Rear Window

Quotes

Introduction 0:00-04:04

Here lie the broken bones of L. B. Jefferies. Introduction

Scene 1: Meet the neighbours 04:04-08:25

‘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

‘Jeff, wives don’t nag anymore, they discuss.’ (Gunnison) Scene 1

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

Scene 2: Stella 08:25-15:34

‘State sentence for a peeping tom is six months in the workhouse … they used to put your eyes out with a red-hot poker.’ (Stella to Jeff) Scene 2

‘What people ought to do is get outside their own house and look in for a change.’ (Stella to Jeff) Scene 2

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

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

‘Modern marriage… Once it was see somebody, get excited, get married.
Now, it’s read a lot of books.’ (Stella to Jeff) Scene 2

Scene 3: Dinner with Lisa 15:36-27:10

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

‘Jeff… Isn’t it time you came home? You could pick your assignment.’ (Lisa to Jeff) Scene 3

‘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

‘Well, she picked the most prosperous-looking one.’ (Jeff to Lisa, about Miss Torso’s choice of man) Scene 3

‘Oh, it’s enchanting. It’s almost as if it were being written especially for us.’
‘Hm. No wonder he’s having so much trouble with it.’ (Lisa to Jeff, on the tune from the Songwriter’s apartment) Scene 3

Scene 4: After dinner 27:10-31:57

‘There can’t be that much difference between people and the way they live.
We all eat, talk, drink, laugh, wear clothes.’ (Lisa to Jeff) Scene 4

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

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

‘You don’t think either one of us could ever change?’
‘Right now it doesn’t seem so.’ (Lisa to Jeff) Scene 4

Scene 6: Suspicions about Mr Thorwald 36:36-43:05

‘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

‘Maybe one day she’ll find her happiness.’
‘Yeah, and some man will lose his.’ (Stella to Jeff about Miss Lonelyhearts) Scene 6

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

‘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

Scene 7: Lisa joins the investigation 43:05-49:31

‘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

‘Jeff, if you could only see yourself!’ (Lisa to Jeff about his preoccupation with watching Mr Thorwald) Scene 7

‘… wild opinions about every little thing you see is diseased!’ (Lisa to Jeff) Scene 7

Scene 8: Jeff’s report to Lieutenant Doyle 49:31-56:14

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

‘This happens to be my day off.’
‘I usually took my best pictures on my day off.’ (Doyle to Jeff) Scene 8

‘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

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

Scene 9: Doyle on the case 56:14-1:00:49

‘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

‘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.’
‘Make sure you don’t get caught, that’s all.’ (Doyle to Jeff, about not wanting to search Mr Thorwald’s apartment for evidence without a warrant) Scene 9

Scene 10: The case goes cold 1:00:49-1:22:26

‘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) Scene 10

‘I guess it’s safe to put on lights.’ (Lisa to Jeff) Scene 10

‘Women aren’t that unpredictable.’ (Lisa to Jeff) Scene 10

‘Why, a woman going anywhere but the hospital would always take make-up, perfume and jewellery.’ (Lisa to Jeff) Scene 10

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

‘Besides, you’re not up on your private eye literature. When they’re in trouble, it’s always their Girl Friday that gets them out of it.’ (Lisa to Jeff) Scene 10

‘That’s a secret, private world you’re looking into out there. People do a lot of things in private they couldn’t do in public.’ (Doyle to Jeff and Lisa) Scene 10

‘That feminine intuition stuff sells magazines but in real life, it’s still a fairy tale.’ (Doyle to Jeff and Lisa) Scene 10

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

‘Do you suppose it’s ethical, even if you prove that he didn’t commit a crime?’ (Jeff to Lisa) 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

Scene 11: A dog’s death reopens the case 1:22:26-1:34:23

‘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

‘You know, for a minute, that Tom Doyle almost had me convinced I was wrong.’ (Jeff to Lisa) Scene 11

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

What have you done with her? (Jeff’s note to Mr Thorwald) Scene 11

Scene 12: Lisa collects evidence 1:34:23-1:44:51

‘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

‘When those cops see Lisa, they’ll even contribute’. (Stella to Jeff about the shortfall on Lisa’s bail) Scene 11

Scene 13: Thorwald attacks Jeff 1:44:51-1:50:31

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

‘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

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