Vertigo (1958)

A retired San Francisco detective suffering from acrophobia investigates the strange activities of an old friend's much-younger wife, all the while becoming dangerously obsessed with her.

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Alec Coppel (screenplay), Samuel A. Taylor (screenplay),

Stars:

James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes

Top 250 #53 | Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
James Stewart	...	John 'Scottie' Ferguson
Kim Novak	...	Madeleine Elster / Judy Barton
Barbara Bel Geddes	...	Midge Wood
Tom Helmore	...	Gavin Elster
Henry Jones	...	Coroner
Raymond Bailey	...	Scottie's Doctor
Ellen Corby	...	Manager of McKittrick Hotel
Konstantin Shayne	...	Pop Leibel
Lee Patrick	...	Car Owner Mistaken for Madeleine

Storyline

John "Scottie" Ferguson is a retired San Francisco police detective who suffers from acrophobia and Madeleine is the lady who leads him to high places. A wealthy shipbuilder who is an acquaintance from college days approaches Scottie and asks him to follow his beautiful wife, Madeleine. He fears she is going insane, maybe even contemplating suicide, because she believes she is possessed by a dead ancestor. Scottie is skeptical, but agrees after he sees the beautiful Madeleine.

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Plot Keywords:

acrophobia | police | vertigo | police detective | hair | 

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Taglines:

A tall story about a pushover [Video]

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Genres:

Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 July 1958 (Brazil)

Also Known As:

'Vertigo'

Filming Locations:

1000 Mason Street, North Beach, San Francisco, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,479,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$1,486,818 (USA) (22 November 1996)

Gross:

$1,718,928 (USA) (20 December 1996)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min 129 min (1996 restored)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.50 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

While Madeleine recovers in Scottie's apartment from her fall into the bay, he waits on his sofa. Seen on his coffee table is a copy of the 1950s pulp men's periodical "Swank", which much later would develop into an extreme hardcore pornographic magazine. At the time, it would have consisted of a mix of cheesecake pictures and action/adventure stories by contemporary writers.

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Goofs

In Ernie's restaurant there are two famous profile shots of Kim Novak; in the second shot however (shot later in production) there is noticeably less background scenery visible.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Officer on rooftop: Give me your hand. Give me your hand.

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Crazy Credits

The opening Paramount logo is in black and white while the rest of the film, including the closing Paramount logo, is in Technicolor.

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Connections

Referenced in Neighbours: Episode #1.6203 (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Symphony No. 34 in C K. 338, 2nd Movement, Andante di Molto (piu tosto allegretto)"
(uncredited)
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Played as 'cue 10B' on a record in the psychiatric ward

User Reviews

Among the very best.

In Boileau-Narcejac's French novel "D'Entre les Morts"= from among the Dead"),the revelation only comes in the last pages,but Hitchcock lets the cat out of the bag long before the end. Boileau-Narcejac's novel is a pure detective story,but the Master wanted more:the movie already outdistances the book in a first part visually wonderful,with memorable scenes,wrapped in mystery ,such as the one with the sequoia,symbol of immortality or the one down by the sea,to rival with the best romantic movies of all time.In the second part,Hitchcock explains in the Truffaut's book,we know but Scottie( James Stewart) does not .And he tries to recreate a dead woman,to transform Judy into Madeleine.This folie à deux ends where the first tragedy occurred ,which gives the movie a strength that the book had not.Read it and you'll realize how its end ,speaking in terms of cinema,had to be modified for the screen.That's Hitchcock's genius.

When Boileau/Narcejac learned that Hitchcock wanted to transfer "Celle Qui N'Etait PLus " (=les Diaboliques" )to the screen,they immediately wrote "D'Entre les Morts " on the same pattern for Hitchcock to direct.