North by Northwest (1959)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writer:

Ernest Lehman (written by)

Release Date:

26 September 1959 (Japan)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Mystery | 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 | Advertising | Agent | Murder | Government Agent

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

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
Ken Lynch	...	Charley - Chicago Policeman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stanley Adams	...	Lieutenant Harding (uncredited)
Andy Albin	...	Farmer (uncredited)
Anne Anderson	...	Woman (uncredited)
Ernest Anderson	...	Porter on Twentieth Century Ltd. (uncredited)
Malcolm Atterbury	...	Man at Prairie Crossing (uncredited)
Tol Avery	...	State Police Detective (uncredited)
Baynes Barron	...	Taxi Driver #2 (uncredited)
John Beradino	...	Sergeant Emile Klinger (uncredited)
Stephen Bolster	...	Man with Camera (uncredited)
Taggart Casey	...	Shaving Man (uncredited)
Bill Catching	...	Auction Attendant (uncredited)
Bob Coe	...	Cropduster Pilot (uncredited)
Walter Coy	...	U.S. Intelligence Agency Official (uncredited)
Jimmy Cross	...	Taxi Driver #1 (uncredited)
Lucille Curtis	...	Woman (uncredited)
Patricia Cutts	...	Hospital Patient (uncredited)
Jack Daly	...	Train Steward (uncredited)
John Damler	...	Police Lieutenant (uncredited)
Lawrence Dobkin	...	U.S. Intelligence Agency Official (uncredited)
Tommy Farrell	...	Eddie - Elevator Starter (uncredited)
Jesslyn Fax	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Adolph Faylauer	...	Bald Bidder (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Hotel Lounge Patron (uncredited)
Josephine Forsberg	...	Friendly Passenger (uncredited)
Sally Fraser	...	United Nations Receptionist (uncredited)
Paul Genge	...	Lieutenant Hagerman (uncredited)
Ned Glass	...	Ticket Seller (uncredited)
Tom Greenway	...	Silent State Police Detective (uncredited)
Len Hendry	...	Police Lieutenant (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Man Who Misses Bus (uncredited)
Stuart Holmes	...	Hotel Lounge Patron (uncredited)
Eugene Jackson	...	Security Guard at Auction (uncredited)
Bobby Johnson	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Sid Kane	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Man Leaving Office Building (uncredited)
Madge Kennedy	...	Mrs. Finlay (uncredited)
Colin Kenny	...	Man at Auction (uncredited)
Doreen Lang	...	Maggie - Roger's Secretary (uncredited)
Larry Leverett	...	Man in Phone Booth (uncredited)
Alexander Lockwood	...	Judge Anson B. Flynn (uncredited)
Frank Marlowe	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Nora Marlowe	...	Anna - Housekeeper (uncredited)
Tom Marshall	...	Police Officer in Chicago (uncredited)
James McCallion	...	Plaza Valet (uncredited)
Maura McGiveney	...	Attendant (uncredited)
Carl Milletaire	...	Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
Howard Negley	...	Conductor on Twentieth Century, Ltd. (uncredited)
Charles Postal	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Maudie Prickett	...	Elsie - Maid (uncredited)
Hugh Pryor	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Ralph Reed	...	Bellhop (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Hotel Lounge Patron / Man at Mt. Rushmore Cafeteria (uncredited)
Harry Seymour	...	Victor - Captain of Waiters (uncredited)
Robert Shayne	...	Larry Wade (uncredited)
Doris Singh	...	Indian Girl (uncredited)
Jeremy Slate	...	Policeman at Grand Central Station (uncredited)
Olan Soule	...	Assistant Auctioneer (uncredited)
Helen Spring	...	Bidder (uncredited)
Harvey Stephens	...	Stockbroker (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Man at United Nations Building (uncredited)
Harry Strang	...	Assistant Conductor (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey	...	Man at Auction (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	...	Ranger (uncredited)
Ray Weaver	...	Policeman at Grand Central Station (uncredited)
Susan Whitney	...	Attendant (uncredited)
Frank Wilcox	...	Herman Weitner (uncredited)
Lloyd Williams	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Robert Williams	...	Patrolman Waggoner (uncredited)
Paula Winslowe	...	Woman at Auction (uncredited)
Wilson Wood	...	Photographer at United Nations (uncredited)
Carleton Young	...	Fanning Nelson (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing credits
Ernest Lehman		(written by)

Produced by
Herbert Coleman	....	associate producer
Alfred Hitchcock	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Bernard Herrmann

Cinematography by
Robert Burks		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
George Tomasini		(film editor)

Casting by
Leonard Murphy		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Robert F. Boyle		(as Robert Boyle)

Art Direction by
William A. Horning
Merrill Pye

Set Decoration by
Henry Grace		(set decorations)
Frank R. McKelvy		(set decorations) (as Frank McKelvey)

