You missed in the scene at the beginning of the movie when Thornhill calls for the boy to send a wire out for him immediately. He does this a split second afer the page enters the room and announces he has a message for George Kaplan. This makes he bad guys think he is responding to the page for Kaplan and thus they think he is Kaplan.
One of my favorite Hitchcock films. I had the pleasure of seeing this on the big screen during a film festival with Eva Marie Saint speaking. She is 99 years old - still pretty and charming!
You're one lucky guy. It is my cinematic dream to watch North By Northwest on big screen. I'd love to see it in the theatre more than any other movie, including Rear Window, which is my favourite Hitch film.
@@dominicsantiago8177 in the early 1980’s, (or maybe very late 1970’s?) Rear Window was finally re-released in the theatres after prolonged legal problems preventing its screening or copies being made. I was fortunate enough that it was showing in Chicago, where I lived at the time, at the Fine Arts Theatre, in a gorgeous Art Deco setting. I had never seen it before. At a critical scene (don’t want to say too much due to a spoiler) with a fast zoom shot towards the audience, the entire audience gasped, and shuddered. It was electrifying and unforgettable. Even with the best tv, you just don’t get the full effect of that moment.
The innocent man framed by circumstantial evidence attempting to clear his name while eluding the authorities-this is a story that Hitchcock really specialized in, and more than a few of his films relate variations of it. “North by Northwest” is my personal favorite among his films for sheer entertainment value. I’m glad to see new people discover this great classic.
@@RealBLAlley Exactly, they had to establish her falling for him .... later it will serve as the foundation for her struggles as to choosing between her assignment and her love for him. You will learn although Hitchcock was a master at suspense he also was very good at adding romance and never waisted one minute without purpose, you can't jump to conclusions when the purpose will be clear later on and these 'too long' scene puzzle pieces will fit. You will see that is part of the genius of makes Hitchcock films as great as they are. Being a Hitchcock fan we are appreciative of his intrigue, but also we are romantics at heart.
In 1959, there were two special people who saw this film - Albert 'Cubby' Broccoli and Harry Salzman - and knew that they could learn from what it had to teach, in ways that mattered. Broccoli and Salzman were the future producers of the James Bond films (which started in 1962 with 'Dr. No.') Their problem was, they had almost no (film) blueprint for the sort of films that they wanted to make - until they saw 'North by Northwest.' They examined this film carefully for the elements that made it so compelling: Intrigue, exotic locales, a handsome male protagonist who combined arrogance and charm with being a brilliant, quick-thinking survivor, able to escape from even the most hopeless situation) - sexy dialogue, and (preferably) a woman who is more than just a pretty face. So, this film can be thought of as "James Bond, directed by Alfred Hitchcock" - and the film spawned at least 26 sequels: the 'official' Bond films and their various parodies and spinoffs - that's a pretty significant legacy for a one-off film from 1959! •••• The film censors at the time, stepped in and demanded one line of dialogue be changed. In the film's dining car scene, we hear Eve say to Roger, "I never discuss love on an empty stomach." But, her lips don't match what we hear. Her original line of dialogue, which was censored and replaced, was: "I never make love on an empty stomach." :)
You forgot to mention that they offered the Bond role to Cary Grant. He declined because he didn't want to commit to multiple movies. Grant would have been an incredible Bond.
Great information! I was seven years old when I saw "NBNW" on a re-release at he Atlas Theater in Deroit back in 1966 and it blew me away and to this day is my favorite film of all time. The "spy" craze was at its zenith in 1966 and in fact several actors in "NBNW" were then co-starring on popular "spy" style shows such as Martin Landau ("Mission Impossible"), Ed Platt ("Get Smart") and Leo G. Carroll ("Man from U.N.CL.E. and "Girl from U.N.C.L.E). "NBNW" is the feature film PILOT for the BOND films right down to the memorable score.
In 1959, "make love" still generally meant chatting up someone you're attracted to, not today's meaning. It's possible it was already beginning to transition to its current meaning in some circles. Either that, or Hayes Code censors simply didn't like an explicit reference to having a sexually charged conversation be said by a woman.
When asked in an interview whether this was just a simple adventure story, Hitchcock answered that the only symbolism in the movie is the very last shot of the train entering a tunnel.
