Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysLGBTQ+ Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

North by Northwest

  • 19591959
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 2h 16m
IMDb RATING
8.3/10
323K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,138
655
Cary Grant, Alfred Hitchcock, Eva Marie Saint, and Philip Ober in North by Northwest (1959)
Alfred Hitchcock gives a tour of the film in this trailer for the Special Edition DVD and Blu-Ray release.
Play trailer3:25
3 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Action
  • Adventure
  • Mystery
A New York City advertising executive goes on the run after being mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and falls for a woman whose loyalties he begins to doubt.A New York City advertising executive goes on the run after being mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and falls for a woman whose loyalties he begins to doubt.A New York City advertising executive goes on the run after being mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and falls for a woman whose loyalties he begins to doubt.
IMDb RATING
8.3/10
323K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,138
655
  • Director
    • Alfred Hitchcock
  • Writer
    • Ernest Lehman
  • Stars
    • Cary Grant
    • Eva Marie Saint
    • James Mason
Top credits
  • Director
    • Alfred Hitchcock
  • Writer
    • Ernest Lehman
  • Stars
    • Cary Grant
    • Eva Marie Saint
    • James Mason
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 697User reviews
    • 186Critic reviews
    • 98Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #98
    • Nominated for 3 Oscars
      • 8 wins & 10 nominations total

    Videos3

    North by Northwest
    Trailer 3:25
    North by Northwest
    'North by Northwest' | Anniversary Mashup
    Clip 1:19
    'North by Northwest' | Anniversary Mashup
    A Guide to the Films of Alfred Hitchcock
    Clip 2:27
    A Guide to the Films of Alfred Hitchcock

    Photos202

    Cary Grant in North by Northwest (1959)
    Cary Grant and Eva Marie in North by Northwest (1959)
    Eva Marie Saint in North by Northwest (1959)
    Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint in North by Northwest (1959)
    Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint in North by Northwest (1959)
    Cary Grant in North by Northwest (1959)
    Cary Grant in North by Northwest (1959)
    Cary Grant in North by Northwest (1959)
    Cary Grant, Ken Lynch, and Patrick McVey in North by Northwest (1959)
    Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint in North by Northwest (1959)
    Cary Grant in North by Northwest (1959)
    Cary Grant in North by Northwest (1959)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Cary Grant
    Cary Grant
    • Roger Thornhillas Roger Thornhill
    Eva Marie Saint
    Eva Marie Saint
    • Eve Kendallas Eve Kendall
    James Mason
    James Mason
    • Phillip Vandammas Phillip Vandamm
    Jessie Royce Landis
    Jessie Royce Landis
    • Clara Thornhillas Clara Thornhill
    Leo G. Carroll
    Leo G. Carroll
    • The Professoras The Professor
    Josephine Hutchinson
    Josephine Hutchinson
    • Mrs. Townsendas Mrs. Townsend
    Philip Ober
    Philip Ober
    • Lester Townsendas Lester Townsend
    Martin Landau
    Martin Landau
    • Leonardas Leonard
    Adam Williams
    Adam Williams
    • Valerianas Valerian
    Edward Platt
    Edward Platt
    • Victor Larrabeeas Victor Larrabee
    Robert Ellenstein
    Robert Ellenstein
    • Lichtas Licht
    Les Tremayne
    Les Tremayne
    • Auctioneeras Auctioneer
    Philip Coolidge
    Philip Coolidge
    • Dr. Crossas Dr. Cross
    Patrick McVey
    • Sergeant Flammas Sergeant Flamm
    Edward Binns
    Edward Binns
    • Captain Junketas Captain Junket
    Ken Lynch
    Ken Lynch
    • Charleyas Charley
    Stanley Adams
    Stanley Adams
    • Lieutenant Hardingas Lieutenant Harding
    • (uncredited)
    John Alban
    • Auction Guestas Auction Guest
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Alfred Hitchcock
    • Writer
      • Ernest Lehman
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Vertigo
    8.3
    Vertigo
    Rear Window
    8.5
    Rear Window
    Dial M for Murder
    8.2
    Dial M for Murder
    Psycho
    8.5
    Psycho
    Citizen Kane
    8.3
    Citizen Kane
    The Birds
    7.6
    The Birds
    Rope
    7.9
    Rope
    Sunset Blvd.
    8.4
    Sunset Blvd.
    Casablanca
    8.5
    Casablanca
    Rebecca
    8.1
    Rebecca
    Singin' in the Rain
    8.3
    Singin' in the Rain
    Lawrence of Arabia
    8.3
    Lawrence of Arabia

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      While filming Vertigo (1958), Sir Alfred Hitchcock described some of the plot of this project to frequent Hitchcock leading man and "Vertigo" star James Stewart, who naturally assumed that Hitchcock meant to cast him in the Roger Thornhill role, and was eager to play it. Actually, Hitchcock wanted Cary Grant to play the role. By the time Hitchcock realized the misunderstanding, Stewart was so anxious to play Thornhill that rejecting him would have caused a great deal of disappointment. So Hitchcock delayed production on this movie until Stewart was already safely committed to filming Otto Preminger's "Anatomy of a Murder (1959)" before "officially" offering him the role in this movie. Stewart had no choice but to turn down the offer, allowing Hitchcock to cast Grant, the actor he had wanted all along.
    • Goofs
      During the scene in the diner at Mount Rushmore, a young extra boy in the background anticipates the surprise gun shot, fired by Eve. The diners are supposed to be unaware this is going to happen but the young extra boy covers his ears way before she draws the gun. The young extra boy must have known there would be a loud bang from the blank-filled pistol from previous takes and therefore covered his ears on the "printed" take.
    • Quotes

      [Thornhill is wearing sunglasses to hide his identity]

      Ticket Seller: Something wrong with your eyes?

      Roger Thornhill: Yes, they're sensitive to questions.

    • Crazy credits
      The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer logo and part of the opening credits are set against a a green background.
    • Alternate versions
      The print originally had an acknowledgement for the cooperation of the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service. But they requested it be removed after MGM violated the agreement that no violence would take place near the Mt. Rushmore monument. Some prints, however, were released with the acknowledgement still in.
    • Connections
      Edited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Le contrôle de l'univers (1999)
    • Soundtracks
      It's a Most Unusual Day
      (1948)

      (uncredited)

      Music by Jimmy McHugh

      Lyrics by Harold Adamson

      Played as background music at the Plaza Hotel

    User reviews697

    Review
    Top review
    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.
    helpful•45
    21
    • Snow Leopard
    • Sep 21, 2001

    FAQ14

    • What is 'North by Northwest' about?
    • Is 'North by Northwest' based on a book?
    • What is the title "North by Northwest" supposed to mean?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 18, 1959 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest
    • Filming locations
      • Garces Highway 1/10th mile East from Corcoran Road and Kern National Wildlife Preserve, Kern County, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $3,101,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $66,728
    • Gross worldwide
      • $142,319
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 16 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby SR
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.50 : 1(VistaVision, original & negative ratio)

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Cary Grant, Alfred Hitchcock, Eva Marie Saint, and Philip Ober in North by Northwest (1959)
    Top Gap
    What is the Hindi language plot outline for North by Northwest (1959)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    Editors' Picks: What to Watch Now on Netflix
    See the full list
    View image
    Photos
    Hollywood Romances: Our Favorite Couples
    See the full list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.