North by Northwest (1959)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writer:

Ernest Lehman (written by)

Release Date:

17 September 1959 (Japan)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Alfred Hitchcock takes you.... North by Northwest!

Plot:

A hapless New York advertising executive is mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and is pursued across the country while he looks for a way to survive.

Plot Keywords:

Spy | Agent | Advertising | Government Agent | Murder

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 3 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Feb. 21

10:00 PM

TCM

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Cary Grant	...	Roger O. Thornhill
Eva Marie Saint	...	Eve Kendall
James Mason	...	Phillip Vandamm
Jessie Royce Landis	...	Clara Thornhill
Leo G. Carroll	...	The Professor
Josephine Hutchinson	...	Mrs. Townsend
Philip Ober	...	Lester Townsend
Martin Landau	...	Leonard
Adam Williams	...	Valerian
Edward Platt	...	Victor Larrabee
Robert Ellenstein	...	Licht
Les Tremayne	...	Auctioneer
Philip Coolidge	...	Dr. Cross
Patrick McVey	...	Sergeant Flamm - Chicago Policeman
Edward Binns	...	Captain Junket

Also Known As:

Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest (USA) (complete title)
Breathless (USA) (working title)
In a Northwesterly Direction (USA) (working title)
The Man in Lincoln's Nose (USA) (working title)
Intriga internacional (Argentina) (Mexico) (original subtitled version) (Uruguay) (Venezuela) [es]
La mort aux trousses (Belgium: French title) (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Der unsichtbare Dritte (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
Intriga Internacional (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Észak, északnyugat (Hungary) [hu]
Con la muerte en los talones (Spain) [es]
De dood op de hielen (Belgium: Flemish title) [un]
I sista minuten (Sweden) [sv]
Intrigo internazionale (Italy) [it]
La nord prin nord-vest (Romania) [ro]
Med hjertet i halsen (Norway) [no]
Menneskejagt (Denmark) [da]
Na sever severozápadní linkou (Czechoslovakia: Czech title) [cs]
Pólnoc, pólnocny zachód (Poland) [pl]
Perseguit per la mort (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Sever-Severozapad (Serbia) [sr]
Sjever-sjeverozapad (Croatia) [hr]
Sti skia ton 4 giganton (Greece) [el]
Sti skia ton tessaron giganton (Greece) (reissue title) [el]
Vaarallinen romanssi (Finland) [fi]

Runtime:

131 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) | Dolby SR | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (2000) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | UK:A (1959) | USA:Approved (PCA #19156) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Iceland:L | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | South Korea:12 | Netherlands:AL (DVD rating) | Netherlands:12 (re-rating) | Netherlands:12 (2008 re-release) | Brazil:14 | Japan:G (2009) | Argentina:13 | Australia:G (1959-1998) | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:12 (re-rating) | Peru:14 | UK:PG | West Germany:16 (original rating) | Norway:16

Filming Locations:

Bakersfield, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Eva Marie Saint's line, "I never discuss love on an empty stomach," is dubbed over the line you can see her speaking on film: "I never make love on an empty stomach."

Goofs:

Continuity: The first exterior shot of the train depicts a pink sunset. Yet, it is broad daylight in the following dining-car scene.

Quotes:

Eve Kendall: Patience is a virtue.
Roger Thornhill: So is breathing.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Jug jugoistok (2005)

Soundtrack:

It's a Most Unusual Day

Classic thriller - I love it!

Roger Thornhill is an advertising man. However when he is kidnapped it is clear that he has been mistaken for someone else. When he tries to find out what's going he is framed for murder and sets out on a cross country run to survive. Along the way he meets danger, adventure and beauty in the shape of the mysterious Eve Kendall. However when he finds the truth he is drawn towards a final showdown with the dangerous Vandamm.

Rightly regarded as a classic and can more than compete with today's thrillers that too often rely on special effects to make up for the lack of genuine suspense. Here the plot requires a great deal of faith, but it is brought off with such style and energy that it is totally absorbing. The action is great and the several main scenes have become part of popular culture and are regularly spoofed on TV etc. The romance works as well and Thornhill and Kendall exchange plenty of good scenes.

The dialogue is great and the direction is faultless from Hitchcock. Many thrillers run over 2 hours - but only the good ones can stand up to repeated viewings. Northwest can take back to back viewings it is so good. The plot may have been put together as shooting went (as was the case with at least

one key scene) but it all stands together well. The acting is also perfect, Grant's rebirth as a thriller man is brilliant and is one of Hitchcock's best everyman characters. Marie-Saint is yet another dangerous blonde but is very good. James `The Voice' Mason is excellent, while Landau adds great homosexual subtext to his character. The ever present Leo G Carroll IS Mr Waverly but is still enjoyable and even support roles like Landis as Thornhill's mother is perfection!

Over 40 years on this film has barely dated. Hearing the music is enough to make me want to see it again, while the direction, set pieces, dialogue and performances are all pitch perfect. A wonderful thriller for young and old - no sex, no swearing, all thrills.