North By Northwest Reviews

• "This can't be good, we're on top of the monument . . "

  
  By A1IOM171PPQ2U8 on 2000-04-22
  One of the best of Hitchcock (although as far as his films go, Hitch probably has the best track record of any director living or dead). This film is basically the original "Fugitive" and follows pretty closely the plot to his "The 39 Steps" from 1935 - a man is mistaken for a CIA agent and is caught in a "deadly game of cat and mouse," as it were. I LOVE the music and the visuals that start out the film - it makes me wish I had been alive to see it in a movie theater in the 50's. And although this film is over 2 hours long, there's no way you can be bored - the suspense is so intense you'll be chewing your nails the whole time (I did the first time I saw it). Cary Grant is excellent as always, James Mason plays one of the most sinister of Hitchcock's villains (I would LOVE to have this guy's voice) and Eva Marie Saint looks gorgeous and plays her part well. I also enjoyed seeing Martin Landau in an early role as one of James Mason's henchmen and Jessie Royce Landis (the mother from "To Catch a Thief") as Grant's mother (although both were very near the same age at the time). And I love any film score by Bernard Herrmann - this guy should have had a mantle covered with awards, but as luck would have it, most of his scores went not only un-awarded but un-nominated (as this one did). By all means, if you don't own it, pick it up today - and by the way, good job for FINALLY releasing it on DVD, MGM.
  
  

• Brilliant film making.

  
  By A26R1W3MKYULOX on 2000-09-18
  With this film, Alfred Hitchcock set out to top himself and get back on top after the failure of VERTIGO; he did just that. NORTH BY NORTHWEST is automatically a classic with the acting by Cary Grant (his fourth and final film with Hitchcock), Eva Maria Saint, James Mason, Leo G. Carroll (another one of Hithcock's favorites), and young Martin Landau (in his film debut), the amazing set pieces (the UN murder, the cropduster sequence, and the climax atop Mt. Rushmore), Bernard Hermann's music score, and the classic work of the camera by the Master of Suspense. But this DVD's extras really add to the film. It includes a documentary hosted by Saint ("Destination Hitchcock," not "The Man in Lincoln's Nose" as listed on this site), an audio commentary by screenwriter Ernest Lehman, two theatrical trailers (a standard trailer and one featuring Hitchcock), a TV Spot, an isolated music audio track and the film itself remastered in Dolby 5.1 Audio and 1.66:1 widescreen anamorphic format. The only problem is it comes in a snap case like all Warners DVDs, not allowing a booklet with production notes. But this DVD is a must buy, especially if you're a fan of Hitch. It's also a note of interest for 007 fans (like myself). This film brought about spy thrillers and you should compare the cropduster sequence in this film to the helicopter sequence in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE.
  
  

• Spy VS Spy..a la Hitch

  
  By A2ZSC81MXLBELX on 2002-11-08
  Definitive Hitch! Everything about this film says Hitch. The musical score(Bernard Hermann) spells trouble even in the opening credits,the camera angles are signature, his favorite actors(Cary Grant Eva Marie Saint, Leo G. Carroll),and the edge of your seat story. All the things we love.
  It gets better though, if it weren't for the style of clothes and cars, you would think this film was made yesterday. Warner Bros. has made a beautiful transfer of this 1959 classic, "North by Northwest", onto DVD.
  A little of the story though for those who have not seen it(not too much though,don't want to spoil anything for you). It's a case of mistaken identity. Grant's. He is taken for a goverment agent by some counterspies, abducted, framed for murder and nobody believes his story. He goes on the run from the police as well as the thugs.While on the run he meets the beautiful Eva Marie Saint and sparks fly between them. (Anytime there is romance in a Hitch film you do not need an R rating to feel the passion!)So what's her part in all this? Why isn't the goverment helping him? Is he being crossed?Doublecrossed? Maybe even triple crossed? Find out as the thrilling chase goes from New York to South Dakota. And check out all the great scenery and landmarks along the way, as Cary travels by train,is chased by a plane(very scary stuff)and ends up atop of Mount Rushmore.
  It's one of Director Alfred Hitchcock's greatest thrillers.Grant,Saint, and Carroll, well, they shine as usual.And along for the ride also thrilling us are James Mason and a young Martin Landau. There's also Jessie Royce Landis as Grant's mother who's wit matches his quip for quip. She's great.
  Now back to the DVD. It should be the poster child for why we love DVDs now. I have never seen this film look so good. Picture sharp, widescreen(matted) gives us great views, and the soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1 is amazing for a film of this age.It's a film to be watched over and over(and now that it's on DVD you don't have to worry about it wearing out!)If you can't get enough there's several features, the making of,audio commentary,still gallery,audio only if you want to hear just the score,trailers, and subtitles.Hitch fans..you'll love it.
  Oh by the way...do you know where Hitch makes his cameo appearance in this one? Of course you do, but just in case...don't miss the first 5 minutes.
  Goot Eeeevening...and have fun......Laurie
  
  

• Suspend your disbelief and jump aboard...

  
  By A3LU79BYMWZEW9 on 2000-06-05
  Forget about the numerous improbabilities (e.g. that death by cropduster is an effective way to get rid of one's enemies; that a good place for foreign agents to have a hide-out is right on top of Mt. Rushmore; that Jessie Royce Landis is old enough to be Cary Grant's mother, etc.)--and just enjoy this ride. I've seen this movie several times and tend to forget the details between viewings--which allows me to be surprised all over again. And surprise is what North by Northwest is all about.

  Casting James Mason and a young but very creepy Martin Landau as the villains was sheer genius. Eva Marie Saint is the icy blonde in this one and suggests a fair amount of fire beneath that ice. Grant, already in his mid-50s, was obviously meant to be younger (mid-40s at the most), but you'll find yourself suspending disbelief about that and everything else and just allowing yourself to get caught up in this extremely entertaining film. There is no better example of Hitchcock's cinematic mastery. Aside from the aforementioned crop duster pursuit (scarier than any low-flying plane scene in any WWII movie), there's the classic Rushmore sequence, and, of course, the tunnel bit at the end which delighted would-be Freudian critics with its (daring for the time?) symbolism. It's as witty as it is adventurous, with a wonderful Ernest Lehman script, excellent cinematography by Robert Burks and a great score by Bernard Herrmann. A classic...but then, you probably don't need me to tell you that.
  
  

• Spectacular DVD!!!

  
  By A1ZAYEI0LOTOGJ on 2000-12-08
  Warner Bros. has outdone itself with this new, pull-out-the-stops, first-class presentation of one of Hitch's best films.

  When I first read that Warners had rights to the film and would subsequently be releasing the DVD, I was nervous. Though the studio has championed the format from its very inception, I remained concerned that they would simply rehash the laserdisc transfer from a few years back and issue the title in their "bargain" DVD line due to the age of the film, and thus consign Hitchcock fans to suffer the ignominy of seeing "North by Northwest" denied the top flight treatment lavished by Universal Studios on the Hitchcock titles they control. (Universal's stubborn refusal to re-issue the impressively restored "Vertigo" in anamorphic should be a crime, however.)

  But what a surprise this disc turned out to be!! Warner Bros. was paying attention, and one-upped Universal with this terrific effort. Simply stated, the picture quality on this disc is ASTONISHING. This is without question the best this film has ever looked - and that has only partly to do with the resolution and stability of digital video. A completely new print has been struck, and cleaned up - indeed, it is doubtful the film looked this good on its opening night premiere. There's hardly a nick or scratch to be seen, and grain is totally absent. It's as if they took a giant sponge and wiped years of age-induced desaturation away.

  Anamorphically enhanced, the DVD's compression is excellent - blacks are velvety and rich, color is deep and vibrant, and edge enhancement (which results in unnatural "shimmer") is seemingly non-existant. For a film of this vintage, the image is nothing short of eye-popping, especially if the DVD player's component video outputs are used. Hopefully, this should raise the bar for Universal, whose releases (save for "Vertigo") of Hitch's films have tended to be grainy and a bit nicked-up in areas, though certainly still bettering any previous video incarnations. All the special features in the world don't make a difference if the print of the movie itself isn't presented in the best way possible. Make no mistake, the Universal releases look good - very good - but not as good as this one does.

