James Stewart stars as a photo journalist who is holed up in his apartment with a broken leg. To pass the time, he "watches" his various neighbors from his window.

When one of his neighbors (Raymond Burr) begins to act suspiciously, Stewart thinks he's hiding the fact he has murdered his wife.

His accusations fall on the deaf ears of glamorous girlfriend (Grace Kelly) but when his suspicions prove accurate, the confined Stewart is an easy mark for Burr's wrath.

While shooting, Hitchcock worked only in Stewart's "apartment." The actors in other apartments wore "radio" ear pieces for instruction from the director.

One thousand arc lights were used to simulate sunlight.

At the time the set was the largest indoor set built at Paramount Studios.

Apartments in Burr’s building had electricity & running water and could be lived in.