Cary Grant
Roger O. Thornhill/George Kaplan
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North by Northwest is a tale of mistaken identity, with an innocent man pursued across the United States by agents of a mysterious organization trying to prevent him from blocking their plan to smuggle microfilm, which contains government secrets, out of the country.
A classic action adventure mystery film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint. Learn about the plot, cast, trivia, awards, and more on IMDb, the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content.
- Alfred Hitchcock
- 3 min
- IT WAS CONCEIVED WHILE ITS WRITER AND DIRECTOR WERE SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING ON SOMETHING ELSE. MGM hired Ernest Lehman (Sweet Smell of Success) to write the movie version of a novel called The Wreck of the Mary Deare, with Alfred Hitchcock assigned to direct.
- THE MOVIE WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT BERNARD HERRMANN. The legendary film composer, a Hitchcock collaborator since 1955's The Trouble with Harry, is the one who introduced Hitchcock to Ernest Lehman, thinking they'd hit it off.
- JAMES STEWART WANTED TO PLAY THE LEAD. Stewart had been in four Hitchcock movies at this point, and he wanted North by Northwest to be the fifth. But while Hitch loved him, he didn't think he was right for the glibly debonair Roger Thornhill.
- CARY GRANT HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS GOING ON. The star found the screenplay baffling, and midway through filming told Hitchcock, "It's a terrible script.
This classic suspense film finds New York City ad executive Roger O. Thornhill (Cary Grant) pursued by ruthless spy Phillip Vandamm (James Mason) after Thornhill is mistaken for a government agent.
- (115)
- Mystery & Thriller
May 19, 2024 · What is North By Northwest 65th Anniversary about? An advertising executive (Cary Grant) finds himself in a lethal cross-country chase after being mistaken for a spy. Nominated for three Academy Awards®, including one for screenwriter Ernest Lehman, the film also features iconic performances by Eva Marie Saint and James Mason.
- (80.1K)
- Alfred Hitchcock
Apr 8, 2024 · North by Northwest is widely regarded as the classic Hitchcock film. It features taut suspense and black humour—the script was by Ernest Lehman, who received an Academy Award nomination—and has all the hallmarks of a Hitchcock movie, including the theme of mistaken identity.
A New York advertising executive is mistaken for a government agent and pursued by foreign spies across the US. He meets a mysterious blonde who helps him, but she may not be who she seems.
![North by Northwest | Hitchcock’s Classic Thriller [1959] | Britannica](https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=North+by+Northwest&ei=UTF-8&age=1w&th=111.4&tw=166.1&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.britannica.com%2F99%2F176699-050-797B541E%2FCary-Grant-North-Northwest-Alfred-Hitchcock.jpg&rurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.britannica.com%2Ftopic%2FNorth-by-Northwest&size=197KB&name=North+by+Northwest+%7C+Hitchcock%E2%80%99s+Classic+Thriller+%5B1959%5D+%7C+Britannica&oid=1&h=1074&w=1600&turl=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.vPB55tPVTs0QeJ88b3P7swHaE-%26pid%3DApi%26rs%3D1%26c%3D1%26qlt%3D95%26w%3D166%26h%3D111&tt=North+by+Northwest+%7C+Hitchcock%E2%80%99s+Classic+Thriller+%5B1959%5D+%7C+Britannica&sigr=9OZuiHFhZNHF&sigit=Tg3xErBjUj8N&sigi=a6ADCTh3MNrH&sign=MMqnxURG.FHC&sigt=MMqnxURG.FHC "North by Northwest | Hitchcock’s Classic Thriller [1959] | Britannica")