  If you're a Hitchcock fan like me, owning this film is a no-brainer. If you're a film fan at all, this classic deserves - no, demands - a place in your collection. That Warner Brothers has paid it proper respect with a DVD of this quality (not only is the transfer sparkling, but the extras are rich in content and well done, too) is something that, like the film, is truly wonderful.
  
  

• Hitchcock and Grant: An Unbeatable Combination
  By A1J03J0HZ7KU5T on 2001-03-03
  "North by Northwest" (1959) was the fourth and final collaboration between director Alfred Hitchcock and actor Cary Grant. Both men were at their artistic zenith when they made this superb comic thriller, which screenwriter Ernest Lehman promised would be "the Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures." Lehman's script incorporates some brilliant setpieces that the Master of Suspense was unable to work into his previous films, such as the famous crop-dusting chase and the surreal Mount Rushmore climax. However, the highlight remains the Chicago auction sequence. Grant's screwball humor and dark charm make him the ideal Hitchcock leading man - complemented by excellent performances from Eva Marie Saint, James Mason and Martin Landau. "North by Northwest" was Hitchcock's sole effort for MGM and he makes the most of the studio gloss. It's a top-notch production in terms of set design and matte work. In fact, author Ian Fleming considered "North by Northwest" to be the stylistic prototype for the James Bond series and wanted Hitchcock to direct the first 007 production (he turned down the offer). To fully appreciate this classic film, it should be seen in the letterbox format that Hitchcock intended. One of the all-time greats.
  
  
• Avoid the Box Set
  By on 2002-08-16
  I purchased the DVD box set with high expectations. Instead, I received something that appeared more like WB slapping left overs together for $$$. The DVD is what you can purchase in the store. Don't get me wrong, the movie and the DVD are great - I am a die hard Hitchcock fan. The contents of the box set in my opinion are not woth the money. The 8x10s and mini Lobby Cards appear as screen captures - fuzzy. The poster is folded real compact and is blurry as well. I was really hoping the DVD would have extra content from the "regular" version on the market. I just feel WB could have done better with a movie such as this!
  
  
• ONLY IN WIDESCREEN - DON'T BUY THIS ONE!
  By on 1999-10-24
  Great film, beyond a mere 5 stars, but the cropped video presentation sucks. Absolutely not worth one cent of your money until it comes out in widescreen. If it's one of your favorites you probably have no choice but to settle for this one, but it's just a shadow of its former self. Try to find a used copy for a couple bucks if you can.
  
  
• Suspense, tension and good technology. But silly story.
  By A17FLA8HQOFVIG on 2002-11-10
  Nominated for several Academy Awards, this 1959 film by Alfred Hitchcock lives in my memory because of several memorable scenes. There's a scene where Cary Grant is being chased by an crop duster airplane. And then there's another scene where killers are chasing Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint on Mount Rushmore. I remember Cary Grant being suave. And I remember Eva Marie Saint as being beautiful.

  Forty-three years have passed since then. It's time to take another look at this classic.

  Well, Cary Grant is still suave. Eva Marie Saint is still beautiful. The two memorable scenes are still tense with action. And the Hitchcock style of suspense is there too.

  But it's no wonder I don't remember the plot, which revolves around Cary Grant being mistaken for an international spy, Eva Marie Saint being a double agent and James Mason and Martin Landau being the bad guys. That's because, like some of today's technological wonders, the plot is an afterthought, pulled together for the purpose of showing off the "good scenes".

  My opinion on this was borne out by the special features on the DVD, which described the making of the film. The action scenes were thought up first, and then the story was fitted around them.

  O.K. The film is a classic and will remain so no matter what I say. And memories of those several scenes will live long into the future.

  But I yearn for a story I can sink my teeth into. I want to care about the characters. I want to believe that the action they are going through is possible. I feel this about films of today. And I feel this about North By Northwest.

  High-tech aficionados will enjoy this flick as a great achievement for Hitchcock given the era he worked in. I can appreciate it for its historical significance, but certainly not for anything else. I therefore can only give it a lukewarm recommendation.
  
  

• Hitchcock's best film
  By A2WLZD9BY669HY on 2000-07-16
  Forget "Psycho," disregard "The Birds." This is Hitchcock's finest movie. It has everything: marvelous, stylish acting by the incomparable Cary Grant, fine supporting performances by James Mason and Eva Marie Saint and a plot that will have you on edge throughout.

  Yes, the plot is contrived and improbable and the Mt. Rushmore sets are obviously fake and unrealistic-looking, but these are minor annoyances. Cary Grant effortlessly charms his way throughout this movie (note the auction scene and Cary's comedic timing. His scens with Saint crackle with sexual innuendo, especially their famous train clinch.

  This is a movie you watch again and again and you'll always find things you had missed during the previous viewings. If you love Cary Grant, Hitchcock or suspenseful thrillers, this is the movie for you.
  
  

• ONE OF THE GREATEST FILM OF ALL TIME ON A GOOD DVD
  By A2WAJWFB6ZPEGW on 2000-09-10
  No introduction required for this one: Alfred Hitchcock's is one of the most popular classic of all time, and it certainly deserves to be so. Watching NORTH BY NORTHWEST is a pure joy of cinema. It's thrilling, exciting and hilarious. You just get carried away with the master's perfect art of storytelling.

  Many critics tried to "decode" the deeper meaning of this film in a vain effort to "intellectualize" Hitch's art. But the point is: there are really no serious message or psychological which understanding is vital to understand the film (which is quite the contrary from VERTIGO, his previous film, and PSYCHO, the one he made right after this one). The best way to understand this particular film is to just enjoy it. And boy, how enjoyable this movie is!

  The new deluxe collector's edition DVD offers, first of all, a solid good transfer. I must congratulate MGM for keeping such a good care of the original elements. Unlike VERTIGO for which a lot of restoration works was required (and the end result still has some unrepairable deteriorations, even though it generally looks far better than how VERTIGO used to look for the last 17 years or so), NORTH BY NORTHWEST is preserved very well. This DVD represents the magnificence of the original VISTAVISON/IB-TECHNICOLOR images quite faithfully. The images are crisp-sharp (one great virtue of this now almost extinct process) and the colors are vibrant, deeply saturated and very rich. However, some of the rear-projection process shots (for examples, exteriors seen through a moving car window) look a bit faded and need a little work to be done. But don't worry, the final Mount Rushmore is transfered superbly, with all the miniature works, back-drop paintings, matpaintings and process shots are intact and are so effective. In fact, when properly done, the old techniques look as good as the recent digital CGI effects, maybe better.

  I'm not quite sure about the Dolby 5-1 stereo because the film must have been made originally with a Mono soundtrack (or 3 channels Perspecta stereo), but at least it doesn't have the awful redone foley job which sounded quite ugly on the restored VERTIGO, so we can say it stays more faithful to what Hitch intended. Plus, I have to admit the new soundtrack REALLY brings out the magnificent orchestration of Bernard Herrmann's beautifully composed score!

  Herrmann was one of the very few film composer who did his own orchestration. He was an uncompromised artist. By the way, you can enjoy the richness of the score with the music-only track as well.

  An added enjoyment is the original theatrical trailer featuring Mr.Hitchcock himself, which was not on the previous LD release.

  The DVD also features a good documentary about the making of the film which, unlike a conventional featurette where the filmmakers and the actors are just glorified in a phony promotional manner, really tells you about how a movie was made in those days. It even tells you how Cary Grant charged 15 cents to every autograph he gave to the fans! Unfortunately, Hitch himself is no longer with us to give a commentary for DVD fans, but the writer Ernest Lehman (also known for the screen adaptations of WEST SIDE STORY and THE SOUND OF MUSIC) tells about how he wrote this original screenplay and cleverly points out the subtle intelligence in Hitch's masterful direction. Critics and scholars (including myself, I must admit) often talk only about big scenes and flashy camera works which catch your eyes at the first moment you see them, but Lehman made me think how subtle a director's genius is, and that makes the whole difference from all the poorly made films that we see so often in the thriller genre today.
  