And comedy too! In this one, Cary also gets to show off his acrobatic skills that he learned as a teenager working in live theatre vaudeville houses. I think they were called Music Halls in England.
Cary Grant is in the hotel when he realizes his secretary won't be able to call his mother because she will be at a card game with friends. Unlike today's world with answer machines, emails, text-messages, the only way he can get a written message to her is to send a telegram. (Seems to us perhaps like overkill but that was common back then.) So he raises his hand to summon a bellhop just as another bellhop is calling out "Mr. Kaplan" because he is wanted on the phone. The bad guys therefore think Grant/Roger is responding to the Kaplan summons. (BTW, one of Hitchcock's favorite themes is the ordinary man being caught up in events beyond his control.) Most of the scenes were filmed on location of the places they are supposed to be. But when Roger is driving drunk along the towering cliffs overlooking the sea, that scene is from California. Glen Cover, NY on Long Island, is on gently rolling glacial moraine (and NYS is much better at providing guard rails everywhere). Yes, every time back then when they filmed people in moving vehicles (even at times close-up on horses), they had to do it in the studio. That's because the cameras, particularly the technicolor ones, were gigantic. But they didn't have the technology for green screen. The appropriate footage was merely rear-projected behind the vehicle. (Only when audiences started seeing real in-car footage that the earlier technology became painfully obvious to most people.) I don't know what the fine for DWI was back then but they certainly treated it not as serious as we do today (thanks to efforts by MADD, mothers against drunk drivers). But when his mother says "Roger, just pay the $2," that referred to an old vaudeville skit that got transferred to some movie bits. A guy violates something minor, like running through a red traffic light because the light is malfunctioning or he spits on a subway train. Rather than paying the $2, he decides to fight it in court. The comedy is that things keep escalating with ever bigger consequences until he is facing, say, a life sentence. The joke is that he could have just paid the $2. Ever since they put toilets on passenger cars in the early days of railroading, every conductor when collecting tickets would NEVER pass a rest room to see if it was occupied. But I can't see any other way for Hitchcock to get Roger on the train without a ticket. Other great Hitchcock films - the 1936 The Lady Vanishes, Dial M For Murder (Hitchcock version only), Psycho, Rear Window, Strangers On A Train, just to name a few. Many consider this movie as a sort of pre-James Bond type thriller. Another movie in the same vein, a "non-Hitchcock Hitchcock" movie is Charade, also with Cary Grant.
One of the most prolific directors, and one of the most fun. He loved to play with his characters and the audience. I have forty of his films in my collection and am still going.
Vandamm says "I'd like a simple yes or no" and Roger replies "A simple no, for the simple reason I simply don't know what you're talking about". Simply put.
This is an extremely witty movie. It used to be my favorite Hitchcock movie. It still kind of is but I do also really like Vertigo. Of course, I traditionally loved this movie as I ate breakfast as a kid in the very breakfast dining room at Mount Rushmore. You are so right that this movie has such wonderful visuals, it always draws me in. Please watch more Hitchock movies, they're so good. Try "Strangers on a Train" or "The Man Who Knew Too Much."
The music is by Bernard Herrmann, who collaborated with Hitchcock several times, and scored numerous films and is considered one of the more unique and versatile talents to have worked in film. In addition to his work for Hitchcock, his soundtracks for Citizen Kane, The Ghost and Mrs Muir, On Dangerous Ground and Taxi Driver are considered groundbreaking.
I the late 70’s and 80’s cable TV was not readily available in most areas. We had access to 3 network stations. ABC, NBC and CBS. On Saturdays and Sundays (when no real sports were on) they would show reruns of old films. I watched so many old movies that I did not chose to watch but did so out of boredom. Most of them were actually good. Ten percent were excellent. This is one I watched as a 12 year old back then. Kept my eyes open for any Hitchcock films that I could. This is a great film.
For some reason most Hitchcock movies went under my radar. I've seen "Birds" when I was a kid and loved it. And then I watched "Psycho" in my adulthood, but unfortunately I was well aware of the twist. Still ,I enjoyed the heck out of it. I don't know why I didn't dive into Hitchcock's work more before I started this channel. But better late than never!
