North by Northwest (1959)

From Alfred Hitchcock Wiki

"The Master of Suspense presents a 3000-mile chase across America!"

Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Technical Information 3 DVD Recommendations 4 Recent DVD Releases 4.1 released in 2005 4.2 released in 2004 5 See Also... 6 Image Gallery 7 Film Frames 8 Themes 9 Cast and Crew

[edit] Synopsis

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. (© IMDB)

[edit] Technical Information

• colour (Technicolor)
• sound mix: mono
• aspect ratio: 1.66:1 VistaVision
• running time: 136 minutes
• production studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
• also known as:
  • Breathless - working title
  • The Man in Lincoln's Nose - working title
  • In a Northwesterly Direction - working title

[edit] DVD Recommendations

...loading recommendations for North by Northwest (1959)

[edit] Recent DVD Releases

• to view all of the DVD releases of this film, see North by Northwest (1959) - DVD releases

[edit] released in 2005

	La Mort aux Trousses (1959) - Warner Brothers (France, 2005) PAL
	Der unsichtbare Dritte (1959) - SZ-Cinemathek (Germany, 2005) PAL

[edit] released in 2004

North by Northwest (1959) - Warner Brothers (UK, 2004) PAL 1.78:1 (anamorphic) [02:10:44]

...view older DVD releases

[edit] See Also...

For further relevant information about this film, see also...

• 1000 Frames of North by Northwest (1959)
• Articles about North by Northwest (1959)
• Awards and Nominations
• Books about North by Northwest (1959)
• Complete Cast and Crew
• Documentaries about North by Northwest (1959)
• Filming locations
• Soundtrack albums
• Titles, captions, etc
• Web links to information, articles, reviews, etc

[edit] Image Gallery

Images from the Hitchcock Gallery (click to view larger versions or search for all relevant images)...

[edit] Film Frames

[edit] Themes

• hero falsely accused of being George Kaplan
• hero on the run from the baddies
• mistaken identity - Roger Thornhill is mistaken for George Kaplan
• mother - Roger and his mother
• taboo: bathrooms - in which Thornhill hides several times
• taboo: sex - Eve never "makes love on an empty stomach" and is a "big girl" (in all the right places!)
• the MacGuffin - George Kaplan; the secret microfilm
• the cultured baddie - Philip Vandamm (James Mason)
• the icy blonde - Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint)
• the knife plunged into Lester Townsend's back
• the Hitchcock cameo - running for the bus, but the bus door closes in his face (more details)
  

[edit] Cast and Crew

Directed by:

• Alfred Hitchcock
• Robert Saunders - assistant director

Starring:

• 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 - Handsome Woman, aka "Mrs Townsend"
• Philip Ober - Lester Townsend
• Martin Landau - Leonard
• Adam Williams - Valerian
• Edward Platt - Victor Larrabee
• Robert Ellenstein - Licht
• Les Tremayne - Auctioneer
• Philip Coolidge - Doctor Cross
• Patrick McVey - Chicago Police Sergeant
• Ed Binns - Captain Junket, Nassau County Detective
• Ken Lynch - Charley, Chicago Policeman

Produced by:

• Alfred Hitchcock
• Herbert Coleman - associate producer

Written by:

• Ernest Lehman

Photographed by:

• Robert Burks

Edited by:

• George Tomasini

Music by:

• Bernard Herrmann

Production Design by:

• Robert F Boyle

Hitchcock's Major Films
1920s	The Pleasure Garden · The Mountain Eagle · The Lodger · Downhill · Easy Virtue · The Ring · The Farmer's Wife · Champagne · The Manxman · Blackmail
1930s	Juno and the Paycock · Murder! · The Skin Game · Rich and Strange · Number Seventeen · Waltzes from Vienna · The Man Who Knew Too Much · The 39 Steps · Secret Agent · Sabotage · Young and Innocent · The Lady Vanishes · Jamaica Inn
1940s	Rebecca · Foreign Correspondent · Mr and Mrs Smith · Suspicion · Saboteur · Shadow of a Doubt · Lifeboat · Spellbound · Notorious · The Paradine Case · Rope · Under Capricorn
1950s	Stage Fright · Strangers on a Train · I Confess · Dial M for Murder · Rear Window · To Catch a Thief · The Trouble with Harry · The Man Who Knew Too Much · The Wrong Man · Vertigo · North by Northwest
1960s	Psycho · The Birds · Marnie · Torn Curtain · Topaz
1970s	Frenzy · Family Plot
( view full filmography )