For its “Sunset Cinema” screening 8pm Thur (July 11), the Amon Carter Museum has selected one of the best films ever to watch outside on a hot summer evening: Alfred Hitchcock’s tense, methodical 1954 thriller Rear Window. The film has old-school movie stars radiating charm and glamor (Jimmy Stewart, Grace Kelly); ace character actors delivering scene-stealing performances (Thelma Ritter, Raymond Burr, Wendell Corey); and a compelling sense of visual artistry that only Hitchcock could bring to a movie whose plot unfolds on just two sets. Rear Window also takes place during a summer heat wave, so the actors will be feeling what Fort Worth audiences experience at an outdoor event in July. Hitch remains arguably the most unique commercial filmmaker of the 20th century –– an auteur steeped in artsy film techniques and deeply personal themes whose primary concern was always to keep his audiences entertained. “Sunset Cinema” is free, but space is limited on the Amon lawn (first come, first served) and the event will get started around 6pm, when a special tour of the museum will take place.