Another Cary Grant mystery/thriller you will enjoy is Stanley Donen's 1963 film, _Charade._ Starring Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, and Walter Matthau, it has been called "the best Hitchcock movie Hitchcock never made. It also has a beautiful score by the great Henry Mancini. Also, _Charade_ is the public domain and can be watched on youtube and can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. BTW, those old school fake background shots are not green screen. Chroma-key technology hadn't been developed yet. Those were done with simple rear projection. The actors were placed in front of a rear-projection screen on which was shown the desired background.
Another thing about this amazing film is that Hitchcock left in several anomalies, which I'm absolutely sure he was aware of. I'm doing this from memory so I might not have the details 100% correct. When Miss Kendall is giving Roger the instructions to meet the crop-dusting plane, a family walks by. One or more of the children gawk at the camera. When Roger is in the police car, and it's making the u-turn, Roger has to nudge the policeman next to him to reflect the motion of the turn. In the Lodge at Mount Rushmore, right before Miss Kendall fake shoots Roger, a young boy puts his fingers in his ears. Oh, come to think of it, Hitchcock might not have been aware that the PA announcer mispronounces one or more of the destination locales.
Two films with absolutely stunning cinematography are David Lean's 1962 _Lawrence of Arabia,_ considered one of the greatest and most influential films ever made, and his 1965 _Doctor Zhivago._ Both films have extraordinary casts, _Lawrence_ led by Peter O'Toole in the title role, and _Zhivago_ by Omar Sharif as the titular doctor. Both films also have remarkably beautiful scores by Maurice Jarre.
This is one of my favorite Hitchcock offerings. Every element comes together to tell the story, including that train scene, which I'd argue was necessary to establish Roger and Eve's chemistry and growing relationship. In the hands of a lesser director, it would have been unbearable; thanks to great framing, composition, and camera movement, Hitch makes it merely seem a bit long. Great reaction as always, Shandor! Looking forward to your next classic film viewing.
It is, perhaps, worth noting that in a cinema in a large audience enjoying the film together, the train scene would not have seemed at all long or drawn out.
I agree that the train scene was necessary to establish Roger and Eve's chemistry and growing relationship. If the scene had been shorter, some people would complain that their encounter was too brief to establish their relationship. For me, I never thought that scene was too long or too short. The repartee between them and the surrounding situations were quirky, funny, and suspenseful enough to hold my interest. In addition, the importance of that encounter on the train to the two of them is underlined by the movie ending with them beginning their honeymoon on the train. Of course, the censors probably required that the movie show that they got married in the end if the story did not have Eve being killed before the end of the movie because she had engaged in premarital sex. However, the way in which they showed that they had gotten married was a genius call back to their first illicit encounter.
One of Hitchcock’s best movies, but don’t neglect his earlier movies---many greats there too: “The 39 Steps,” “The Lady Vanishes,” “Foreign Correspondent,” and especially “Lifeboat.” I’ve read that this influenced the creation of the Bond films, because it showed that a market for this kind of story existed. Of course, this story is much more realistic than most later spy thrillers, which are often at the comic-book level. Hitchcock wanted to film the chase on the real Mt. Rushmore, but the Park Service refused permission, so he built meticulous, scaled-down sets. Good edit. You’re luck so far: no copyright claims yet.
I've adored this movie ever since I first saw it as a kid. I agree with everything you said, except for the initial train romance scene. I don't think it's too long. Certainly, one of my favourite Hitchcock films. That said, I'd be hard-pressed to pick between NxNW, Vertigo, Rear Window, Strangers on a Train, Spellbound, Notorious, Psycho, Shadow of a Doubt etc. With Hitchcock, it's an embarrassment of riches!
Rear Window for cinematography too! But I must confess Grace Kelly's clothes were the real seller. I enjoyed watching this one again with you. Oh, and 'Marnie' - you'll love that one too. And 'Rope.'
Yay! Another Shandor day! NXNW and Rear Window are my favorite Hitchcocks. Back in the 80s the studios toured restored prints of H’s 1950s movies and the big screen is where to fully experience these technicolor beauties! The mood, tone n set design (especially that house at Mt Rushmore!) always thrills!!