  

• "Real bullets? That's not very sporting..."
  By A1T0Z4J5PPLTC7 on 2001-08-15
  Slap yourself if you haven't seen this movie. Although not as complex as "Vertigo" or "Rear Window," this is Hitchcock at his most enjoyable. I can't even begin to count the number of contemporary action films that were infulenced by (and frequently rip off) this. The crop-duster scene continues to be possibly one of the best suspense scenes I've ever seen, and it was only done with a plane, an empty field, and Cary Grant. The cast is perfect, the script is full of surprises and funny in a smart kind of way that modern moviemaking just doesn't understand. James Mason just oozes evil charisma.

  So, how's the DVD? Incredible. I can't believe it ever looked this good, even on the big screen. The color separation is vivid and sharp, and I only noticed two or three imperfections in the print, which is amazing considering the age of this film. The stereo separation and noise reduction are great. Bernard Hermann's score, one of the most brilliant and propulsive I've ever heard, is absolutely transparent. And, of course, the stereo panning during the crop-duster sequence is spot-on. Oh yeah, and it includes the original theatrical trailer, as well as a mock commercial done by Hitchcock himself extolling the virtues of Mt. Rushmore as a tourist attraction!
  
  

• Hitchcock's Masterpiece
  By A3M2WW0PO34B94 on 2005-03-25
  Alfred Hitchcock's "North By Northwest" is simply one of the finest American films ever made. It is a great example of the skill and mastery that Hitchcock exhibited throughout his career. If you think back, there are few directors that have had as much success as Hitch did throughout his career.
  
  Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) is involved in the Madison Avenue ad business. What does he do? It's unimportant, so we don't find out if he is President, an Ad Executive or in the mail room. He is quickly mistaken for George Kaplan, a man that some spies would like to have a word with. Forcibly transported to the estate of Lester Townsend, he is questioned by a man (James Mason). When Thornhill refuses to admit that he is Kaplan and tell them everything he knows, he is dispatched. He escapes and then sets out to figure out who George Kaplan is. Along the way, he meets Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint), a beautiful blond, and she becomes his ally. Thornhill's journey takes him from New York, to Chicago, to a desolate corn field, to an art auction, to Rapid City, South Dakota, to the face of Mount Rushmore.
  
  Simplicity is the key to this film and its extraordinary success. The story is convoluted and may be considered improbable, but who is to say it wouldn't happen? I can't say that, especially as it is set during the Cold War and I have heard of many stranger things happening. The story is also very simplistic. We don't learn anything we don't need to know, and, frankly, it is most refreshing. I mentioned that we don't really learn what Thornhill does. He is involved in the Advertising industry, that much is clear, and it helps set up his lifestyle and his character quickly and plainly.
  
  As I watched the film again last night, another thing struck me. In many films today, the filmmaker treats the audience as though they have no attention span and little ability to think. They show us a key piece of evidence, show the character looking at it, show it going into a pocket, later show the character pulling it out of the pocket, looking at it again, getting someone else to look at it again, and then getting some feedback. Each of these acts produces a view of the item in question for the audience. There is a sequence in "North By Northwest" which I want to use to illustrate how Hitchcock did this very differently. Thornhill and his mother (the very funny Jessie Royce Landis, actually only a year older than Grant), visit Kaplan's hotel room at the Plaza. There, Thornhill spots a picture of a group of men which includes the man he thinks is Townsend (Mason), he points it out to his mother and the audience gets to see it. He puts it back on the desk and goes about his business. Later, as he is rushing out, he grabs the picture. Outside the hotel room, he slides it in his coat pocket. We don't see the picture again, but we know it is the same picture. Later at the United Nations, he pulls the picture out and shows it to someone else. Again, we know which picture it is, not because we have seen it again and again, but because Hitch has allowed us to see it once and we are intelligent enough to know what they are talking about.
  
  "North By Northwest" was made after "Vertigo" and before "Psycho". It makes perfect sense. "Vertigo" was reportedly a very personal film for Hitchcock. He put a lot of energy into the film was disconcerted when it did not receive the critical praise or box office that he felt it deserved. This is the first time that Hitchcock took the emphasis away from thrills and went for a more cerebral kind of suspense. He really delves into Scotty's obsessions and paranoia. It is a beautiful film and one of his best, but I can imagine that he was exhausted. It is pretty clear that Hitchcock was at the stage where he wanted to experiment a little. I can imagine that he probably felt that he should return to something that would help him get another hit. MGM purchased a book called "The Wreck of The Mary Deare". Hitch asked Ernest Lehman to adapt it for him. Lehman tried, but a few weeks later, he said he didn't know what to do with it. They talked a bit and then Hitchcock remarked that he always wanted to make a film with a chase across Mt. Rushmore. This single idea prompted Lehman to come up with, as he puts it, "The Hitchcock film to end all Hitchcock films". "NbNW" certainly explores territory that the director traveled before, but he brings a mastery to the work that sets this film head and shoulders above the rest. It certainly helps that Lehman created some of the best dialogue ever written. More on that later. So, while "NbNW" doesn't exactly push the boundaries of obsession that he was trying to reach with "Vertigo" or the psycho-sexual babble he tried to explore in "Marnie", it does examine the relationship of Thornhill and Kendall. In fact, the entire film is about relationships. The relationship between Thornhill and his mother leads him further into the mystery. Her mocking seems to make him more determined to prove he was abducted, pushing him further into the mystery. Thornhill's relationship with Kendall is erotic, intense and takes many turns, some of which take the story in new directions. Kendall's relationship with Vandamm is threatened by her relationship with Thornhill, causing Vandamm to doubt her sincerity. Vandamm and his henchman, Leonard, have a relationship that causes more friction between Vandamm and Kendall. The relationships in the film are the most intricately plotted part of the production.
  
  Cary Grant has always been one of my favorite actors. He accomplished in his career what people like Schwarzenneger and Stallone are trying to do today. No, I am not comparing the two action stars to Cary Grant, but they are trying to break out of the action molds that they have created for themselves and lengthen their careers by trying other genres. Grant had great success in many genres. Of course, he was a handsome leading man in many romantic films. He also had great success in screwball comedies ("Arsenic and Old Lace" and "Bringing Up Baby"), War films (both serious and comedic) and thrillers (primarily, films he made with Hitchcock, but also notably "Charade", one of his last films). He was versatile and enjoyed a long career. If Lehman set out to make `The Hitchcock Film To End All Hitchcock Films', Hitchcock almost robbed Grant of one of his more memorable roles. They originally considered Jimmy Stewart. Someone suggested Grant and Grant received The Cary Grant Role to End All Cary Grant Roles. Grant is known for his great looks, his sexy accent, his suave character. These all fit perfectly in the role of Roger Thornhill.
  
  Eva Marie Saint is one of the sexiest Hitchcock blondes, perhaps eclipsed only by Grace Kelly. Saint's portrayal of Eve Kendall pretty much defines what this type of character would be in hundreds of other films. She has to play both sides, never revealing too much to anyone, keeping her cool, trying not to fall in love. It is a difficult balance and Saint achieves it beautifully. She and Grant are so sexy together that it makes the films produced today look tame. In every one of their scenes, they are fully clothed, yet manage to create more sparks than any scene in which the actors are partially naked and simulating actual sex. In a couple of scenes, they spar verbally, flirting with each other. One of the sexiest kisses ever is captured in this film. They are kissing in Eve's train compartment and they move around each other, Thornhill's hands roaming all over Kendall.
  
  As much as Saint creates a character that defines the role, Mason creates a villain that is very scary without ever using physical force. His voice is so rich and full of character that pretty much anything he says can be viewed as threatening and menacing. He seems the perfect characterization of a spy about to sell government secrets.
  
  Martin Landau, in one of his first film roles, creates the role of Leonard, Vandamm's sidekick. Leonard is very devoted to his employer and dislikes Eve Kendall. There are slight homosexual overtones to the character which fit beautifully and help to further complicate the relationships in the film.
  
  Hitchcock is a masterful director, but in the case of "NbNW", he had three very notable contributors. Ernest Lehman created a screenplay that is masterful in its simplicity. He created a story that is suspenseful, memorable and efficient. It moves from one point to the next, never boring us with details that we don't need to know. The dialogue in the film is perhaps the most memorable. Everything is slightly veiled. When Kendall and Thornhill are talking in the dining car, everything they say will eventually lead to their romantic evening. The dialogue is rich and entertaining. More importantly it is not cloying and sentimental. The dialogue also becomes threatening at the drop of a pin, as voice by Vandamm and Leonard.
  
