James Stewart in Alfred Hitchcock Movies Research Paper

Alfred Hitchcock has cast several actors in a few of his films. James Stewart, a favorite of Hitchcock's has been in "Rope," "Rear Window," "The Man Who Knew Too Much," and "Vertigo." He is and always has been an actor that grows with his characters. As the relationship between Stewart and Hitchcock grew, so did the character's he played, complexity. Stewart provided Hitchcock what few could in his life and career, a constant, an evolutionary constant. Through analysis of his roles in these four films, the actor-director relationship can be explored as well as how these roles may have changed Stewart and even Hitchcock.

In "Rope" James Stewart plays Rupert Cadell. He is a mentor to the two murderers in the film: Brandon and Phillip. Although Rupert was the catalyst for the logic behind committing a murder, (Rupert had deliberated with both Brandon and Phillip, in a seemingly favorable way, the rational concepts of Nietzsche's Ubermensch, and De Quincey's art of murder, as a method for showing one's dominance over others) he was, under any prior knowledge of the murder. So his discovery of the body later on, as much of a surprise as it was for the audience, was also for the character as he felt guilt for planting the seed that sprouted between the two murderers.

Interestingly, there are a lot of homosexual connotations within the scenes and the dialog. Yes Phillip is Brandon's lover, but Brandon looks up to Rupert and wishes to reveal to him what he's done in a sense to gain approval from the man he deems "not ordinary." Rupert appears to both Brandon and Phillip as a brilliant man who encouraged them (in their minds) to kill (though Phillip appears to show remorse for his actions). The homosexuality, although not obvious or stated, feels much a part of the film implying perhaps the long-standing admiration Hitchcock had over Stewart (Fuss 120).

James Stewart was first known as the "average" man. He was down to earth and people felt at ease with him. It wasn't until his collaboration with Hitchcock, that he became savvier in the film industry and also one of the biggest starts at the time. Hitchcock realized early on the kind of man Stewart was and knew how useful he would be in his films. "Rope" for instance, commanded a chilly, yet charismatic performance that Stewart thoughtfully delivered. It was through his genuine and laid back demeanor that Hitchcock felt Stewart did his best and in fact was his best.

The role offered Stewart a means of acting and behaving atypical from his past roles of everyday man in dramatic situations. He was in this film a man of intelligence, a man who shaped minds, and a man who believed in less than widely accepted notions. It was in Rupert, Stewart demonstrated what would be a recurrent theme in the films that followed. He played the man that became the foible to the villain or "bad guy's" plans.

In 1953-54, Hitchcock and Stewart formed a corporation, Patron Inc., to produce the film "Rear Window." The second film of four Stewart starred in became one of Hitchcock and Stewart's biggest hit. It not only made Stewart the highest grossing actor for 1954, but it also made him the most popular in Hollywood. Hitchcock also gained acclaim as people heralded the film a masterpiece.

"Rear Window" is about a photographer, L.B. Jeffries who develops fantasies within his room while staring out the window out of boredom to his broken leg. In spying on others, he uncovers a murder. Hitchcock's direction: cuing Stewart to use facial expressions to respond in the scenes, allowed Stewart to grow as an actor and also demonstrate his acting ability, which until that point was fairly linear. This role gave him a chance to act paranoid and helpless, unlike his other roles with Mann that asked him to be a sharpshooting, vengeful cowboy.

The role also allowed for Stewart to strike up an important partnership with Hitchcock that would take him on to a few more roles and continue his rise to legendary status in Hollywood. The third film: "The Man Who Knew Too Much" was similar to his earlier roles in Hollywood as he played Dr. Benjamin "Ben" McKenna, a regular husband and father who took his family to Morocco for a vacation (Truffaut 94). In this 1956 film Stewarts characters has to deal with an assassination plot, a family, (which the other two films didn't provide for him) and also various interactions with several types of characters, like the Draytons, the Ambassador, and so forth.It is here one can see the evolution of James Stewart as a character in Hitchcock's films. Stewart played a single man, or at least appeared single in "Rope." In "Rear Window" his character had a girlfriend. In this third installment, he had a wife and son. It seems that each movie brings along with a new scenario but with more "loved ones" for Stewart to worry over.

The dynamics also between the characters shows Stewart always a man that is admired and acknowledged. Even in "Rear Window" his girlfriend, played by grace Kelly, believed him enough to go into the murderer's house and risk her life. In "Rope," Brandon felt like Rupert was in a way an idol and was so eager to prove to him how right he was in his past discussions with them. "The Man Who Knew Too Much" also made Ben out to be this strong and capable nonchalant man who at the end of the film says "We just had to go pick up Hank." All of this and the probing nature of his characters links together the personality Hitchcock envisioned when he cast Stewart in these parts.

Worrying and suspecting appears typical in all of the characters played by James Stewart in the for Hitchcock films. He ironically is attempting to solve or piece together a crime that he indirectly is responsible for. In "Rope" he mentored the murders. In "Rear Window" his peeping obsession over to the neighbor's place (Thorwald) reveals a murder and attempted murder as the ending shows Jeff falling being pushed out the window and breaking his other leg. With "The Man Who Knew Too Much" Stewart's character also uncovered a murder, a murder plot, and has to stop the assassination attempt. He also almost dies trying to subdue the criminal, but somehow makes it and later saves his son from his "friends" the Draytons.

"Vertigo" the fourth and final installment of the Hitchcock and Stewart partnership deals with "Scottie" and his fear of heights and his love of Madeline. In it, Stewart goes back to being the "single" paranoid man who investigates the strange occurrences of Madeline. Unlike with his previous characters, Hitchcock makes Stewart's character frail and awkward (Aulier 201). Where in the other three movies he plays the courageous detective, in "Vertigo" he becomes obsessive, insane, and catatonic, especially after the "death" of Madeline.

Unlike in "Rear Window" where his insanity is on the cusp, "Vertigo" brings Scottie into a whirlwind of chaotic overdrive. Not only does he have to deal with a love's fake death, but his real love's actual death after facing his fear of heights and the disastrous sanitarium. This film marks a departure for Stewart in terms of his "everyday" persona, similarly to "Rear Window" and helps Hitchcock finish a decade's long partnership with a great actor.

One of the reasons perhaps Hitchcock chose Stewart to be his leading man in four films is due to the fact that he had already established a noteworthy acting career. He had been nominated several times for an academy award as best actor and formed successful partnerships with other directors like Frank Capra in 1938 (He made "It's a Wonderful Life" with Capra and exclaimed later in an interview that the movie was his all-time favorite movie he's been in). Looking at his acting career, he's had several partnerships with actors and directors. Another of which proved very lucrative and successful was the partnerships with both Margaret Sullavan and Anthony Mann. He was just one of those people that could make worthwhile and long-standing partnerships.

He was and has always been considered a healthy, average man with average demeanor and a "down to earth" voice. Hitchcock whose films often feature everyday occurrences (some like "Psycho" were the opposite) demands a man who can not only evoke that idea, but also embody it and appear genuine in his approach. Stewart's first role with Hitchcock in "Rope" brought on a sense of admiring from Hitchcock and helped bring a technologically appealing film to Stewart with continuous and long takes. For Hitchcock in "Rear Window" that everyday man mystique Stewart brought, coupled with new acting techniques like responding with facial expressions created a mutually beneficial relationship between actor and director.

Stewart supplied Hitchcock with what he needed (popular appeal, genuine acting, and charisma) and Hitchcock provided Stewart with variety, innovation,….....