For “Rear Window,” our second film in this year’s classic “Best of Hitchcock” movie series, we are fortunate to have Jonathan J. Cavallero, Associate Professor of Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies at Bates College, join us to provide a brief introduction before the film and stay afterwards for Q & A. Professor Cavallero enthusiastically accepted our invitation, commenting that Rear Window is his favorite Hitchcock movie and his “go to” film in his “Introduction to Screen Studies” class.

Professor Cavallero teaches Film and Television History, Theory, and Criticism at Bates. His research interests include race/ethnicity and media; film and television history; Hollywood film; Bollywood; U.S. cultural history.

Cavallero’s writing has appeared in such journals as Cinema Journal, Journal of Film and Video, and The Journal of Popular Film and Television. His book entitled “Hollywood’s Italian American Filmmakers: Capra, Scorsese, Savoca, Coppola, and Tarantino” was published by the University of Illinois Press in 2011.

“Rear Window” (1954) takes place in one room in which we become fellow peeping Toms with Jimmy Stewart, a newspaper photographer who is housebound while recovering from a broken leg. In this unique setting and situation, we “see” what Stewart sees and join him in his conclusions about the lives of the neighbors across the courtyard. Suspense builds not directly through the images that Hitchcock has us see along with Stewart but through the conclusions that Stewart makes about what he observes. Add in a stunning Grace Kelly in dresses designed by Edith Head, and we get a fashion show while the suspense builds.

“Rear Window” is rated PG and runs 1 hour 52 minutes. It plays Thursday, Dec. 2 at 2 p.m. (one show only). Plan on arriving early enough to grab your popcorn and read over your trivia sheet before settling in to listen to Professor Cavallero help us “see” Rear Window through a new lens.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for members and children under 18. Tickets will be sold at the concession stand; masks must be worn except when actively eating or drinking. Children under 12 must be accompanied by a vaccinated adult and masks must be worn, except when eating or drinking. Please present your proof of vaccination at the ticket counter. We thank you for helping make Harbor Theater a safe environment in this time of public crisis.

“Sure, Vertigo is more personal, Psycho more bizarre, North by Northwest more thrilling. But Rear Window shows the Master of Suspense at his most spare, sophisticated, and sinisterly clever, a movie that is essentially about watching movies.” -  Detroit Free Press