  Frequent Hitchcock contributor Bernard Hermann created one of his most rousing scores for "North By Northwest". What struck me when watching the film again is that there are very long passages with no music. You don't hear that in films produced today. John Williams and Ennio Morricone seem determined to prove their worth, overlaying every frame of film with music that is sure to evoke an emotion. In "NbNW", Hermann uses his music to accentuate the suspense or romance, not to substitute it.
  
  The other contributor that deserves mention is Bob Boyle, the production designer. He and his team recreated Mount Rushmore in a studio and did a very good job. Just a few brief moments of the chase reveal that it is shot on a sound stage, remarkable really when you consider that none of it was actually shot on the monument.
  
  The documentary included with the film is a treat in some ways and disappointing in others. It is great to see Eva Marie Saint again, very beautiful, narrating the documentary. It takes us step by step through the film and the sequence in which it was made. Some great production photos are used to illustrate. I found it disappointing that the documentary made various statements, but then provided no examples. For instance, at one point someone says that they felt tension between Hitch and Grant. Why?
  
  "North By Northwest" is my favorite Hitchcock film and certainly my favorite film. It is the first film I remember seeing in a movie theater, on the big screen. It is a perfect example of the magic that Hollywood can create. It is the perfect example of what Hitchcock could create, frightening us, thrilling us, captivating us.
  
  
  
• The Ultimate In Crackerjack Entertainment!
  By A1BJOEQSRX2IBM on 2000-08-01
  Quintessential Hitchcock. Made just in between Hitchcock's best films; 'Vertigo' and 'Psycho'. 'North By Northwest' is more lighthearted and fun than those films, less psychologically oriented and more glossy good old fashioned entertainment. Hitchcock took the 'innocent man on the run' dilemma he practically invented in 'The 39 Steps' and then further explored in 'Saboteur, but perfected in this classic film. In one of the definitive Cary Grant roles, Grant was in peak form and at his most charming. It's hard to imagine anyone else as Roger Thornhill or any other person who can melt women with just a look, only Grant can do that. Endlessly entertaining and sprinkled with wit and intrigue, one of the classic screen entertainments. This time Eva Marie Saint is the 'icy blonde' a look that obviously appealed to Hitchcock and a lot of actresses are living proof of that; Grace Kelly, Kim Novak, Madeleine Carroll, Janet Leigh, etc. There is an incredibly sexy (and long) kissing sequence that could compare with the one Grand and Ingrid Bergman had in Hitch's 'Notorious', while not as tense or as unbearably sexy it's still as memorable. James Mason is excellent as the villainous Phillip Vandamme and this is one rare occasion when his voice does not seem distracting in fact it kind of fits appropriately. Martin Landau is also equally memorable as Vandamme's thug, there are some homosexual undercurrents to his character. Filled with many memorable scenes like the assassination in the UN, Cary Grant trying to drive a car while drunk and of course the now classic crop-dusting sequence that is pure Hitchcock genius all the way. The cliffhanger ending on Mount Rushmore is incredibly suspenseful and equally memorable. One of the most constantly entertaining films of all time, Hitchcock at his peak and at his most charming. Extras: Hitchcock's usual cameo; this time as the man who barely misses the bus in the beginning credits. From a scale of 1-10 I give this film a 10!
  
  
• Ever had one of those bad days?
  By A3CFT5LHFCB46K on 2002-02-19
  Cary Grant's Roger Thornhill has one of those in Alfred Hitchcock's renowned thriller. In twenty-four hours, he has been kidnapped, mistaken for another man, intoxicated with alcohol and arrested for drunk driving and assaulting an officer. To top it off, he is framed for murder, which leads to a nationwide search. Let's also not forget when he is attacked by a cropdusting plane. Throw in a dangerous villain (James Mason) and his mistress (Eva Marie Saint), superb direction from Hitchcock (Who makes a brief cameo in the film's beginning) and an exciting Bernard Hermann music score, you have yourself quite a ride. The movie has several clichés that were later exhausted in other movies, but that doesn't detract from the fun.

  Considering that it is bargain priced, the DVD of "North by Northwest" is a great buy. The film is presented in a Widescreen Anamorphic transfer that's so well done its almost impossible to tell that it is over forty years old. But the extras are really what set this above. "Destination Hitchcock", hosted by Eva Marie Saint, is a documentary about the making of this movie featuring interviews with Hitchcock's daughter Patricia and screen writer Ernest Lehman (Who also does an audio commentary). A theatrical trailer, a "Hitchcock Trailer", a TV spot, a photo gallery, cast and crew bios and an isolated version of Hermann's music score complete this excellent package.

  Whether you are a fan of one of the stars or of Hitchcock, admire great films or just like entertaining movies, "North by Northwest" should be added to your personal library.

  Favorite quote:
  "I have two ex-wives, a mother and several bartenders depending on me."
  -Roger Thornhill
  
  

• Is this Roger Thornhill or Bond, James Bond?
  By A284WUQS94AQ7A on 2008-09-10
  This 1959 Alfred Hitchcock film was the fourth and last "spy" film that he did with Cary Grant. The others are Suspicion (1941), Notorious (1946), and To Catch a Thief (1955).
  
  I realize that Hitchcock was a close friend of Albert Broccoli (James Bond films)and Cary Grant was the original pick by Albert Broccoli to play James Bond, but the character in this film, Roger Thornhill, reminded so much of James Bond, that I had a hard time trying to convince myself that this isn't a "Bond" film. I realize that Dr. No (the first Bond film) came out in 1962. BUT, was Bond's film character patterned on this wonderful movie? The resemblance is so great, Thornhill even had a martini!
  
  Briefly, Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) is mistaken for a U.S. undercover agent, abducted, framed for murder, nobody believes his story so he's on the run. He meets a counter spy (Eva Marie Saint) and has one of the longest on-screen kisses with her.
  
  This movie has so many great scenes. Among them are the stabbing at the United Nations (where Thornhill was framed for murder), A crop dusting plane that attacked our running hero (which incidently was the influence for the helicopter scene in From Russia With Love---again, Bond) and the great chase around the presidents' faces at Mt. Rushmore.
  
  This film also starred James Mason and Martin Landau.
  
  This is one cinema masterpiece! Watch and enjoy, especially if you like James Bond films, but remember it's not...
  
  
• THE Film Other Thrillers Should Be Judged By!
  By A18RBRV5S99XD8 on 1999-06-13
  Supposedly, Cary Grant, aged 54, was contemplating retirement until Alfred Hitchcock asked a fourth role of him. Thank goodness he went for it! As good as Psycho is, it should never have eclipsed North By Northwest as Hitchcocks most famous film. This is his masterwork, (in my opinion one of the top three best films EVER), and for innumerable reasons the end result is just an astonishing accomplishment. Justifiably famous for those two scenes, (and the cropduster sequence is totally thrilling, though I always wondered why the pilot decided to go kamikaze and plough into the petrol tanker!), it has so much more to recommend it. Grant, present in virtually every scene, is superb, and the Academy should forever hang their heads in shame for ignoring this actor. He is matched, however, by Jessie Royce Landis,(funny already in as much that she was also 54 yet plays his mother!), who is utterly hilarious in her role. Everyone infact is good form, and its a pity that James Mason, in his only Hitchcock performance, is offscreen for an eternity after an impressive initial scene opposite Grant. Alfred Hitchcock simply couldnt have paced this film better, and what a wild ride it is, though if forced to pick a favourite moment it would probably be in the auction room. I can never forget the lady turning to call Grant a "genuine idiot" and him thanking her for it! This is simply scintilating entertainment of the very highest order, I defy any reasonably minded person to weary of it, because the second you see the M.G.M. lion in green, and hear Bernard Herrmans brilliant score, you know your in for one of the biggest treats of your life! Yes it really is THAT good, even after a dozen viewings. If you dont own this, you cant be a serious film fan. PERFECT!
  
  
• What more could you want from a Hitchcock film?
  By A37EWAUG4XSSPT on 2001-06-22
  After seeing some other Hitchcock films on television like Vertigo, Psycho, and Rope, I decided to purchase North By Northwest.