The shooting scene at Mt Rushmore..if you look just past ms Kendall..bottom right, you will see a young boy covering his ears..he is an extra who knows the gun is about to be fired..and he has been in quite a few takes already..but there he is covering his ears in that famous scene..
A terrific fun movie - snappy dialog, beautifully photographed, greatb score. Bernard Hermann deserves a name check. The most ridiculous part is using a plane for a hit. And it's a loaded crop duster that just happens to have a machine gun attached. Still a fun movie. I don't think the train scene is too long. It's photograhed beautifully, and the movements and camera angles are sugestive of rolling around on a bed.
One of my all-time favorite movies! I love that you loved it! That romantic scene on the train was essential to establish that Roger and Eve would develop feelings for each other. Drawing the scene out is something that Spielberg would later copy from him - to the annoyance of plenty of critics.
Part of what makes this film look so good is the use of Technicolor. The rich color saturation, the intense contrasts of lights and darks, the silky smooth quality of the film creates an overall sense of beauty, balance and reality.
@@wilhelm-z4t and part of that is due to the limited use today (or absence of) blocking, especially where characters enter or exit a scene, or of not using deep focus, with characters/objects in the background, plus medium plus foreground- instead techniques today rely on constant cutting back and forth with quick edits with everyone in closeups, so there is a flatness and lack of spatial sense. Some people today think that the constant quick edits, and constant closeups gives more of the dramatic “punch” which many viewers have become accustomed to.
@@Dej24601 Personally, I think the excessive utilization of quick-cutting has caused it to lose any "punch" it may have had, and it just makes me feel like I'm being whipsawed. It also makes me wonder if actors are incapable of learning their lines.
For a guy who was 55 years old in the late 50's the guy still moves like a cat. (All the acrobatics when he was young?). Perfect choice in this role on this movie and in To catch a thief. Yeah I can see why women would swoon over him.
Hitchcock did a great interview with Ingrid Bergman's daughter, Pia Lindstrom in which he described N by NW as a fantasy film which I think is really interesting because does have a dream-like quality about it, doesn't it?
37:58 "She's in high heels. Like seriously!" A bit of trivia. Those patent leather shoes Cary Grant's character is wearing (shoes typical of the era) aren't much better than her high heels. I'm old enough to have worn dress shoes like that, and they're terrible for anything other than walking around on city sidewalks. 😸
It might be "beautifully shot", but it still has the problem of BORING AMERICAN LANDSCAPE / ARCHITECTURE as the basis of it, which cant compete with anything in "To Catch a Thief".
Unfortunately, you didn't show my favourite shot ---- the one taken from above the U.N. Building looking down at Cary running out of the building. I hope you noticed that the character Leonard was played by a young and then unknown Martin Landau, who won an Oscar 35 years later for his brilliant portrayal of an aged Bela Legosi in Tim Burton's "Ed Wood." Everyone loves the line in that movie when Lugosi demonstrates his beckoning Dracula hand gesture to Ed Wood. "My Gosh, Bela, how do you do that?" Landau as Lugosi: "You must be double-jointed. And you must be Hungarian."
Well done as usual, Shandor. Interestingly, this movie was a reworking of a film Hitchcock had already made several times! The one I recommend you watch next is "The 39 Steps," which is the British film that made Hitchcock famous around the world. Robert Donat is basically in the Cary Grant role and Madeleine Carroll is Eva Marie Saint. If you like that one, then after that, I'd watch "Young and Innocent." (There's even one more in this format: "Saboteur.") He used this theme again and again. But the one to watch next is "The 39 Steps." @shandoratthecinema4098 #shandoratthecinema4098
Yeah, Hitchcock returned to the "Wrong Man" theme often. Other common themes/elements in Hitchcock films include "mother figures," insanity/psychotic behavior, coded or not so-coded references to homosexuality, food, blondes, staircases, trains, fear of heights/falling, voyeurism etc. Another thing to watch out for in Hitchcock films is his disdain for modern art. A view which I happen to share. For example, in "Rear Window" there's a weird "modern" painting in Jimmy Stewart's apartment which Wendell Corey quizzically examines.
The lovely leading lady, Eva Marie Saint, will celebrate her 100th birthday on July 4th.
