Mistaken identity rarely involves a crop duster or a frantic climb down a national monument. Advertising executive Roger Thornhill finds his predictable life hijacked by ruthless spies. He simply raised his hand at the wrong moment to hail a waiter. Consequently, a lethal game of cat and mouse begins across America.
Detailed Summary
The Townsend Abduction
Two thugs kidnap Roger Thornhill from the Plaza Hotel. They mistake him for a mysterious agent named George Kaplan. Subsequently, they haul him to an estate on Long Island to meet Phillip Vandamm.
Vandamm interrogates Roger relentlessly. The thugs then pour bourbon down his throat and put him in a stolen car. However, Roger manages to survive the staged drunk driving accident.
A Murder at the UN
Roger returns to the estate with the police. The sophisticated villains have expertly erased all evidence of his ordeal. He decides to investigate this Kaplan disguise on his own.
His search leads him to the United Nations building. He confronts the real Lester Townsend in a busy lounge. Out of nowhere, an assassin throws a knife into Townsend’s back.
A photographer captures Roger pulling the weapon out. As a result, he immediately becomes America’s most wanted fugitive.
The Twentieth Century Limited
Roger sneaks onto a train to Chicago to find Kaplan. He meets a beautiful blonde woman named Eve Kendall. Interestingly, she hides him from the police in her sleeping car.
They share a profoundly romantic evening together. Eve secretly works for Vandamm. She sends a covert message to the villain about Roger’s location.
The Crop Duster Attack
Eve directs Roger to a desolate rural bus stop. He waits alone on a flat, dusty highway for Kaplan. Meanwhile, a seemingly innocent crop duster circles in the distance.
The plane suddenly swoops down and sprays him with gunfire. Roger sprints through cornfields to escape the deadly aerial assault. Ultimately, an oil tanker truck hits the plane and causes a fiery explosion.
Movie Ending
Roger Thornhill sneaks into Vandamm’s secluded lodge near Mount Rushmore. He discovers the villains plan to kill Eve on a private flight out of the country. Consequently, he must break her out without raising an alarm.
Roger manages to warn Eve via a scribbled matchbook. She violently steals a valuable microfilm hidden inside a pre-Columbian statue. Furthermore, they immediately flee onto the massive faces of the Mount Rushmore monument.
Vandamm’s henchmen pursue them across the treacherous stone carvings. Roger clings to the cliff face while holding Eve by her fingertips. A villain tries to mercilessly stomp on his hands.
Police arrive just in time and shoot the henchman. A sniper also wounds Vandamm to stop his escape. Specifically, the authorities secure the microfilm and safely arrest the espionage ring.
Roger pulls Eve up to safety. Without warning, the scene transitions directly to a Pullman train car. Roger rapidly pulls Eve into his upper bunk as his legal wife.
The final shot shows their train speeding into a dark tunnel. This clever visual gag provides a famously cheeky conclusion to the adventure.
Are There Post-Credits Scenes?
You will not find any post-credits scenes in this cinematic classic. Such teasers simply did not exist during the late 1950s. Therefore, the film ends definitively with the train entering the tunnel.
Type of Movie
North by Northwest is a classic spy thriller and suspense film. It expertly blends high-stakes espionage with lighthearted romance. Moreover, it practically invented the modern action movie formula.
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
- Martin Landau – Leonard
Film Music and Composer
Legendary composer Bernard Herrmann crafted the iconic musical score. He utilized an unusual fandango rhythm for the frantic main title theme. In addition, the music brilliantly emphasizes Roger’s constant sense of panic and motion.
The romantic themes perfectly complement the dangerous allure of Eve Kendall. Herrmann chose not to use traditional melodic structures for the primary action cues. Thus, he successfully defined the musical language of the thriller genre.
Filming Locations
The production famously started on location in New York City. The crew captured remarkable footage outside the real United Nations building. Interestingly, authorities formally refused them permission to film inside the actual UN complex.
They traveled to Chicago to shoot train station sequences. They constructed a massive replica of Mount Rushmore on a Hollywood soundstage. Park officials had aggressively denied their request to film violent scenes on the real monument.