  At first, I was afraid that the DVD would be less than perfect, but I was very wrong.

  The picture quality is outstanding. The colors are dead-on accurate and detail is everywhere. The letterboxing acheives a nice frame, the way the film was intended for. The sound is crystal clear and sounds better than theater quality.

  The extras are also excellent. The documentary is very entertaining and informative, as is the commentary by Ernest Lehman. The trailers and TV spots are interesting because of their vintage quality. (The Hitchcock trailer is neat.) The photo gallery offers some neat photographs (nearly 40!). The inclusion of spanish and french audio tracks is great so that more people can be introduced to this excellent film. The music-only track is great since Bernard Herrmann's score is exquisitely great.

  As with most Warner DVD's, the movie has a high number of chapter stops, which allows more access to scenes in the movie. The film is also enhanced for widescreen televisions, which makes the quality even better. Warners has a tastefully short and simple DVD intro with their company logo that lets you get to the movie quickly unlike Disney/Touchstone DVD's.

  Warners knows that people want the main attraction, the film, and they satisfy that want. Also, the DVD cover is nice and comes in a simple snapper case, which is less likely to damage the disc.

  This film has everything you could want from a movie...

  Action, Romance, Suspense, Humor, Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, clever script by Lehman... and of course, Alfred Hitchcock's direction.

  If you're wondering if you should purchase this fine DVD, don't hesitate.
  
  

• Great movie ... but watch for mistakes
  By A1ZH086GZYL5MZ on 2002-04-16
  "North by Northwest" has been hailed as one of director Alfred Hitchcock's greatest masterpieces. In terms of script, acting and intrigue, that is absolutely true. "North by Northwest" can be enjoyed for the same reasons as virtually ever other Hitchcock film, particularly because they keep the viewer guessing until the very end.

  However, "North by Northwest" adds another dimension for your viewing interest. It is perhaps the worst-edited movie of its quality that I've ever seen. There are hanging boom mikes, reflections in mirrors, and visible scenery curtains. Two things to particularly look for: the missing roof on Cary Grant's cab near the beginning of the film, and a little boy with his hands on his ears BEFORE Eva Marie Saint even produces her pistol in the Mount Rushmore cafeteria. The missing roof might not be visible in some prints, especially those which have been modified for TV screens, but the boy is evident in every version and is always a howl for those who know he's there.

  Even with the errors, "North by Northwest" is a wonderful movie, and is something worth owning -- particularly on widescreen DVD, so you can freeze, and even magnify, the mistakes!
  
  

• Beware the average transfer!!!!!!!!!!!
  By A3BFJFJRXMWXAX on 2002-11-13
  For those of you who are Hitchcock fanatics, pleased with only the most complete and perfect versions of his films, keep looking. This movie is as great as it ever was, but the DVD treatment here is pretty bad. The picture and sound elements need some major help. The extras are nice, but you are paying for the FILM after all aren't you!? So move right along and keep your eyes open for a Criterion Collection edition. This film deserves MUCH, MUCH more.
  
  
• Whirling Dervish Handled by Masters Hitchcock and Grant
  By A13E0ARAXI6KJW on 2004-12-12
  A sublime, suspenseful confection from Alfred Hitchcock, 1959's "North by Northwest" has become a classic addition to the master's canon even though it lacks the risk-taking gravity of his then-just-released "Vertigo" or the blood-curdling thrills of his next classic film, "Psycho". This stands the test of time as a sophisticated thriller that is alternately clever and contrived, fast-paced and glamorous.
  
  It is the ideal showcase for the debonair but innately accessible Cary Grant, starring as the prototypical wronged man who unwillingly embarks on a perilous odyssey away from the comfortably insulated life he led. Grant seems to thrive best when his character, a successful Madison Avenue advertising executive named Roger Thornhill, is put in inexplicable situations that build into a series of unforeseen events leading ultimately to a seemingly conspiratorial group of spies and assassins by way of a variety of locales that includes Grand Central Station, the United Nations building and Mount Rushmore. For someone used to making up the "truth" in advertising copy for marketing purposes, Thornhill is vulnerable to his own medicine at a much higher cost...his life. After getting abducted by a pair of thugs, he is forced to drink a pint of bourbon under the mistaken assumption that he is a government undercover Federal agent. A murder frame-up follows, and then he is on the run as an implicated suspect. He takes on yet another identity while confronted with even more mayhem and a world of espionage, an unbelieving mother, and Eve Kendall, a mysterious blonde, played with surprising elan by Eva Marie Saint. One wonders why she didn't play more femme fatales during her career...she seems a natural at it. Is it all a little too far-fetched? You bet. But under Hitchcock's sure direction and recognizable visual style, it is also one of the most supremely entertaining of movies.
  
  There are a plethora of memorable scenes, set pieces really for Hitchcock to concoct some suspense in order to showcase his unique visual style. These include the wonderful crop-dusting sequence where Thornhill tries to outrun a nefarious biplane into a dried-up cornfield, the knifing of the real Lester Townsend at the UN and the final scaling of Mount Rushmore's Presidential faces to escape the villains. That's where appropriately the final salvation occurs, and Thornhill and Kendall then end up in the upper berth of a Pullman car just as they started. The film is filled with many humorous touches such as Thornhill's drunken scene at the police station (preceded by a rather politically incorrect drunk driving chase sequence), the extended seduction scenes between Thornhill and Kendall on the train, the auction scene where Thornhill is trying to get captured by the police to avoid the spies, and his unexpected marriage proposal as the lovers hang precariously between Washington's and Jefferson's foreheads. James Mason lends his particular savoir faire to the role of duplicitous foreign spy Phillip Vandamm, and a young Martin Landau is appropriately sinister as the sexually questionable henchman, Leonard. Much of the credit for the film's success belongs to Ernest Lehman, who penned the original screenplay, and Bernard Herrmann for his atmospheric score. The DVD includes a brief, informative making-of documentary hosted by Saint.
  
  
• CLASSIC CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY'S WORST CASE SCENARIO --- MAKES A BEST CASE CLASSIC FILM
  By A26HFSVLAGULIM on 2005-12-17
  IN A NUTSHELL -- Is "NORTH BY NORTHWEST" - A COMEDY? THRILLER? DRAMA? LOVE STORY or FARCE?
  
  Answer - It doesn't matter, because, North-By-Northwest is one of the most purely entertaining and compelling films ever produced, and it is readily available on a fully-featured, remastered, widescreen DVD.
  
  WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT: A lot of film for $4,000,000 in 1959!
  
  Mistaken identity is taken about as far afield as it can go, with some wrinkles thrown in, like murder, attempted murder, love, betrayal, and plot twists on plot twists. Add to this, the pace of this film really books!
  
  THE HITCHCOCK TRADEMARK TAKES CENTER-STAGE: GOOD GUY WITH A FLAW - ENTER R.O.T.
  
  Just like Janet Leigh's character in "Psycho" and James Stewart's character in "Vertigo", the hero in "North-By-Northwest" has a character flaw that's going to cost him big. In Roger O. Thornhill's case he makes a living by capricious, harmless "exaggeration". He is in advertising and in this movie everything that happens to him seems like sensationalism, hyperbole, misrepresentation, stretching the truth, a whopper, overkill, and a lot of bull. All of which are synonyms for "exaggeration", how R.O.T. describes his occupation to put a fine point on it. The effect of this kind of literary justice is to put R.O.T. in a position where he must examine his soul and decide to take a position rather than a viewpoint. In doing this, he reaches a well-earned epiphany for both himself and his patient audience. In the end, his life is not only restored but is new and improved, as they say in advertising, with Eva Marie Saint becoming Mrs. Thornhill as his reward for sincere caring and many unselfish acts. In the end, goodness becomes more than its own reward as it can only be counted on in fiction: ah, but such good fiction was this.
  
  THE SETS:
  
  North-By-Northwest was filmed on many locations in the United States and made to look like many more. There are memorable scenes in the United Nations in New York, Chicago, Mount Rushmore and even on Long Island, not to mention on the train with Eva Marie Saint and Cary Grant from New York to Chicago. There are On-Location shots and matte backgrounds depicting outdoor sets filmed in Hollywood at MGM. Many of the interesting and unusual sets are explained in the featurette, all of which are well done and are very useful and important to the film's realism, which remains surprisingly intact throughout all the permutations in the plot and scenery.
  
