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.
- Nominated for 3 Oscars
- 9 wins & 7 nominations total
Stanley Adams
- Lieutenant Harding
- (uncredited)
John Alban
- Auction Guest
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWhile 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.
- GoofsDuring 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 creditsRight after his credit as director during the opening credits, Alfred Hitchcock is running toward the door of the city bus just as it slams shut on him!
- Alternate versionsThe 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.
- ConnectionsEdited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Le contrôle de l'univers (1999)
- SoundtracksIt's a Most Unusual Day
(1948)
(uncredited)
Music by Jimmy McHugh
Lyrics by Harold Adamson
Played as background music at the Plaza Hotel
Featured review
Enormously entertaining film from Alfred Hitchcock!
My favourite director, Alfred Hitchcock has directed many classics like Psycho, Rear Window and Vertigo, and I will say that this deserves to be up there among his best. I absolutely loved it! The best aspect of this movie is the always charming Cary Grant in a brooding and entertaining performance as Roger Thornhill, a man wanted for the murder of a diplomat. Solidly supporting him all the way are the lovely Eva Marie Saint as Eve Kendell and oily James Mason as the villainous Vandamme. They are further advantaged by some excellent camera-work and a wonderfully atmospheric music score. The script is focused and suspenseful, and Hitchcock's direction ensures the film rarely slips, even if some of the complicated plot does fly over people's heads. The climax though is simply the icing on the cake. Overall, a hugely enjoyable film, which I will give a 9.5/10. Bethany Cox
helpful•306
- TheLittleSongbird
- Jun 9, 2009
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $3,101,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $66,728
- Gross worldwide
- $150,007
- Runtime2 hours 16 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.50 : 1(VistaVision, original & negative ratio)
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![Cary Grant, Alfred Hitchcock, Eva Marie Saint, and Philip Ober in North by Northwest (1959)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZDA3NDExMTUtMDlhOC00MmQ5LWExZGUtYmI1NGVlZWI4OWNiXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjc1NTYyMjg@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,1,90,133_.jpg)