Hitchcock Chronology: Rope (1948)

Entries in the Hitchcock Chronology relating to Rope (1948)...

1947

December

• Technical meetings begin for Rope with key crew personnel.
• 6th - To celebrate the imminent start of filming on the first Transatlantic Pictures production, Rope, Hitchcock hosts a party at his Bellagio Road home. Among the guests are Sidney Bernstein and his wife, Arthur Laurents, Whitfield Cook, John Hodiak, Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant.

1948

January

• 22nd - Principal photography begins on Rope, Hitchcock's first film for Transatlantic Pictures, starring James Stewart, John Dall and Farley Granger. Although filming is completed within 8 days, Hitchcock is unhappy with the studio sunset and decides to reshoot the final 5 reels of the film, which takes a further 9 days.
• 22nd - With the construction of the Rope studio set completed on Warner Stage 12, cast rehearsals begin.

February

• Principal photography on Rope is completed by the third week in February. The production phase required 9 days of reshoots.
• 21st - The Hitchcocks spend the weekend at their Scotts Valley, celebrating the end of filming on Rope. Among their guests are Hume Cronyn and Whitfield Cook.

June

• 7th - Hitchcock returns to Hollywood for a week to approve post-production work on Rope and to work on the film's trailer. After that, he returns to join his wife and daughter in London.

September

• 25th - Rope goes on general release in the US to mixed reviews.

1959

September

• 13th - Costume designer Adrian, who worked with Hitchcock on Shadow of a Doubt and Rope, dies of a heart attack aged 56.

1962

September

• 23rd - Playwright and novelist Patrick Hamilton, writer of the play Hitchcock's Rope was based on, dies aged 58.

1964

April

• 18th - Screenwriter Ben Hecht, who worked with Hitchcock on Foreign Correspondent, Lifeboat, Spellbound, Notorious, The Paradine Case, Rope and Strangers on a Train, dies aged 70.

August

• Hitchcock negotiates a new contract with Universal Studios. In return for transferring ownership of Shamley Productions and distribution rights to Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Rope, Rear Window, The Trouble with Harry, The Man Who Knew Too Much and Vertigo, the director becomes the 3rd largest shareholder in the studio.
• 6th - Actor Cedric Hardwicke, who appeared in Suspicion and Rope, dies from cancer aged 71.

1971

January

• 15th - Actor John Dall, who starred in Rope, dies aged 52.

1997

July

• 2nd - Actor James Stewart, who starred in "Rope", "Rear Window", "The Man Who Knew Too Much" and "Vertigo", dies aged 89.

2003

June

• 15th - Actor and writer Hume Cronyn, who acted in Shadow of a Doubt and Lifeboat, and worked on the screenplays of Rope and Under Capricorn, dies aged 91.

2009

February

• 27th - Illustrator Dorothea Holt, who worked with Hitchcock on Rebecca, Saboteur, Shadow of a Doubt, Rope, Rear Window, To Catch a Thief, and The Man Who Knew Too Much, dies aged 94.

2011

March

• 27th - Actor Farley Granger, who starred in Rope and Strangers on a Train, dies aged 85.

May

• 6th - Writer Arthur Laurents, who wrote the screenplay for Rope, dies aged 93.