  BRAVO FOR THE SOUNDTRACK:
  
  LET'S NOT FORGET THE MARVELOUSLY DARK SOUNDTRACK by Bernard Herrmann which made long scenes like Grant's drunk-driving fiasco seem tense rather than tedious.
  
  THE ACTORS:
  
  Cary Grant is Roger O. Thornhill, or is that George Kaplan? You'll have to see the film to know for sure. His mother, Clara Thornhill, played by Jesse Royce Landis, isn't even sure, it seems, when Grant's life has been hijacked apparently without cause. James Mason as Phillip Vandamm is the unconventional leader of an international spy ring that has just marked Cary Grant for death. Unfortunately for Grant, but fortunately for us, he has little in common with most action heros so his solutions are also a little unconventional and more sophisticated than the usual Hollywood hero's.
  
  The result is fast-paced action entertainment that keeps the large, experienced cast of Hollywood veterans quite busy and the audience guessing.
  
  Cary Grant - Roger O. Thornhill
  Eva Marie Saint - Eve Kendall
  James Mason - Phillip Vandamm
  Jesse Royce Landis - Clara Thornhill
  Leo G. Carroll - The Professor
  Martin Landau - Leonard
  Philip Ober - Lester Townsend
  Josephine Hutchinson - "Mrs. Townsend," housekeeper
  Adam Williams - Valerian
  Edward Platt - Victor Larrabee
  Robert Ellenstein - Licht
  Les Tremayne - Auctioneer
  Philip Coolidge - Dr. Cross
  Patrick McVey - Chicago Policeman
  Edward Binns - Capt. Junket
  Alfred Hitchcock - Man Who Misses Bus
  
  ABOUT THE DVD:
  
  This excellent transfer comes with the following;
  
  DVD Features:
  Available Subtitles: English, French
  Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), French (Dolby Digital 1.0)
  
  Commentary by: screenwriter Ernest Lehman -- Somewhat dry and not really coordinated with what is happening on screen but it is, after all, comments by the screenwriter so it is worth listening to at least once if you are interested.
  
  Destination Hitchcock: The Making of North by Northwest, with host Eva Marie Saint, Martin Landau, screenwriter Ernest Lehman, Patricia Hitchcock and others. This is a somewhat interesting 40-minute featurette, the high point of which is Martin Landau doing an excellent impression of Hitchcock during minute 28 of the 40-minute featurette.
  
  Music-only track: Music-only audio track showcasing Bernard Herrmann's score, Stills gallery, Hitchcock trailer gallery plus Widescreen anamorphic and full-screen formats! Not bad for $8.00!
  
  BOTTOM LINE:
  
  North-By-Northwest is my favorite Hitchcock film. For me, it is the Hitchcock film that stands up best to nearly a half century of repeated viewings.
  
  
• Mr. Spielberg and Mr. Lucas, meet the master...
  By A3AUECYM0M0YSX on 2006-03-19
  The first thing that struck me about this film when I settled down to watch the DVD is that North by Northwest is now forty-seven years old! (Perhaps I should have waited three more years to buy the 50th anniversary special DVD they no doubt will be issuing.) The second thing that struck me is that today's youngsters who are reviewing the DVD for various web sites have been polluted with so many bad modern movies that they can't really appreciate this brilliant collaboration. Sure, they all give film good reviews, but I also read comments such as, "as good as The Matrix," and "interesting despite all the talking." I think secretly a lot of younger reviewers would have liked this film a lot better if it had more fist fights, less explanation, better special effects, maybe a topless scene, and bigger fireballs in the explosions. Instead, we have one reviewer carping that Eva Marie Saint "isn't credible" in her role. Is Angelina Jolie credible in any of hers? Does anyone really believe that ancient Greeks looked like Brad Pitt? (Check out some of their pottery or mosaics sometime.)
  
  Movies have always been stylized to the eras in which they are made. Excellent as it is, even such a "realistic" experiment in freedom as Robert Altman's MASH now has a certain "hyperrealistic" quality. Frederick Wiseman demonstrated a long time ago the introduction of the camera compromises any hope of "realism." It's a lesson seemingly forgotten in this age of so-called Reality TV.
  
  This may seem a long way from North By Northwest, that most classic of Hollywood Hitch films, but it is not. Hitchcock and collaborator Ernest Lehman turned out a film that was a thoroughly thought-through work *in the world that they created.* The director even shut down production one day till he could figure out a how a character in the film could have known a minor but important detail--he couldn't just ask Lehman, because Lehman was in Europe at the time. Can you imagine a director today worrying because a minor detail was irrational?? Films only get shut down today if the shipments of coke stop making it to the set.
  
  And this is an airtight world we get in N/NW, with every line of dialogue, every scene, every gesture contributing to the whole. There is no wasted motion. No moments that were there just because they looked good (Lehman and Hitchcock had in mind several set pieces that were dropped from the final story, simply because they couldn't find a logical way to work them in.) Contrast this to something like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which though a wonderful film in its own way is filled with scenes that don't really lead anywhere or make sense. (Why not just build Devil's tower in your yard instead of your living room? Why associate hand signals with a series of notes when you don't know what those gestures may mean to extraterrestrials? Why not implant the vision of the mountain into the minds of the scientists too, instead of sending them longitude and latitude readings?) There is something about the way great filmmakers and writers respected audience intelligence back in the days of Hitch and Lehman (and Lean, and Attenborough, and Wise and Wilder and Wyler and Kazan, etc.) that's missing today.
  
  Warner, meanwhile, which owns the MGM catalog these days, did wonders with the transfer of this film. It looks stunning, without a single nick or scratch and no sign of fading. Only the 1950s-style technicolor belies the age. The Dolby digital 5.1 sound is crystal clear, with a very vivid and dynamic remastering of Bernard Herrmann's kinetic score (also available as a separate "music only" track if you wish) and some real sound-effects enhancements, especially in the crop-duster sequence. Don't expect THX-boominess, but the film doesn't need it. For once, DVD menus are effective and clever without being obnoxious and tedious.
  
  Included are two trailers--one features Hitch himself in a tongue-in-cheek narration. Both are anamorphic-unusual for trailers--and both are in good shape for their age. There's also an anamorphic B/W trailer made for television. A stills gallery and cast bios are included. Then there's a scene-by-scene commentary from screenwriter Ernest Lehman. It drags in places, but it's interesting to have. (I'd love to have a second commentary track from a film historian as well.) Finally, there's a documentary, "Destination Hitchcock," hosted by one of the few surviving cast members, Eva Marie Saint. It's interesting and well-done, though I would have preferred even more information than is offered here. How, for example, did they manage the huge train station crowd sequences, back in the days before they were adept at shooting in huge public spaces? (Hitch always preferred to work on studio sets, and used rear-projection as much as he could get away with.) Still, this documentary must have been entertaining; I estimated it to be about 20 minutes long when I watched it, and was surprised to find it's actually 40, so time must have flown.
  
  You'll never get two people to agree on what Alfred Hitchcock's "best" film or films was/were. Attempting to decide may even be silly--best by what measure? N/NW, though well-done, certainly didn't break any cinematic ground. It isn't the experiment that Psycho, Rope, Rear Window, Lifeboat, and Spellbound were. Yet if you were to ask me what his most "entertaining" picture was, I'd name this one without hesitation. Yet it's more than just entertaining. Without moralizing or pontificating, screenwriter Ernest Lehman manages to get in some sly cuts about the Cold War as well as interesting observations on the overly-insulated, outwardly-prosperous, blatantly-hypocritical America of the 1950s. In a way, he and Hitch were trying to show Americans what was really going on while most people led comfortable, fat lives where advertising companies tried to convince us our breath wasn't fresh enough and our cars weren't big enough. It's the evil lurking just below the surface of Betty Crocker America. In that regard the film is plenty "realistic" and plenty powerful...much more so than the juvenilia of the "Matrix" Trilogy.
  
