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TL;DR:

  • Alfred Hitchcock directed a Jimmy Stewart movie that inspired one of Madonna’s songs.
  • Madonna named her two favorite movies starring the acclaimed actor.
  • The song she wrote received a different reception in the United States than many of her other singles.
James Stewart and Kim Novak kissing
James Stewart and Kim Novak | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

Jimmy Stewart had roles in a few of Alfred Hitchcock’s movies. Subsequently, one of those films inspired one of Madonna’s songs. Notably, the Queen of Pop said she would have liked to go on a date with Stewart and she named her two favorite Stewart films.

Madonna loved a romantic scene from 1 of Jimmy Stewart’s most famous movies

During a 1989 interview with Rolling Stone, Madonna was asked if she would have liked to go on a date with a star from the Golden Age of Hollywood. “Oh, Jimmy Stewart!” she replied. “I love him so much. I would die to meet him!”

The Queen of Pop praised two of Stewart’s most popular films. “I can think of two incredibly favorite moments in his films that just melt me,” she said. “In It’s a Wonderful Life, there’s that scene where he’s standing with Donna Reed, who’s talking on the phone, and he’s telling her that he doesn’t love her as he’s kissing her, and he’s crying. Clearly, he loves her so much.”

Jimmy Stewart’s interactions with Grace Kelly in Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Rear Window’ inspired a Madonna song

Madonna also praised Stewart’s role in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window. “And then the other moment is in Rear Window when he gives Grace Kelly this look,” she said. “She’s spending the night with him, and he turns and rests his chin on the back of a chair and looks at her so lovingly.

“I can’t describe it, but that is the way I want someone to look at me when he loves me,” Madonna continued. “It’s the most pure look of love and adoration. Like surrender. It’s devastating.” According to The Guardian, Stewart’s expressions in the film inspired Madonna’s ballad “The Look of Love.” The singer released a music video for the song featuring clips from her movie Who’s That Girl.

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How the song and ‘Rear Window’ performed commercially in the United States

Unlike many of Madonna’s songs from the 1980s, “The Look of Love” did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100. The song appeared on the album Who’s That Girl. The album reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 28 weeks.

The song’s inspiration, Rear Window, was a hit as well. According to Box Office Mojo, Rear Window earned over $36 million in the United States. The film ultimately earned over $37 million worldwide.

Rear Window is a classic movie and it managed to inspire one of the most famous singers of the 1980s.

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