At the age of 99, Eva Marie Saint is the oldest living Oscar-winning actress. She turns 100 next week, on July 4.
Wow! Go Eva! One of the all time greats!
Eva Marie Saint, who played 'Eve Kendall', will be 100 years old on July 4.
You missed in the scene at the beginning of the movie when Thornhill calls for the boy to send a wire out for him immediately. He does this a split second afer the page enters the room and announces he has a message for George Kaplan. This makes he bad guys think he is responding to the page for Kaplan and thus they think he is Kaplan.
One of my favorite Hitchcock films. I had the pleasure of seeing this on the big screen during a film festival with Eva Marie Saint speaking. She is 99 years old - still pretty and charming!
You're one lucky guy. It is my cinematic dream to watch North By Northwest on big screen. I'd love to see it in the theatre more than any other movie, including Rear Window, which is my favourite Hitch film.
@@dominicsantiago8177 in the early 1980’s, (or maybe very late 1970’s?) Rear Window was finally re-released in the theatres after prolonged legal problems preventing its screening or copies being made. I was fortunate enough that it was showing in Chicago, where I lived at the time, at the Fine Arts Theatre, in a gorgeous Art Deco setting. I had never seen it before. At a critical scene (don’t want to say too much due to a spoiler) with a fast zoom shot towards the audience, the entire audience gasped, and shuddered. It was electrifying and unforgettable. Even with the best tv, you just don’t get the full effect of that moment.
The innocent man framed by circumstantial evidence attempting to clear his name while eluding the authorities-this is a story that Hitchcock really specialized in, and more than a few of his films relate variations of it. “North by Northwest” is my personal favorite among his films for sheer entertainment value. I’m glad to see new people discover this great classic.
For most people in the audience, watching a lovemaking scene between Cary Grant and a co-star would never be considered “too long.”
Especially when it's character building.
@@RealBLAlley Exactly, they had to establish her falling for him .... later it will serve as the foundation for her struggles as to choosing between her assignment and her love for him. You will learn although Hitchcock was a master at suspense he also was very good at adding romance and never waisted one minute without purpose, you can't jump to conclusions when the purpose will be clear later on and these 'too long' scene puzzle pieces will fit. You will see that is part of the genius of makes Hitchcock films as great as they are. Being a Hitchcock fan we are appreciative of his intrigue, but also we are romantics at heart.
And he kept focusing on it. I don’t get it.
I am glad you appreciated Ernst Lehman's script, which was not only exciting but so very clever.
What a story!
In 1959, there were two special people who saw this film - Albert 'Cubby' Broccoli and Harry Salzman - and knew that they could learn from what it had to teach, in ways that mattered. Broccoli and Salzman were the future producers of the James Bond films (which started in 1962 with 'Dr. No.') Their problem was, they had almost no (film) blueprint for the sort of films that they wanted to make - until they saw 'North by Northwest.' They examined this film carefully for the elements that made it so compelling: Intrigue, exotic locales, a handsome male protagonist who combined arrogance and charm with being a brilliant, quick-thinking survivor, able to escape from even the most hopeless situation) - sexy dialogue, and (preferably) a woman who is more than just a pretty face. So, this film can be thought of as "James Bond, directed by Alfred Hitchcock" - and the film spawned at least 26 sequels: the 'official' Bond films and their various parodies and spinoffs - that's a pretty significant legacy for a one-off film from 1959!
••••
The film censors at the time, stepped in and demanded one line of dialogue be changed. In the film's dining car scene, we hear Eve say to Roger, "I never discuss love on an empty stomach." But, her lips don't match what we hear. Her original line of dialogue, which was censored and replaced, was: "I never make love on an empty stomach." :)
You forgot to mention that they offered the Bond role to Cary Grant. He declined because he didn't want to commit to multiple movies. Grant would have been an incredible Bond.
Great information! I was seven years old when I saw "NBNW" on a re-release at he Atlas Theater in Deroit back in 1966 and it blew me away and to this day is my favorite film of all time. The "spy" craze was at its zenith in 1966 and in fact several actors in "NBNW" were then co-starring on popular "spy" style shows such as Martin Landau ("Mission Impossible"), Ed Platt ("Get Smart") and Leo G. Carroll ("Man from U.N.CL.E. and "Girl from U.N.C.L.E). "NBNW" is the feature film PILOT for the BOND films right down to the memorable score.