  
• THE WRONG MAN THEME DIRECTED BY THE RIGHT MAN : STARRING THE RIGHT MAN
  By A2TWIZ33KJCQ54 on 2006-06-06
  CLASSIC CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY'S WORST CASE SCENARIO --- MAKES A BEST CASE CLASSIC FILM
  
  JUST WHAT IS "NORTH BY NORTHWEST" - A COMEDY? THRILLER? DRAMA? LOVE STORY or FARCE?
  
  Answer - It doesn't matter, because, North-By-Northwest is one of the most purely entertaining and compelling films ever produced, and it is readily available on a fully-featured, remastered, widescreen DVD.
  
  WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT - - THE $4,000,000 BARGAIN OF 1959!
  
  Mistaken identity is taken about as far afield as it can go, with some wrinkles thrown in, like murder, attempted murder, love, betrayal, and plot twists on plot twists. Add to this, the pace of this film really books!
  
  THE HITCHCOCK TRADEMARK TAKES CENTER-STAGE: GOOD GUY WITH A FLAW - ENTER R.O.T.
  
  Just like Janet Leigh's character in "Psycho" and James Stewart's character in "Vertigo", the hero in "North-By-Northwest" has a character flaw that's going to cost him big. In Roger O. Thornhill's case he makes a living by capricious, harmless "exaggeration". He is in advertising and in this movie everything that happens to him seems like sensationalism, hyperbole, misrepresentation, stretching the truth, a whopper, overkill, and a lot of bull. All of which are synonyms for "exaggeration", how R.O.T. describes his occupation to put a fine point on it. The effect of this kind of literary justice is to put R.O.T. in a position where he must examine his soul and decide to take a position rather than a viewpoint. In doing this, he reaches a well-earned epiphany for both himself and his patient audience. In the end, his life is not only restored but is new and improved, as they say in advertising, with Eva Marie Saint becoming Mrs. Thornhill as his reward for sincere caring and many unselfish acts. In the end, goodness becomes more than its own reward as it can only be counted on in fiction: ah, but such good fiction was this.
  
  THE SETS - -
  
  North-By-Northwest was filmed on many locations in the United States and made to look like many more. There are memorable scenes in the United Nations in New York, Chicago, Mount Rushmore and even on Long Island, not to mention on the train with Eva Marie Saint and Cary Grant from New York to Chicago. There are On-Location shots and matte backgrounds depicting outdoor sets filmed in Hollywood at MGM. Many of the interesting and unusual sets are explained in the featurette, all of which are well done and are very useful and important to the film's realism, which remains surprisingly intact throughout all the permutations in the plot and scenery.
  
  NICE SOUNDTRACK - -
  
  LET'S NOT FORGET THE MARVELOUSLY DARK SOUNDTRACK by Bernard Herrmann which made long scenes like Grant's drunk-driving fiasco seem tense rather than tedious.
  
  THE ACTORS - -
  
  Cary Grant is Roger O. Thornhill, or is that George Kaplan? You'll have to see the film to know for sure. His mother, Clara Thornhill, played by Jesse Royce Landis, isn't even sure, it seems, when Grant's life has been hijacked apparently without cause. James Mason as Phillip Vandamm is the unconventional leader of an international spy ring that has just marked Cary Grant for death. Unfortunately for Grant, but fortunately for us, he has little in common with most action heros so his solutions are also a little unconventional and more sophisticated than the usual Hollywood hero's.
  
  The result is fast-paced action entertainment that keeps the large, experienced cast of Hollywood veterans quite busy and the audience guessing.
  
  Cary Grant - Roger O. Thornhill
  Eva Marie Saint - Eve Kendall
  James Mason - Phillip Vandamm
  Jesse Royce Landis - Clara Thornhill
  Leo G. Carroll - The Professor
  Martin Landau - Leonard
  Philip Ober - Lester Townsend
  Josephine Hutchinson - "Mrs. Townsend," housekeeper
  Adam Williams - Valerian
  Edward Platt - Victor Larrabee
  Robert Ellenstein - Licht
  Les Tremayne - Auctioneer
  Philip Coolidge - Dr. Cross
  Patrick McVey - Chicago Policeman
  Edward Binns - Capt. Junket
  Alfred Hitchcock - Man Who Misses Bus
  
  ABOUT THE DVD - -
  
  This excellent transfer comes with the following;
  
  DVD Features:
  Available Subtitles: English, French
  Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), French (Dolby Digital 1.0)
  
  Commentary by: screenwriter Ernest Lehman -- Somewhat dry and not really coordinated with what is happening on screen but it is, after all, comments by the screenwriter so it is worth listening to at least once if you are interested.
  
  Destination Hitchcock: The Making of North by Northwest, with host Eva Marie Saint, Martin Landau, screenwriter Ernest Lehman, Patricia Hitchcock and others. This is a somewhat interesting 40-minute featurette, the high point of which is Martin Landau doing an excellent impression of Hitchcock during minute 28 of the 40-minute featurette.
  
  Music-only track: Music-only audio track showcasing Bernard Herrmann's score, Stills gallery, Hitchcock trailer gallery plus Widescreen anamorphic and full-screen formats! Not bad for $8.00!
  
  IN THE END - -
  
  Without a doubt, "North-By-Northwest" is my favorite Hitchcock film. For me, it is the Hitchcock film that stands up best to nearly a half century of repeated viewings. "NORTH BY NORTHWEST" is a case of the right men [Hitchcock & Grant] making a most entertaining 'Wrong Man' film.
  
  
• �I�ve got a job, a secretary, a mother, ....
  By A2S166WSCFIFP5 on 2002-04-14
  ... two ex-wives, and several bartenders dependent on me.� (Carey Grant)

  This movie has it all. A great (original) script by Ernest Lehman. One of Bernard Hermann�s scores. James Mason playing a sinister villain. Martin Landau and even more chilling villain and in his strongest performance in a supporting role. Eva Marie Saint (who I wouldn�t have picked for the female lead, but then that�s why I�m not the one making movies this good) at her sultry best. Carey Grant, always debonair, the very picture of suave, in the best role he ever had. And the best filmmaker ever: Alfred Hitchcock. There�s the one-liners that only Grant can deliver. Humor. Drama. Suspense. There�s a murder in the UN. A chase in a cornfield by a bi-plane, which is one of the most famous chase scenes. And a fight across Mount Rushmore. The Hitchcock film to end all Hitchcock films.

  I�ve seen DVD�s that contain more extras and I�ve seen DVDs that contain less. This has some 50 production stills, the tv trailer, the theatrical trailer, and the Hitchcock trailer. There is a 40 minute documentary on the making of the movie. The documentary just covers the basics, so don�t expect all the hard details, but it�s worth watching. Unfortunately neither Hitch nor Carey Grant were around to do a commentary, so the next best thing, Ernest Lehman, did the commentary. Actually, it turns out that his interview for the making of documentary (in its less edited form) is what�s laid out over the movie. Which might explain why there are large gaps of no commentary and why there aren�t as many insights as to why he wrote a scene one way versus another. You do get some colorful stories about Hitch and the making of this movie, and at one point Lehman goes into detail about the writing of the script. It�s not the best commentary I�ve seen, but worthwhile. There is also a music only track for the serious student of Hitchcock. It�s probably not something anyone other than a film student is going to watch (over two hours with no dialogue and at times no music takes a certain level of commitment). But if you want to see just how effective Hermann�s score is, there is no better way to do it.

  North By Northwest is one of my favorite movies and one of the best movies ever made. The DVD isn�t spectacular but it does contain a few perks.
  
  

• Amazing!
  By A2TV6SBCWT7P8S on 2002-07-05
  North by Northwest is one of my all-time favorite movies. From start to finish, NxNW is a roller-coaster ride you'll want to watch again and again. It is thrilling, exciting and at times totally hilarious. Essentially, it's about Roger O. Thornhill, a confident and charming advertising executive, who is mistaken for a government agent and is consequently chased across the country. He is set on the road drunk, forced to hide in train compartments, crop-dusted (a classic sequence), trapped in auction, and finally chased across Mount Rushmore. Movies don't get any better than this.

  As for the cast, it is excellent! Cary Grant gives a perfect performance as Roger O. Thornhill - and he is hilarious and charming, as ever! Eva Marie Saint is also very good, as the mysterious and glamorous girl Cary meets on the train. James Mason does a wonderful job playing the debonair but evil villian.

