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It can be surprising for American people, but in France Cornell Woolrich is considered as a MAJOR writer. He was admired by people like Jean Cocteau and - of course - François Truffaut. Most of his 250 short stories and all his novels are constantly reprinted here, and some French movies were adaptations of his stories, the two Truffaut titles of course, but also "Obsession", starring Michèle Morgan and Raf Vallone, "I Married a Dead Man" with Nathalie Baye, etc. Many French TV-movies and an entire series were also made from his stories, among them the wonderful "If I Should Die Before I Wake" - also adapted in Argentina in the early Fifties by Carlos Hugo Christensen. All his books are now published under his "William Irish" nom-de-plume.
My first Irish book was the extraordinary "Deadline at Dawn", I was just 15 and since 55 years Irish/Woolrich/Hopley is my favorite American author. He is considered in France as the absolute equal of Edgar Allan Poe. Some months later I saw Hitchcock's "Rear Window", another adaptation, and the superb "The Window", with Bobby Driscoll. Among my favorite are also "Phantom Lady" by Siodmak, and "Night Has a Thousand Eyes" with Edward G. Robinson. And, incidentally, Jacques Tourneur's "Leopard Man" is a free adaptation of Woolrich's "Black Alibi", but its most famous terror sequence - the death of the little girl - is filmed EXACTLY as Irish described it in his novel.
Woolrich's prose is hypnotically poetic, often tragic, and always suspenseful. One of his horror story, "Jane Doe's Body", was also adapted for television by Hammer Films for one of their series. And others, of course, in "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and "Thriller". Without forgetting "Rendez-vous in Black", starring Franchot Tone and Boris Karloff !
And no, I'm not at all shameful to be moved to tears each time I read some of his immortal stories like "The Blue Ribbon" or "Hummingbird Comes Home".
Or "Saint-Louis Blues". Or... but I could mention an endless list of his works.

Yes, I share your opinion about the two Truffaut adaptations, in fact. I have no doubt about his sincerity, the man loved Irish's books (in fact he made the journey to America, hoping to meet him, and Irish has just died some days ago if I remember well...) but he was unable to restitute the "tonality" of the novels.