Starring: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, Martin Landau. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Action/Adventure. Synopsis: A Manhattan advertising executive is caught up in a web of intrigue, murder, espionage and crossing the country when he is mistaken for someone else.
It's a funny thing when someone, like your humble blogger here, has not actually seen an iconic movie like North By Northwest, you kind of feel silly if you a) consider yourself a serious movie buff b) realize that no matter how many times you've seen the clip of the crop dusting plane chasing Cary Grant, a truly indelible screen image, that doesn't subsitute for having actually seen the flick.
And, that was a shame, because this is one hell of a movie, easily deserving of its common place on top "all time lists" or as, arguably, the greatest Hitchcock film of them all. The first thing that jumps off the screen at you is Cary Grant, in his mid 50s when the movie was made, and still the definition of the classic leading man, the kind of guy that both ladies and gents really like, a movie star who also comes across as a regula guy. And, oh by the way, a damn fine actor. 50 years doesn't dull the talent on the screen.
Grant is Roger Thornbill, a Madison Avenue advertising executive who is twice divorced and does formal nights out with his mother. Not a bad lot in life, could be worse and definitely gets worse for Thornbill when a group of thugs acost Thornbill at lunch and accuse him of being 'George Kaplan' and forcibly remove from the building and take him to a lavish estate filled with a staff and a couple of stylish, sophisticated thugs, Phillip Van Dam (James Mason Salem's Lot Murder By Decree) and Leonard (Martin Landau Ed Wood Sleepy Hollow) who grill him on things they think he knows, believing, of course, that he is 'George Kaplan'. Its not clear who they are or who they may represent, but it's clear they're not fooling around, and aren't going away easily, when they aggressively force bourbon down Thornhill's throat.
And, that is just the beginning, as our hero Thornbill soon finds himself in trouble with the police, who don't by his forcible intoxication defense-guess that one didn't work in the '50's any better than it does today- and, in his haste to find out just what the heck is going on, ends up as a witness, and worse the primary suspect, in a murder at the United Nations.
Well, when everyone thinks you're 'George Kaplan' and you're picture is on the front page of the evening paper (yes, young ones, there was a time when newspapers were actually a vital part of the media and some had evening editions) with a knife in your hand and the victim on the floor, the little fact that you didn't actually stab him is of little immediate consequence and sends you on the run right away.
That's not all bad because Thornbill finds himself on a train to Chicago where he meets the mysterious, sultry, and srikingly beautiful Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint Superman Returns
On The Waterfront). Ms.Saint is excellent here, the epitome of the film noir bombshell and the quintessential "Hitchcock blonde. She comes close to stealing scenes from Mr. Grant, which is almost impossible to do.
As I indicated earlier, the story winds cross country, ending up on the face of Mount Rushmore in the climatic scene. Along the way, of course we are also treated to the historic 'crop dusting plane chasing Cary Grant scene', a piece of filmmaking that, in my opinion, more than holds its own even when compared with CGI powered action scenes of today.
The story is fine, especially when it twists, somewhat predictably, into a spy thriller. Those of us old enough to remember or at least appreciate the ever present Cold War paranoia of the latter half of the 20th century in this country will also appreciate the spy element and, of course, the question that goes with almost every (Hollywood) spy circumstance: is someone really a double agent?
There is no question that Hitchcock was the master of building suspense, often times, like in this flick, in broad daylight and with several twists as the story develops: some you will see coming, some you won't.
The acting is supberb, which should comes as no surprise given the names on the bill. The DVD edition comes with some excellent special features, including a commentary by the screenriter Ernest Lehman and, best of all, a "making of" featurette hosted by Eva Marie Saint that is absolutely must see.
I'm telling you what you probably either already knew or, at least, already heard.
This flm is an American classic.
Starring: Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oates, Lee Grant, Larry Gates, James Patterson, Beah Richards. Drama. Directed by Norman Jewison. Oscar winner: Best Picture and Best Actor. Synopsis: An African American police detective from Philadelphia is passing through the small Mississippi town of Sparta during the civil rights era.He becomes involved in the investigation of a murder and is reluctantly paired up with the bigoted Police Chief.
