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North by Northwest (1959)

APPROVED  131 min  -  Adventure | Mystery | Romance   -  17 September 1959 (Japan)
8.6
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Ratings: 8.6/10 from 115,857 users  
Reviews: 405 user | 151 critic

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.

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writer:

Ernest Lehman
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Top 250 #37 | Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 3 nominations See more awards »

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North by Northwest -- Alfred Hitchcock gives a tour of the film in this trailer for the Special Edition DVD and Blu-Ray release. North by Northwest -- Trailer two for this Hitchcock classic
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cary Grant ...
Eva Marie Saint ...
James Mason ...
Jessie Royce Landis Jessie Royce Landis ...
Leo G. Carroll Leo G. Carroll ...
Josephine Hutchinson Josephine Hutchinson ...
Mrs. Townsend
Philip Ober Philip Ober ...
Martin Landau ...
Adam Williams Adam Williams ...
Edward Platt ...
Robert Ellenstein Robert Ellenstein ...
Les Tremayne Les Tremayne ...
Auctioneer
Philip Coolidge Philip Coolidge ...
Dr. Cross
Patrick McVey Patrick McVey ...
Edward Binns Edward Binns ...
Captain Junket
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Storyline

Middle-aged Madison Avenue advertising executive Roger O. Thornhill is mistaken for a government agent by a gang of spies. He gets involved in a series of misadventures and is pursued across the States by both the spies and the government whilst being helped by a beautiful blonde. Written by Col Needham <col@imdb.com>  

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

It's love and murder at first sight! See more »

Genres:

Adventure | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

(Japan) See more »

Also Known As:

Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest See more »

Filming Locations:

Bakersfield, California, USA See more »

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$13,275,000 (USA)
See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) See more »
Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

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

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

James Mason suffered a severe heart attack shortly after filming ended. See more »

Goofs

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Eve and Roger are kissing after the porter leaves the compartment there is no movement nor is there any noise from the train. You can even hear Eve leaning against the wall of the compartment as it creaks as Roger presses against her. See more »

Quotes

Roger Thornhill: I don't like the games you play, Professor.
The Professor: War is hell, Mr. Thornhill. Even when it's a cold one.
Roger Thornhill: If you fellows can't lick the VanDamm's of this world without asking girls like her to bed down with them and fly away with them and probably never come back, perhaps you ought to start learning how to lose a few cold wars.
The Professor: I'm afraid we're already doing that.
See more »

Crazy Credits

Right after his credit as director during the opening credits, Alfred
Hitchcock is running toward the door of the city bus just as it slams shut
on him! See more »

Connections

Referenced in "What's My Line?: Episode dated 7 September 1958" (1958) See more »

Soundtracks

"Singin' in the Rain"
(1929) (uncredited)
Music by Nacio Herb Brown
Lyrics Arthur Freed
Whistled by Cary Grant in Eva's apartment See more »