@@philipmay3548 And "Charade" from 1963 is a BOND "light" style film that is a perfect companion piece to "NBNW".
In 1959, "make love" still generally meant chatting up someone you're attracted to, not today's meaning. It's possible it was already beginning to transition to its current meaning in some circles. Either that, or Hayes Code censors simply didn't like an explicit reference to having a sexually charged conversation be said by a woman.
When asked in an interview whether this was just a simple adventure story, Hitchcock answered that the only symbolism in the movie is the very last shot of the train entering a tunnel.
Good old Hitch - he had "Tunnel vision" and "Vista Vision".
Great film. Cary Grant was a leading man, so romantic scenes are expected.
And comedy too! In this one, Cary also gets to show off his acrobatic skills that he learned as a teenager working in live theatre vaudeville houses. I think they were called Music Halls in England.
@@billolsen4360 Yes, they were called Music Halls! CG had great comedic timing.
Cary Grant is in the hotel when he realizes his secretary won't be able to call his mother because she will be at a card game with friends. Unlike today's world with answer machines, emails, text-messages, the only way he can get a written message to her is to send a telegram. (Seems to us perhaps like overkill but that was common back then.) So he raises his hand to summon a bellhop just as another bellhop is calling out "Mr. Kaplan" because he is wanted on the phone. The bad guys therefore think Grant/Roger is responding to the Kaplan summons. (BTW, one of Hitchcock's favorite themes is the ordinary man being caught up in events beyond his control.)
Most of the scenes were filmed on location of the places they are supposed to be. But when Roger is driving drunk along the towering cliffs overlooking the sea, that scene is from California. Glen Cover, NY on Long Island, is on gently rolling glacial moraine (and NYS is much better at providing guard rails everywhere).
Yes, every time back then when they filmed people in moving vehicles (even at times close-up on horses), they had to do it in the studio. That's because the cameras, particularly the technicolor ones, were gigantic. But they didn't have the technology for green screen. The appropriate footage was merely rear-projected behind the vehicle. (Only when audiences started seeing real in-car footage that the earlier technology became painfully obvious to most people.)
I don't know what the fine for DWI was back then but they certainly treated it not as serious as we do today (thanks to efforts by MADD, mothers against drunk drivers). But when his mother says "Roger, just pay the $2," that referred to an old vaudeville skit that got transferred to some movie bits. A guy violates something minor, like running through a red traffic light because the light is malfunctioning or he spits on a subway train. Rather than paying the $2, he decides to fight it in court. The comedy is that things keep escalating with ever bigger consequences until he is facing, say, a life sentence. The joke is that he could have just paid the $2.
Ever since they put toilets on passenger cars in the early days of railroading, every conductor when collecting tickets would NEVER pass a rest room to see if it was occupied. But I can't see any other way for Hitchcock to get Roger on the train without a ticket.
Other great Hitchcock films - the 1936 The Lady Vanishes, Dial M For Murder (Hitchcock version only), Psycho, Rear Window, Strangers On A Train, just to name a few. Many consider this movie as a sort of pre-James Bond type thriller. Another movie in the same vein, a "non-Hitchcock Hitchcock" movie is Charade, also with Cary Grant.
You must be very satisfied writing the lenghthly boring diatribe with information everyone already knows. You are an arrogant know-it-all.
One of the most prolific directors, and one of the most fun. He loved to play with his characters and the audience. I have forty of his films in my collection and am still going.
Vandamm says "I'd like a simple yes or no" and Roger replies "A simple no, for the simple reason I simply don't know what you're talking about". Simply put.
This is an extremely witty movie. It used to be my favorite Hitchcock movie. It still kind of is but I do also really like Vertigo. Of course, I traditionally loved this movie as I ate breakfast as a kid in the very breakfast dining room at Mount Rushmore. You are so right that this movie has such wonderful visuals, it always draws me in. Please watch more Hitchock movies, they're so good. Try "Strangers on a Train" or "The Man Who Knew Too Much."
