In adapting text to film, the success of the film is often equated to its fidelity to the original text. Robert Stam however, claims that complete fidelity is impossible because of the differences in mediums (75). He argues that, “a variation on the theme of fidelity suggests that an adaptation should be faithful not so much to the source text, but rather to the essence of the medium of expression” (Stam, 79). For example, in adapting texts to film adaptations often include transmutations of the plot and of the characters, characters are often condensed and elements of the plot removed. However, in the movie Rear Window directed by Alfred Hitchcock, an adaptation of the short story, It had to be Murder by Cornell Woolrich, characters and plot lines are added not condensed or removed. By providing visual pleasure to the audience and the spectators, providing motivation for the action of the male protagonist and other female characters, and introducing a love story to the film, the introduction of female characters in the film Rear Window helped the adaptation move beyond fidelity and helped the film accomplish cultural translation.
A key transmutation between the movie Rear Window and the short story It Had to be Murder is the addition of the female characters Lisa and Ms. Torso. Along with the addition of characters, was also the introduction of a love story. In the short story, It had to be Murder, Mr. Jefferies watches his neighbors from his window and believes one of