  Directed by Hitchcock, this is a great comedy/thriller - in my opinion, it is Hitchcock's best movie! Additionally, it is a good idea to get the DVD, because the movie is astonishingly sharp and clear and there are plenty of special features. 100% worth your money! If you haven't seen this, by all means do, and if you have, get a DVD you can watch again and again!
  
  

• Overrated
  By on 2004-06-09
  The plot has more loopholes than a fishnet. A good thriller should have a logical and coherent plot, this one is all dramatic and no logic. Sadly because its famous the film isn't reviewed based on its merits but its reputation.
  
  
• Hitchcock's Best - and worth another look due to 9-11 Attack
  By AD9WTAOAFUZA4 on 2001-11-08
  I was fortunate to have studied this movie in detail during a college film class, and 20 years later, it remains my favorite all time Alfred Hitchcock flick (and the master justifies many of my favorites over time.) Very few films are able to retain the one-two punch of being classics within a genre and remain remarkably fresh, accessible and fun (yes, even fun!) Cary Grant is amazing throughout as the executive mistaken for someone else by both criminals and the authorities. Few of his contemporaries (or even actors since Grant's glory days) ever mastered the dual qualities of being both manly and approachable which Grant offers in spades. He is the everyday simple man, on the order of a James Stewart, and yet, a leading man matinee idol that has charmed viewers for decades. He lures you with his affect, but never in a way that feels tired or condescending, always with good nature and a crooked eyebrow that knows more about life than most full fledged characters ever placed on screen.

  The movie moves from New York through the Heartland, to fields of corn, to a climax that is visually and emotionally stunning. The supporting characters all lend crediblity to the zig zag tale that rarely allows the viewer to catch his or her breath. Eva Marie Saint and James Mason are especially delicious, and the viewer is forced repeatedly to question whether they are good guys, bad guys or neither, which only adds to the fun.

  Great actors and filmmaking aside, what makes "North By Northwest" especially important in today's world are its still-vital themes and how these relate to the ever-changing world we live in. Cases of mistaken identity are more present now than before, as Muslims and Arab Americans confront the spectacle of being reduced to second class citizens despite their long, proud history and embrace of American values, and the American Dream itself. Grant's character is literally hounded by both good and evil, but retains intact his inner virtues, and knows deep inside where he stands, like our Muslim and Arab countrymen, and most of the world's human population.

  In addition, Grant's "everyman" could be any one of us which adds to the suspense and allows us to feel a bond with this character that is rare among Hitchcock leads. In fact, Hitchcock seems to have originated "racial profiling" here - albeit for the omnipresent "white man." If you think about it, mistaken identities are often the driving force behind racial profiling and the Master truly drives this point home. Again, knowing this only makes the film more impoactful and adds to its universality today.

  Finally, in an era of bioterrorism and unprecendented disasters like the attacks on the World Trade Centers of 9-11, "North by Northwest" seems more contemporary now than even 30+ years ago. The cropduster scene takes on new resonance given what we're witnessing at the moment with anthrax, and the days immediately following the terrorist events, when cropdusters and other small planes were forced to suspend operation.

  Plus, the events of September 11th appear supremely tied to what transpires at Mt Rushmore during near the end of the film. Think about it - like the hijacker's destruction of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, beloved icons for modern Americans, the Presidential busts carved into the side of the mountain as used in the film are literally extensions of our pride, patriotism, heritage and history. They represent all that "is good" in America, and applaud the democracy that has led the world for centuries to new, unparalleled glories. The evil characters in the film are foiled by the mountain, and the all-American Grant endures (as shall we.) While a mountain can't implode like the Towers themselves, the ground around them can be desacrated by murderers, and Hitchcock foreshadows the tragedies of 9-11 with uncanny vision. The four Presidents on the mountain seem to stare down at Grant and give him the power to go on, while at the same time toppling the assailants. Like them, our 6 living Presidents, from Ford to Bush, have crossed party lines and formed unilateral, unprecedented loyalty in the fact of terror. If only life were fiction like Hitchcock's tale, perhaps the themes he presents would not be as terrifyingly real as they actually feel at this fateful moment in time! I hate to read into this, but Hitchcock speaks volumes in this film about the nature of our culture, the values that sustain and inspire us, as well as the forces that would prefer to see us destroyed.

  On DVD, "North by Northwest", reaffirms its status as the Master's truest work of art and renews his position as the greatest filmmaker of his day. You can escape with this movie, but realize that, more today than ever the film generates a passion and vision that is more real, more intense and far more frieghtening than ever before. Justice prevails, as it always does, yet Hitchcock makes the viewer go through hell first! Just like the world's civilized nations are coping with terror today, so does the Grant character. A joyous, supreme example of filmmaking that is unparalleled both in its cinematic achievment as well as its topicality.
  
  

• As close to perfect as a film can get.
  By AL4MKKO24563R on 2002-06-22
  When you look at North By Northwest closely, you see many parts from Alfred Hitchcock's other films. The premise, a man accused of a crime he didn't commit, was used in The 39 Steps, Strangers on a Train, To Catch a Thief and The Wrong Man, to name a few. Eva Marie Saint, not known as a glamour girl, was remade by Hitchcock to mimic Grace Kelly's cool, blonde beauty. Cary Grant's escape in the auction scene recalls Robert Donat's similar scene in The 39 Steps. The climax on Mount Rushmore recalls the fight on The Statue of Liberty in Saboteur. Even Cary Grant is, in a way, a "retread," having appeared in Suspicion, Notorious and To Catch a Thief. As one film critic put it, North By Northwest is a summation of Hitchcock's work.

  However, to simply dismiss North By Northwest as a retread would be like calling Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band just another Beatles album. EVERYTHING works perfectly in this movie with memorable scene after memorable scene (Grant's drunk driving escape, the murder at the U.N., the cropduster attack, Mount Rushmore, etc., etc., etc.). Robert Burks' terrific photography greatly enhances the actors and the locations. George Tomasini's editing maintains a crisp pace. Bernard Herrmann's score is a standout, even when compared to his large body of great work (that's really saying something considering his great scores for Citizen Kane, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Vertigo, Psycho and Taxi Driver, among others). And Ernest Lehman's script is one of the wittiest and most entertaining screenplays in film history. Add to that the great locations like New York City, Chicago and Mount Rushmore and you've got the elements of a classic.

  However, the film's greatest strength lies in its casting and performances, especially by Grant. Grant, Saint, James Mason, Leo G. Carroll, Martin Landau and Jessie Royce Landis form a terrific ensemble. Grant's performance, in particular, is wonderful. Present in almost every scene, Grant is the glue that holds the film together. With a weaker actor in the role, the film would have fallen apart. Like Hitchcock himself, Cary Grant wasn't truly appreciated during his career and was more than the one-dimensional charmer many people took him for. Grant perfectly conveys the situation of a confident Madison Avenue ad man who quickly loses control over his life. He has to express confidence, bewilderment, sadness, panic, lust, betrayal and triumph and does so magnificently. It's a shining moment in Grant's great career.

  The DVD is terrific, the best feature of which is a great documentary hosted by Eva Marie Saint. (Among other facts revealed, the original title of the film was "The Man in Lincoln's Nose). It's a fitting presentation for a great film. Along with Vertigo and Psycho, North By Northwest marks the absolute best of Alfred Hitchcock's work. It doesn't get any better than this just about perfect film.
  
  

• Fantastic Boxed Set for a Brilliant Movie
  By A20JYIHL1W1U54 on 2002-10-18
  NORTH BY NORTHWEST is a brilliant piece of filmmaking from Alfred Hitchcock. This boxed set (ASIN: B0000683U7) is a great commemorative DVD to have of this classic film. Besides the DVD, you get a set of reproduction Lobby Cards in color, a reproduction 1 Sheet Poster, b&w stills and an actual celluloid frame from a copy of the film. The sound has been remastered in stereo and never sounded better. Bernard Herrmann's score really stands out. The print is brilliantly sharp and colorful. However, most of all, I never realized just how entertaining this film is and how it has stood the test of time. They just don't make them like this anymore.
  
  

• To Catch a Thief (Special Collector's Edition)
• Rear Window (Universal Legacy Series)
• Vertigo (Universal Legacy Series)
• Dial M for Murder
• Charade