Awards and Nominations
North by Northwest earned three Academy Award nominations. The Academy recognized the film for Best Original Screenplay, Best Art Direction, and Best Film Editing. Nonetheless, it did not take home any physical Oscar statues.
Behind the Scenes Insights
- Director Alfred Hitchcock could not film a real United Nations interior, so he secretly photographed the lobby.
- Cary Grant famously complained that he could not understand the script during the first few weeks of filming.
- Eva Marie Saint received a complete wardrobe makeover directly from Hitchcock to ensure her sophisticated appearance.
- Jessie Royce Landis played Grant’s mother despite being less than a year older than him in reality.
- Hitchcock passionately wanted to film a scene where Roger hides inside Abraham Lincoln’s nose on Mount Rushmore.
- The director eventually abandoned the nose idea due to massive pushback from government authorities.
Inspirations and References
The script originated from a lively discussion between Hitchcock and an American journalist. The writer proposed a story about spies inventing a decoy agent. Screenwriter Ernest Lehman then built an entire adventure around this simple premise.
Lehman wanted to write the ultimate Hitchcock picture. Therefore, he threw every thrilling scenario he could imagine into the narrative. The story ultimately contains no direct literary source material.
Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes
The filmmakers rarely wasted time on elaborate alternate endings. Hitchcock masterfully pre-planned his scenes through meticulous storyboards. Accordingly, the final theatrical cut matched his precise vision almost perfectly.
A few minor trims occurred for pacing purposes during the hotel sequences. A line referencing the villain’s implied homosexuality was slightly altered. Ultimately, no major scenes ended up on the cutting room floor.
Book Adaptations and Differences
This film does not adapt any existing book or novel. Ernest Lehman wrote an entirely original screenplay. However, several novelizations and academic studies appeared in bookstores long after the theatrical release.
Memorable Scenes and Quotes
Key Scenes
- The silent buildup and chaotic execution of the iconic crop duster chase across a desolate highway.
- Roger crashing a high society art auction to escape Vandamm’s goons while acting like a complete maniac.
- Eve shooting Roger with a blank pistol in a crowded cafeteria to prove her loyalty to Vandamm.
- The harrowing final pursuit down the giant stone carvings of Mount Rushmore.
Iconic Quotes
- Roger Thornhill: “I am an advertising man, not a red herring. I have got a job, a secretary, a mother, two ex-wives and several bartenders that depend upon me.”
- Phillip Vandamm: “Seems to me you fellows could stand a little less training from the FBI and a little more from the Actor’s Studio.”
- Eve Kendall: “I am a big girl.”
Easter Eggs and Hidden Details
- Hitchcock makes his mandatory cameo right at the start as a man missing a bus in extreme frustration.
- The title references an impossible compass direction, symbolizing the complete absurdity of Roger’s journey.
- The matchbook Roger uses to warn Eve prominently features the initials of the movie’s title.
- A young boy clearly plugs his ears in the cafeteria several moments before Eve actually fires the gun.
Trivia
- The studio initially wanted James Stewart for the lead role instead of Cary Grant.
- Grant charged an extra sum of money for every single day the shooting schedule ran overtime.
- The famous crop duster scene was shot in California despite supposedly taking place in flat prairie territory.
- The famous O. in Roger O. Thornhill proudly stands for absolutely nothing.
- Martin Landau intentionally played his villainous henchman with subtle romantic infatuation towards Vandamm.
- The film is considered one of the earliest examples of an “action thriller,” influencing later blockbusters like the James Bond series.
Why Watch?
This masterclass in suspense provides incredible thrills from start to finish. It features legendary performances, breathtaking action sequences, and razor-sharp dialogue. Furthermore, it remains one of the most purely entertaining cinematic adventures ever produced.
Director’s Other Movies
Recommended Films for Fans
- The 39 Steps (1935)
- To Catch a Thief (1955)
- Vertigo (1958)
- Charade (1963)
- The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
- North Sea Hijack (1980)
- The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1965)
- Mission: Impossible (1996)
