa about Thorwald and his wife) Scene 10

Miss Torso

Miss Torso’s femininity is objective and she is often the recipient of lustful male gazes, exemplified in the very nickname she is given by Jeff. While her appearance is admired by the men, Lisa understands that Miss Torso’s attractiveness is also a curse since it means she is always surrounded by pining men, whom Lisa describes as ‘wolves’. Despite the men in the film being preoccupied with Miss Torso’s appearance, Miss Torso is revealed as having more substance when at the end of the film she is seen in the loving embrace of a shorter, less physically imposing man than the men who have been circling her.

Miss Torso Quotes

‘She’s like a queen bee with her pick of the drones.’
‘l’d say she’s doing a woman’s hardest job. Juggling wolves.’ (Jeff to Lisa, about Miss Torso) Scene 3

‘She sure is the “eat, drink and be merry” girl.’
‘Yeah, she’ll wind up fat, alcoholic and miserable.’ (Jeff to Stella, about Miss Torso) Scene 6

Miss Lonelyhearts

Emblematising the perils of being alone, Miss Lonelyhearts turns to drinking and pills to combat her rising depression. When another unsuccessful attempt to find a partner ends in unwanted advances, Miss Lonelyhearts begins the process of taking her own life but is rescued by the Songwriter’s music and ultimately the two begin a friendship which counters the loneliness of them both. Contrasting the objectivity created by the film’s sense of voyeurism, Miss Lonelyhearts embodies true emotion, both in her personal sadness and in her compassion when caring for the dead dog.

Miss Lonelyhearts Quote

‘Isn’t there anybody in the neighbourhood who could cast an eye in her direction?’ (Stella to Jeff, about Miss Lonelyhearts) Scene 6

‘Mr Jefferies, the music stopped her.’ (Stella to Jeff when Miss Lonelyhearts is stopped from suiciding by the music from the Songwriter’s apartment) Scene 11

The Songwriter

The Songwriter seems to be lonely even when surrounded by party revellers enjoying themselves. His dedication to the creative process of music composition leads to him making a meaningful connection with Miss Lonelyhearts as well as creating what is seen as the soundtrack to Jeff and Lisa’s relationship.

Man and Woman from the Fire Escape

The married couple from the fire escape represent a model of marriage that has reached contentment, seen when they share the process of setting up their bedding on the fire escape. When the couple’s dog is killed, the woman gives a poignant appraisal of the state of relations in the apartment complex.

Man and Woman from the Fire Escape Quote

‘You don’t know the meaning of the word “neighbours”. Neighbours like each other, speak to each other, care if anybody lives or dies! But none of you do!’ (Woman on the balcony on learning her dog had been killed) Scene 11

Miss Hearing Aid

Miss Hearing Aid is an older, single woman who is working on a sculpture. She appears friendly with her neighbours and seems content despite being alone. Like the Songwriter’s music, perhaps Miss Hearing Aid is sustained by her art, something which Miss Lonelyhearts lacks until she finds the Songwriter’s music.

The Newlyweds

The Newlyweds represent the honeymoon period in marriage, humorously presented as short-lived, the amorousness of their love presented at the start of the film replaced by the appearance of nagging as predicted by Jeff by the film’s end.