A Rear Window Group of Keybook Set Stills featuring Grace Kelly, Jimmy Stewart, and Alfred Hitch...

A Rear Window Group of Keybook Set Stills featuring Grace Kelly, Jimmy Stewart, and Alfred Hitchcock Paramount Pictures, 1954. Comprising 125 silver gelatin photographs, all 8 x 10 in., all with studio 3-hole punches to border, many date stamped (Nov. 1953 to Jan. 1954), some stamped 'Script' to verso, featuring various scene setups, most with the scene identification chalkboards indicating production information and director, a few featuring the cast and crew including Grace Kelly, Jimmy Stewart, director Alfred Hitchcock, Georgine Darcy (Miss Torso), Thelma Ritter, Judith Evelyn (Miss Lonelyhearts), Wendell Corey, and others. Please note that there may be some duplication of photographs. It's a testament to director Alfred Hitchcock that one can still get sweaty palms watching Rear Window. With no violence or blood and with sheer suspense, Hitchcock is still able to draw in today's audiences. Hitchcock directed two of his favorite actors, Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly, in this film which has a housebound Stewart watching through binoculars the activities of his neighbors, one of which is a murder. Costumed by Edith Head, Kelly is the epitome of elegance whose chemistry with everyman Stewart is palpable. Stewart later recalled that Kelly was a like a 'stunt girl' in her ability to climb up walls and through windows in the film. He also opined that this particular film was 'really pure Hitchcock.' 8 x 10 in. Footnotes: The collection of Paramount Pictures set stills that is being offered in this auction is an extraordinary historical archive from the late 1920s to the early 1970s. Sets stills were taken for continuity purposes and to document the arrangements of the sets and props, etc, during the making of a film. Not only does this collection photographically document the changes in filmmaking through the decades, it details the changing styles of architecture, interior design (the Art Deco sets from the 1930s are astonishingly beautiful), fashion, cars, and more. In the cases of location shooting, one can see the evolution of various southern California towns and landmarks, from the tony nightspots of Hollywood to the open spaces of Brentwood to the artistry of the Paramount Ranch. The photos give a unique behind-the-scenes look at the stars during filming; some vamp for the camera while others avoid it, some study their scripts or confer with the director, and some look incredibly bored. Equally interesting is the appearance of the stars' lookalike stand-ins and famous extras such as Bess Flowers. The unsung heroes of filmmaking, the crews, are seen as well, holding the booms, adjusting the lights, holding the clapper boards, and waiting, waiting, waiting. And speaking of unsung heroes, the talent, imagination, style, and creativity of the art directors and set decorators for these films cannot be overstated. Most of the fashion designers of the 1930s and '40s, such as Edith Head, are recognized for their contributions, as well they should be; however, the set decorators and art directors are grossly overlooked. Masters of their profession such as Hans Dreier, Robert Usher, William Flannery, Hal Pereira, Ernst Fegte, Sam Comer, Walter H. Tyler, A. Earl Hedrick, and so many others, deserve their place in the sun, and hopefully, the future owners of these historic photographs will appreciate their artistry. Lot to be sold without reserve. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing