IMDb >
North by Northwest (1959)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at Blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsNorth by Northwest (1959) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 59 | slideshow) | Videos (see all 9) |
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer:
Ernest Lehman (written by)
Release Date:
17 September 1959 (Japan)
more
Tagline:
Alfred Hitchcock takes you.... North by Northwest! more
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. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Spy
|
Advertising
|
Agent
|
Government Agent
|
Murder
more
Awards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars.
Another 4 wins
&
3 nominations
more
NewsDesk:
(58 articles)
Facebook Fans: Win a Copy of North by Northwest on DVD!
(From FilmSchoolRejects. 22 November 2009, 6:00 AM, PST)
North by Northwest on Blu-Ray
(From CanMag. 21 November 2009, 12:23 PM, PST)
(From FilmSchoolRejects. 22 November 2009, 6:00 AM, PST)
North by Northwest on Blu-Ray
(From CanMag. 21 November 2009, 12:23 PM, PST)
User Comments:
From The Master of Suspense Came the Daddy of the Modern Adventure Thrillers
more (365 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) more
Additional Details
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)
more
Breathless (USA) (working title)
In a Northwesterly Direction (USA) (working title)
The Man in Lincoln's Nose (USA) (working title)
more
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
131 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
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 |
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:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked this as the #55 Greatest Movie of All Time.
more
Goofs:
Continuity: Escaping from two thugs, Thornhill dashes out of the Plaza, grabs a cab, and it drives off. The thugs get into the next cab and go after him. From inside his cab, Thornhill then looks back at the hotel but the thug's cab is not there. It should be just pulling away from the curb.
more
Quotes:
Roger Thornhill:
No. No, Mother, I have not been drinking. No. No. These two men, they poured a whole bottle of bourbon into me. No, they didn't give me a chaser.
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies: 10th Anniversary Edition (2007) (TV)
more
Soundtrack:
It's a Most Unusual Day
more
FAQ
What is the title "North by Northwest" supposed to mean?Why do Valerian and Licht think that Thornhill is Kaplan?
Was VanDamm's mountain home a real home? Was it designed by Frank Lloyd Wright?
more
more (365 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for North by Northwest (1959) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| The Fugitive | Strangers on a Train | The Spider Returns | King of New York | Raiders of the Lost Ark |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb top 250 movies | IMDb Action section |
| IMDb USA section | Add this title to MyMovies |














Many feel this is Alfred Hitchcock's greatest American movie, and I agree! NORTH BY NORTHWEST is the Hitchcock film to end all Hitch films, with all his pet themes covered with maximum wit, panache, and suspense, as well as a romance between Cary Grant and a soignée Eva Marie Saint that's as tender as it is sexy. Grant has never been more engaging and dashing (literally and figuratively :-), though the smoothly villainous James Mason nearly out-suaves him. My husband and I have joked that if Mason had played Thornhill, the film would have been over in mere moments. With all due respect to Grant, if the imperious, unshakably confident Mason asked the Glen Cove police, "Do you honestly believe that this happened the way you think it did?" they would immediately reply, "No, sir, you must be right, you're free to go, sorry we bothered you." :-) Also boasts a great early performance by a reptilian young Martin Landau as Mason's possessive henchman, as well as one of Oscar nominee Ernest Lehman's best screenplays (in fact, he borrowed liberally from it for his script for the film version of THE PRIZE starring Paul Newman) and one of Bernard Herrmann's finest scores. Anybody who wants to write or direct a chase thriller should watch NORTH BY NORTHWEST first to see how it's done!