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Vertigo (1958)

Trailer
2:14 | Trailer
A former police detective juggles wrestling with his personal demons and becoming obsessed with a hauntingly beautiful woman.

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Alec Coppel (screenplay by), Samuel A. Taylor (screenplay by) (as Samuel Taylor) | 2 more credits »
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Popularity
995 ( 29)
Top Rated Movies #91 | Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 5 nominations. See more awards »

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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
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Storyline

Following his early retirement as a detective from the San Francisco Police Department, John Ferguson - Scottie to his friends - becomes obsessed with two women in succession, those obsessions which trouble his long time friend and former fiancée, Midge Wood, a designer of women's undergarments. The first is wealthy and elegant platinum blonde Madeleine Elster, the wife of his college acquaintance Gavin Elster, who hires John to follow her in Gavin's belief that she may be a danger to herself in thinking that she has recently been possessed by the spirit of Carlotta Valdes, Madeleine's great-grandmother who she knows nothing about, but who Gavin knows committed suicide in being mentally unbalanced when she was twenty-six, Madeleine's current age. The second is Judy Barton, who John spots on the street one day. Judy is a working class girl, but what makes John obsessed with her is that, despite her working class style and her brunette hair, she is the spitting image of Madeleine, into ... Written by Huggo

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

The most intense SUSPENSE.....EXCITEMENT....EMOTION ever generated by a motion picture! See more »


Certificate:

G | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Visa d'exploitation en France #21096 See more »

Goofs

The book display in the bookshop window changes between the entering and exiting shots. See more »

Quotes

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

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. See more »

Alternate Versions

When Universal brought the rights to the pre-1960 Alfred Hitchcock films from Paramount in 1962, The 1996 theatrical re-release had the 1991 Universal Pictures logo with the MCA byline, meanwhile, VHS and DVD releases had the 1997 Universal Pictures logo, and the Blu-Ray and streaming prints had the current Universal Pictures logo with the Comcast byline. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Phelous & the Movies: Birdemic 2: The Resurrection (2014) See more »

Soundtracks

Sardis #4
(uncredited)
(Forever Female), from Skylark (1941) (Poochie)
Composed by Victor Young
Orchestrated by Gus Levene
Played as 'cue 12D' by the orchestra while Scottie and Judy are dancing
See more »

User Reviews

Hitchcock's most stunning achievement. A fascinating masterpiece which improves with each year and viewing.
15 January 2003 | by InfofreakSee all my reviews

I get a bit tongue-tied talking about Hitchcock's greatest movies because they are just so remarkable, so astonishing, so entertaining, so multi-levelled, that it's very difficult to put into words what makes them great. Hitchcock made some of the greatest movies ever made, and 'Vertigo', though by no means his most accessible film, is quite possibly his crowning achievement. It is without any doubt a masterpiece, and I cannot fault it in any way. Every time I watch it I am knocked out, and every time I see something new, some nuance or moment that I appreciate more than I did the previous viewing. Jimmy Stewart, one of the most popular movie star in Hollywood history, gives a remarkable performance throughout, one of the best in his career. Stewart had worked with Hitchcock before, and had always been superb, especially in the much copied suspense classic 'Rear Window' a few years prior to this, but he plays against type in 'Vertigo' and is jaw-droppingly good. It's difficult to remember now that 'Vertigo' is regarded as a movie milestone, that it received many bad reviews when it was originally released, and was a relative failure for Hitchcock. A lot of this had to do with Stewart's intense performance I think, and also the difficult subject matter. 'Vertigo' is essentially a tale of sexual obsession, something most people were probably not expecting at the time! Almost as good as Stewart is Kim Novak ('The Man With The Golden Arm') in a role that she will always be remembered for. 'Vertigo' is a virtuoso piece from Hitchcock, and a movie that will no doubt continue to inspire other film makers over the years to come. However the most important thing about it is that it is still wonderful viewing, and a movie experience that you will never forget. In my mind it is one of the three of four greatest American movies. Simply astonishing.


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 June 1958 (Canada) See more »

Also Known As:

Sueurs froides See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$2,479,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$252,880, 18 March 2018

Gross USA:

$7,705,225

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$7,796,389
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (1996 restored)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)| DTS (70 mm prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.50 : 1
See full technical specs »

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