Rear Window has been repeatedly re-told, parodied, or referenced.
Film[]
- Disturbia (2007) is a modern day retelling, with the protagonist (Shia LaBeouf) under house arrest instead of laid up with a broken leg, and who believes that his neighbor is a serial killer rather than having committed a single murder. On September 5, 2008, the Sheldon Abend Trust sued Steven Spielberg, DreamWorks, Viacom, and Universal Studios, alleging that the producers of Disturbia violated the copyright to the original Woolrich story owned by Abend. On September 21, 2010, the U.S. District Court in Abend v. Spielberg, 748 F.Supp.2d 200 (S.D.N.Y. 2010), ruled that Disturbia did not infringe the original Woolrich story.
Television[]
- The set of the film was the basis for a comedy sketch on a 2009 episode of Saturday Night Live. The sketch featured Jason Sudeikis as Jimmy Stewart and January Jones as a flatulent Grace Kelly whose persistent farting made it impossible to finish filming the scene. Bobby Moynihan was also featured as Alfred Hitchcock.
- Rear Window was remade as a television movie of the same name in 1998, with an updated storyline in which the lead character is paralyzed and lives in a high-tech home filled with assistive technology. Actor Christopher Reeve, himself paralyzed as the result of a 1995 horse-riding accident, was cast in the lead role. The telefilm also starred Daryl Hannah, Robert Forster, Ruben Santiago-Hudson and Anne Twomey. It aired November 22, 1998 on the ABC television network.
- In an episode of Get Smart titled "Greer Window" (season four, episode 24, original airdate March 15, 1969), Maxwell Smart is confined at home, recuperating from a gunshot wound to his hindquarters. Bored out of his mind, he uses binoculars to look into the lives of the people in the office tower across from his apartment building – with particular interest in Greer Industries, and its attractive, blonde secretary. When secret documents begin disappearing from Greer Industries, Agent 99 goes undercover while Max keeps an eye on her from his apartment.
- The Simpsons spoofed Rear Window in the episode Bart of Darkness which takes place during the summer. The Simpsons get a swimming pool and Bart later breaks his leg, forcing him to spend time in his bedroom with his leg in a cast. Like Jeff in Rear Window, Bart uses a telescope and watches the residents of Springfield from his bedroom window. He suspects Ned Flanders of murdering his wife Maude, only to discover that Ned killed Maude's plant by accident.
- That '70s Show spoofed Rear Window, along with other Hitchcock films, in season 3, episode 4's "Too Old to Trick or Treat, Too Young to Die" (originally aired October 31, 2000).
- The Flintstones spoofed Rear Window in season 2, episode 4's "Alvin Brickrock Presents"
- The Mathnet episode "View from the Rear Terrace" has Kate Monday in a similar situation to Jeffries after breaking her leg for undisclosed reasons, and she starts spying on her next-door neighbor, named "Raymond Sticker."
- The White Collar episode "Neighborhood Watch" drew various themes from Rear Window.
- The Rocko's Modern Life episode "Ed is Dead: A Thriller!" is a parody of Rear Window.
- The Heathcliff episode "Rear Cat Window" saw Heathcliff witness what he thought was a dognapping his his frienemy Spike. When in actuallity, he was getting a new doghouse and Heathcliff got a second broken leg in the process.
- The 100th episode of Castle, "The Lives of Others" was a spoof featuring an injured Richard Castle, who is confined to his apartment and becomes obsessed after witnessing what he believes is a murder, but is actually a setup by his friends and family to celebrate his birthday.
- The White Collar episode "Neighborhood Watch" drew various themes from Rear Window.
- An episode of British comedy series My Life in Film was a parody of the film.
- An episode of the British sitcom The Detectives, also titled "Rear Window", spoofed the movie, with one of the protagonists wheelchair-bound after an accident and convinced a neighbour is guilty of murder.
- The Psych episode "Mr. Yin Presents" referenced themes from Rear Window when Mr. Yin casts Shawn as "Jefferies". Shawn does an impression of James Stewart before taking his place in a wheelchair overlooking all of the action. Shawn then replies to Gus, "Gus, it's Rear Window, I can see all of you I can see everything, the question is what actually matters."
- The Raising Hope episode "Murder, He Hoped" parodies Rear Window and several other Hitchcock movies.(citation needed)
- The Family Guy episode "Crimes and Meg's Demeanor" parodies Rear Window, with Brian Griffin believing Principal Shepard has killed his wife.
Literature[]
- Nova Ren Suma's short story "The Birds of Azalea Street", in the anthology Slasher Girls and Monster Boys (2015), was partially inspired by Rear Window.