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IMDb > North by Northwest (1959)
North by Northwest
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North by Northwest (1959) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 59 | slideshow) Videos (see all 8)
North by Northwest (1959) -- Alfred Hitchcock gives a tour of the film in this trailer for the Special Edition DVD and Blu-Ray release.
North by Northwest (1959) -- Trailer two for this Hitchcock classic
North by Northwest (1959) -- AllTrailers.net - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
8.6/10   85,882 votes
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Up 2% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
Ernest Lehman (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for North by Northwest on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
17 September 1959 (Japan) more
Tagline:
Alfred Hitchcock takes you.... North by Northwest! more
Plot:
A hapless New York advertising executive is mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and is pursued across the country while he looks for a way to survive. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 3 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(75 articles)
The 2009 RopeofSilicon Movie Awards and Full Recap
 (From Rope Of Silicon. 4 January 2010, 11:29 AM, PST)

Robert's Best of Blu-ray 2009 Top Ten
 (From TheHDRoom. 1 January 2010, 9:13 AM, PST)

User Reviews:
Worth it just to see the the crop duster chase more (370 total)


Additional Details

Also Known As:
Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest (USA) (complete title)
Breathless (USA) (working title)
In a Northwesterly Direction (USA) (working title)
The Man in Lincoln's Nose (USA) (working title)
more
Runtime:
131 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System) | Dolby SR | Dolby Digital
Certification:
Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (2000) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | UK:A (1959) | USA:Approved (PCA #19156) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Iceland:L | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | South Korea:12 | Netherlands:AL (DVD rating) | Netherlands:12 (re-rating) | Netherlands:12 (2008 re-release) | Brazil:14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:G (1959-1998) | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:12 (re-rating) | Peru:14 | UK:PG | West Germany:16 (original rating) | Norway:16

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Roger O. Thornhill claims that the "O" stands for "nothing". This is a reference to David O. Selznick, whose "O" also signified nothing. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: When the Mercedes carrying Roger is balanced on the rocky cliff, the left rear wheel is spinning in the air. Moments later, the car drives back on to the road. In a rear wheel drive car from the 1950's, all of the torque would be delivered to the free wheel, making it impossible for the car to move without being pushed or pulled. more
Quotes:
Man at Prairie Crossing: That's funny, that plane's dustin' crops where there ain't no crops. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Plotting 'Family Plot' (2001) (V) more
Soundtrack:
Singin' in the Rain more

FAQ

What is the twist in this movie?
Was VanDamm's mountain home a real home? Was it designed by Frank Lloyd Wright?
A Note Regarding Spoilers
more
69 out of 102 people found the following review useful.
Worth it just to see the the crop duster chase, 4 April 2004
Author: DarthBill from United States

I can't quite understand how anyone can dislike Alfred Hitchcock's films. Personally, he's one of the few old school talents I find interesting and watchable, even if his work is dated and set in its era (the era when most sets were hopelessly phony). I guess you have to appreciate his themes - dysfunctional relationships between a man and his mother, flawed by essentially innocent men caught up in a web of intrigue, beautiful blonds, comments of authority figures, black humor, etc - to really appreciate Hitchcock.

Interestingly, James Stewart was Hitchcock's original choice for the role of Roger Thornhill, the hapless ad man who is mistaken for a spy who doesn't even exist to begin with and is chased half way across the country by villains and authorities for a murder he didn't commit. For one reason or another, Stewart was unavailable and the part went to Cary Grant instead. Grant seems better suited to the character and the situation than Stewart would have been, but I can easily picture Stewart being chased in the cornfield by the crop duster.

Like all Hitchcock films, there are hundreds of things that aren't realistic though set in the real world and lots of highly improbable stuff going on everywhere, but if you give it a chance you'll enjoy it and won't care. Don't miss Eva Marie Saint having to dub over a then lewd line about love, a full stomach and sex. The use of a crop duster may not be the most practical way to kill a man, but it's a great visual representation of the great Hitchcockian examination of "nowhere to run, nowhere to hide". The music and clinging to Mount Rushmore is also memorable. Did I mention the innuendo?

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for North by Northwest (1959)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
The Ending... webswingin_kwt
Did EVERYBODY wear suits in 1959? seni-2
The silliness of North by Northwest rjg727
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The first James Bond film.. filmgutten_432
How did he find Vandamm's house? jan-603
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