Friday, August 7, 2020

‘North by Northwest’ 1959

Cary Grant & Eva Marie Saint get a "rush" of a cliffhanger in this Alfred Hitchcock classic.


The Alfred Hitchcock catch me if you can classic, North by Northwest, was the film forerunner to the modern summer blockbuster.

North by Northwest was a distinctly commercial venture after Vertigo. Hitchcock had received some criticism in the ‘50s as too smoothly commercial, with his Grace Kelly movies, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and 1959’s North by Northwest. 1960’s Psycho would be his answer to THAT criticism!
Cary Grant spends the entire time in 'North By Northwest' on the run!

Here’s the complicated plot of NBNW in a nutshell: Devil-may-care ad man Roger Thornhill is abducted by henchmen and taken to spy Philip Vandamm. He is convinced that Roger is an undercover agent. They then engage in a cross-country game of cat/mouse, when a cool blonde enters into the mix of this smart suspense thriller. The deeper Roger gets entangled into this espionage web, the more he realizes there’s a thin line between the good guys and bad guys.
Alfred Hitchcock, master of suspense AND master showman, promoting 'NBNW.'

North by Northwest was Hitch's double whammy with the plot device he called the “MacGuffin.” This was an inconsequential object of a story that sets everything in motion. While the MacGuffin here is microfilm hidden in an antique, I think that George Caplan, a non-existent person who Cary Grant's ad man is mistaken for, is the real MacGuffin here.
The microfilm revealed late in 'NBNW' may be the official 'MacGuffin,' but for me,
Grant's Roger Thornhill mistaken for George Caplan is the REAL MacGuffin!

NBNW is the epitome of a mid-century movie: sophisticated yet totally entertaining; a clever plot and plenty of action; sexy yet classy; a star and director's vehicle. North by Northwest’s story takes the audience across the much of the United States, from NYC to Mount Rushmore. This suspense film is what summer blockbusters call a "thrill ride." Unlike many modern versions, North by Northwest was meticulously thought out and filmed, with director Hitchcock at his height of storytelling talents.
Cary Grant, the essence of movie star cool, and IMO, Hitchcock's best movie hero.

Roger Thornhill was Cary Grant's last great role, though he appeared in several more popular movies before making a graceful film farewell in 1966. At 55, Cary looks like a million and deserved every cent he demanded. Perhaps the healthiest and best-preserved male movie star of his generation, Grant is stylish, sexy, fit, graceful, and charming—a total catch for any leading lady. Also, Cary’s droll humor is also on full display. Though his role resembles the government agent he played for Hitch over a dozen years earlier in Notorious, Cary is less moody here. Grant is great with a funny line, whether broad or sly, and his body language is fantastic, when playing drunk or playing the fool at an art auction. North by Northwest also demonstrates that had he been a decade or so younger, what a great James Bond he would have made in the coming decade. 
At 55, Cary Grant is still in fine form, and aged better than any of his fellow male stars.

I've written how understated Eva Marie Saint as Eve Kendall is the secret weapon of North by Northwest, which you can read here:
https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2019/07/eva-marie-saint-secret-weapon-of-north.html
Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and the red & black cocktail dress.

I’ll recap that Eva brought her acting talent and sly sex appeal to the role of Eve. Saint had a great rapport with Grant and Alfred Hitchcock. I’m always a bit puzzled why Hitch didn’t use Eva Marie Saint again, in some of his ‘60s films.
Cary Grant & James Mason as hero & villain: Mason's persona makes me think of a dark side version of Grant.

"You have to choose ONE of us, Mister!" Martin Landau, James Mason's "loyal" henchman.
James Mason, who I always thought of as a mortal version of Cary Grant, is a wonderful villain in North by Northwest. Silky would be the cliché adjective to describe his Phillip Vandamm, but damn, Mason is silky and sexy. He's intelligent yet intimidating, charming yet creepy, cool but with an underlying attitude of sadness—an update of Claude Rains’ cuckold character in Notorious. It's a great role for James Mason and his ambiguous attitude toward Eve and henchman Leonard is fascinating. Martin Landau, tall and ominous—a handsome Lurch—those glaring ice blue eyes, is smartly sinister as Leonard. His attitude toward Eve and a few key lines makes it very apparent that Leonard is not just a villain, but also just a jealous guy, as John Lennon once sang.
Left: Jessie Royce Landis, amusing as Grant's exasperated mother, asking these thugs
if they're really trying to kill her son!

A fine supporting cast goes far in making North by Northwest a smooth ride: Jessie Royce Landis as Grant’s mother; Leo G. Carroll, as the FBI “good guy;” Josephine Hutchinson as “Mrs. Townsend;” and Philip Ober as Lester Townsend; Ernest Anderson as the train porter, and Ned Glass as the station ticket master who’s on to Grant are welcome familiar faces.
Eye-catching Saul Bass titles & Bernard Herrmann's score get 'NBNW' off to a rousing start!

Ernest Lehman wrote one of the wittiest Hitchcock screenplays ever in NBNW. The classic opening credits by Saul Bass, paid homage to in Mad Men, still stuns on each viewing. The energetic and slightly exotic score by Bernard Herrmann is one of his best. One of Hitchcock’s favorite cinematographers, Robert Burks was up to the challenge of framing the thrilling set pieces. Perhaps that’s why Burks shot 12 films for Hitchcock. And for a ‘50s movie, the Mount Rushmore mock ups look pretty damn good. Hitch's love of rear projection, matte work, and actual location shooting is mixed just about perfectly in NBNW.
There’s the villain’s heavenly hideout home, even though it’s just a set and a mural/miniature. How amusing that Hitchcock has the villain live in a Frank Lloyd Wright-esque house that’s located next door to Mount Rushmore—totally inconspicuous, right?
Where else would a spy's hideout be located, but in a Frank Lloyd Wright-style mansion
next door to Mount Rushmore? Talk about hiding in plain sight!