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist
William Tuttle	....	makeup
Peggy Shannon	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Stanley Smith	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Ruby Rosenberg	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert Saunders	....	assistant director
Tim Whelan Jr.	....	assistant director
Mickey McCardle	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Matty Azzarone	....	leadman (uncredited)
Harry Edwards	....	props (uncredited)
Henry Greutert	....	sculptor (uncredited)
Mentor Huebner	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)
John Ricardo	....	second props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Franklin Milton	....	recording supervisor
Tom Hadley	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Van Allen James	....	supervising sound editor (uncredited)
Bert Mott	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Tom Overton	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Howard Voss	....	sound mixer (uncredited)
Charles Wallace	....	sound mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special effects
Lee LeBlanc	....	special effects
Doug Hubbard	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Cliff Shirpser	....	optical matte camera operator (uncredited)
Matthew Yuricich	....	matte artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Ray Austin	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Catching	....	stunts (uncredited)
Leonard P. Geer	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	....	stunt double: Cary Grant (uncredited)
Robert F. Hoy	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paul Stader	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Kenny Bell	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Howard Bradner	....	grip (uncredited)
Howard Cashion	....	camera mechanic (uncredited)
Bobby Greene	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Michael P. Joyce	....	camera loader (uncredited)
James V. King	....	camera operator: crop-dusting sequence (uncredited)
Bud McNeil	....	best boy (uncredited)
Bill Shaw	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Tom Smith	....	grip (uncredited)
Leonard J. South	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Felix Trimboli	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Paul Weddell	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Larry Leverett	....	extras casting coordinator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Harry Kress	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Charles K. Hagedon	....	color consultant
Edward K. Milkis	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Bernard Herrmann	....	conductor (uncredited)
Bernard Herrmann	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Bernard Herrmann	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Saul Bass	....	titles designer
Robert Foss	....	location auditor (uncredited)
Peggy Robertson	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated) (presents)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1959) (USA) (theatrical) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1959) (UK) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1959) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1959) (France) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1959) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1959) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1959) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1967) (USA) (TV)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2000) (Brazil) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (France) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (2007) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Asociácia slovenských filmových klubov (ASFK) (2007) (Slovakia) (theatrical)
• Seven Films (2007) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Filmmuseum Distributie (2008) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Warner Home Video (2009) (USA) (DVD) (50th anniversary edition)
• Warner Home Video (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (50th anniversary edition)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1977) (Finland) (theatrical)
• CEL (19??) (Australia) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Esselte Video (1980s) (Finland) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1987) (1998) (Finland) (TV)
• Nelonen (2000) (Finland) (TV)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2001) (Finland) (DVD)
• Süddeutsche Zeitung (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment Finland Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD) (6-disc Alfred Hitchcock Prestige Collection)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2009) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (2009) (Germany) (DVD) (special edition)
• Warner Home Vidéo (19??) (France) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1970) (1978) (1993) (2008) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Solters & Digney  publicity (uncredited)
• Turner Entertainment  current copyright proprietor (uncredited)

Also Known As:

"Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest" - UK (complete title), USA (complete title)

Runtime:

136 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

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

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:G (1959-1998) | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Peru:14 | UK:PG (re-release) (re-rating) (1995) (2006) | West Germany:16 (original rating) | Norway:16 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (2000) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | UK:A (original rating) | 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) | Portugal:M/12 | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | West Germany:12 (re-rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) (1993) (2001) (2004) | UK:PG (tv rating) | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Bakersfield, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

While waiting for Phillip Vandamm (James Mason) and Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint) at Mount Rushmore, Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) says he doesn't like the way that Teddy Roosevelt is looking at him. In Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), Grant plays Mortimer Brewster, whose brother thinks he's Teddy Roosevelt.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the Chicago P.D. patrol car after Thornhill's arrest at the auction house, the cop on Thornhill's right forgets to lean as they simulate a turn. Cary Grant can be seen giving the errant actor a poke in the arm.

Quotes:

Roger Thornhill:I didn't realize you were an art collector. I thought you just collected corpses.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 'Topaz': An Appreciation by Film Critic/Historian Leonard Maltin (2001) (V)

Soundtrack:

It's a Most Unusual Day

Terrific Entertainment From the Master

With everything you expect from Hitchcock and more, "North By Northwest" is terrific entertainment from the master. There are interesting characters, an exciting story with intrigue and suspense, lots of fine photography, and some of Hitchcock's best-known set pieces. It's capped off by a fine Bernard Herrmann score that is almost as good as the one he wrote later for "Psycho".

Cary Grant may be the ideal Hitchcock actor, and he is a big part of making this such great fun. As one of the man-on-the-run characters that Hitchcock loved to make movies about, Grant is entertaining and believable, maintaining good humor even as he tries to work his way out of a series of desperate situations. The other stars, James Mason and Eva Marie Saint, also are very good, and the supporting roles are all filled by good character actors.

The story is one of Hitchcock's most exciting. It's slightly longer than usual, and it occasionally stretches credibility, but it all goes by quickly because there is always something interesting going on, and there is also plenty to look at. Whether using the famous landmarks or using more everyday settings, there is always lots of good detail, and the settings complement the story nicely. At times the plot becomes somewhat fanciful, but probably deliberately so, for it only emphasizes Hitchcock's mastery of technique that he can have his characters do almost anything and make you believe it at the time.

With everything that characterizes Hitchcock at his very best, this fully deserves its reputation as one of the finest films by him or any other director. You can watch it several times and still find it just as entertaining.