At 2 ¼ hours, my one “nay” about North by Northwest is that it’s a tad overlong. Studio era movies could be deliberate in their storytelling set up, especially to today’s attention span deprived eyes. And this was especially true of Hitch. I recall at a retrospective showing of Rear Window, there were signs of audience restlessness during the opening scenes. In NBNW, Roger Thornhill’s kidnapping, induced drinking, drunken car ride, and subsequent arrest could be much shorter. Drunk scenes for laughs don’t play well today, and it doesn’t advance the movie much, except to show Grant’s comedic skills, and Hitch’s sometimes heavy-handed humor. By contrast, the near-silent crop duster scene hasn’t a wasted moment.
As with Alfred Hitchcock’s work, North by Northwest can be enjoyed multiple times. There are so many layers to Hitch’s storytelling and he utilizes all the top notch production elements to the fullest. NBNW is a film journey I love to re-visit.
FYI: I put all the movie overflow on my public FB  movie page.
This Julius Kroll promotional caricature captures all the elements of Hitchcock's 'NBNW.'



15 comments:

  1. I very much enjoyed your North By Northwest post, Rick. I completely agree with you about it being odd that Eva Marie was never again a Hitch leading lady. She was sensational in that role and she and Cary had such incredible chemistry. The film really is the perfect Hitchcock package, with something in it for everyone to enjoy. Did his films ever look this stylish before or after? I don't think so.

    Thanks so much for helping me celebrate Hitch and his films.

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    1. I agree, Maddy! The closest is Rear Window. Which is funny because North by Northwest takes us across the USA, and Rear Window is on one elaborate set! But there's so much in NBNW, everytime it's on, I watch!
      Cheers and I appreciated your help on the comment matter,
      Rick

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  2. I think of North by Northwest as the grandson of The 39 Steps. It is a fun movie to revisit whether a planned evening's entertainment or happenstance at some point after the opening credits. It's always a happy Here We Go Again!

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    1. Absolutely!
      I'm that way about certain movies, like Laura or Mildred Pierce, etc.
      Cheers, Rick

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  3. I hate to nit pick, esp as I agree with all your comments on this great film, but I don't think that's a Hirschfeld at the bottom, esp since it's signed "Kroll" in the bottom right.

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    1. Good catch, Kristy! I made the correction. There was a series of caricatures created to promote North by Northwest. The artist is Julius Kroll, whose work sure looks a lot like Al Hirschfeld!
      Cheers, Rick

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  4. Ooh – Cary Grant as James Bond. I never wondered about that, and what a great thing that might have been. I have, however, wondered why Hitchcock and Saint never made another film together. She is pitch-perfect here.

    Loved your review, and I agree with everything, including Roger Caplan as the real MacGuffin. I saw this film on the big screen a couple of years ago and, as you mentioned, the audience was a little restless with the beginning of the film – a Get ON With It kind of atmosphere. But once the story began in earnest, you could tell everyone was spellbound.

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    1. Hi Silver Screenings!
      I think if Grant had been at least a decade younger, Bond would have been a no-brainer. But I think the producers also were leaning toward a new star they could pay less, at least initially. And that also stuck in Hitch's craw, star salaries. But I never understood why he didn't use Saint again, as they got on very well, and she was affordable. Also, I think Lee Remick would have been superb compared to Tippi Hedren in The Birds and especially, Marnie. Just my opinion.

      Yes, about the slow starts to Hitch's '50s movies, but man, once they get going!

      Thanks for writing, will check you out today!

      Rick

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  5. While you're likely correct in the statement that NBNW is Cary Grant's last "great" role, I've always been a sucker for "Father Goose" because I love guys "playing against type." You've got to admit, "Walter Eklund" is the definition of "anti-Cary Grant."

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  6. :-) Now that I've read your post I want to watch NBNW again. I think I shall do now...
    what a great movie!
    Have a very HAPPY week!
    Claudia :-)

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    1. Thank you, Claudia!
      And NBNW is always worth re-watching,
      Cheers, Rick

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  7. Great review of one of Hitchcock's most exciting pictures. I saw NxNW in a theater a few years ago and will always remember the impact of Cary Grant's overwhelming charisma on the big screen. Wow. No surprise that he was Hitchcock's preferred leading man.

    Listened to a Peter Bogdanovich podcast recently and one of the bonus episodes was an interview with Hitchcock from the '60s or '70s. On the subject of NxNW, he told Bogdanovich that he'd long been considering doing a "chase movie in America" and referred to NxNW as "the American 39 Steps."

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    1. I saw NBNW out in Portland about a decade ago at the Living Room Theater... it was awesome. And the young person who was with me was wowed!
      Nice hearing from you Lady E!
      Rick

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  8. The climax is so tense! And I love the unusual way it is resolved in the editing. Seems quite ahead of its time. NO ONE says, "I can't MAKE it!" like Eva Marie Saint. An incredible line reading. This makes me want to watch the film yet again...! I do agree with you, though, about certain parts that are a skosh too long. Thanks!

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    1. Hey Poseidon,
      There's so much that's nifty and ahead of its time in NBNW!
      BTW, I'm clinging to the old Blogger set up, until I absolutely have to go new. I tried it once, and it does NOT seem user friendly.
      Cheers,
      Rick

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