One of my all time favorites
The music is by Bernard Herrmann, who collaborated with Hitchcock several times, and scored numerous films and is considered one of the more unique and versatile talents to have worked in film. In addition to his work for Hitchcock, his soundtracks for Citizen Kane, The Ghost and Mrs Muir, On Dangerous Ground and Taxi Driver are considered groundbreaking.
This is the favorite Hitchcock movie of a lot of people!
Have you seen Dial M for Murder?
I the late 70’s and 80’s cable TV was not readily available in most areas.
We had access to 3 network stations.
ABC, NBC and CBS.
On Saturdays and Sundays (when no real sports were on) they would show reruns of old films.
I watched so many old movies that I did not chose to watch but did so out of boredom.
Most of them were actually good.
Ten percent were excellent.
This is one I watched as a 12 year old back then.
Kept my eyes open for any Hitchcock films that I could.
This is a great film.
My favorite Hitchcock film thank you!
Great reaction. Can't believe you hadn't seen this
For some reason most Hitchcock movies went under my radar. I've seen "Birds" when I was a kid and loved it. And then I watched "Psycho" in my adulthood, but unfortunately I was well aware of the twist. Still ,I enjoyed the heck out of it. I don't know why I didn't dive into Hitchcock's work more before I started this channel. But better late than never!
Another Cary Grant mystery/thriller you will enjoy is Stanley Donen's 1963 film, _Charade._ Starring Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, and Walter Matthau, it has been called "the best Hitchcock movie Hitchcock never made. It also has a beautiful score by the great Henry Mancini.
Also, _Charade_ is the public domain and can be watched on youtube and can be downloaded from the Internet Archive.
BTW, those old school fake background shots are not green screen. Chroma-key technology hadn't been developed yet. Those were done with simple rear projection. The actors were placed in front of a rear-projection screen on which was shown the desired background.
Another thing about this amazing film is that Hitchcock left in several anomalies, which I'm absolutely sure he was aware of. I'm doing this from memory so I might not have the details 100% correct. When Miss Kendall is giving Roger the instructions to meet the crop-dusting plane, a family walks by. One or more of the children gawk at the camera. When Roger is in the police car, and it's making the u-turn, Roger has to nudge the policeman next to him to reflect the motion of the turn. In the Lodge at Mount Rushmore, right before Miss Kendall fake shoots Roger, a young boy puts his fingers in his ears. Oh, come to think of it, Hitchcock might not have been aware that the PA announcer mispronounces one or more of the destination locales.
Two films with absolutely stunning cinematography are David Lean's 1962 _Lawrence of Arabia,_ considered one of the greatest and most influential films ever made, and his 1965 _Doctor Zhivago._
Both films have extraordinary casts, _Lawrence_ led by Peter O'Toole in the title role, and _Zhivago_ by Omar Sharif as the titular doctor. Both films also have remarkably beautiful scores by Maurice Jarre.
This is one of my favorite Hitchcock offerings. Every element comes together to tell the story, including that train scene, which I'd argue was necessary to establish Roger and Eve's chemistry and growing relationship. In the hands of a lesser director, it would have been unbearable; thanks to great framing, composition, and camera movement, Hitch makes it merely seem a bit long. Great reaction as always, Shandor! Looking forward to your next classic film viewing.
It is, perhaps, worth noting that in a cinema in a large audience enjoying the film together, the train scene would not have seemed at all long or drawn out.
I agree that the train scene was necessary to establish Roger and Eve's chemistry and growing relationship.
If the scene had been shorter, some people would complain that their encounter was too brief to establish their relationship.
For me, I never thought that scene was too long or too short. The repartee between them and the surrounding situations were quirky, funny, and suspenseful enough to hold my interest.
In addition, the importance of that encounter on the train to the two of them is underlined by the movie ending with them beginning their honeymoon on the train. Of course, the censors probably required that the movie show that they got married in the end if the story did not have Eve being killed before the end of the movie because she had engaged in premarital sex. However, the way in which they showed that they had gotten married was a genius call back to their first illicit encounter.
Excellent video thanks 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Great movie, glad you enjoyed it!
One of Hitchcock’s best movies, but don’t neglect his earlier movies---many greats there too: “The 39 Steps,” “The Lady Vanishes,” “Foreign Correspondent,” and especially “Lifeboat.”
I’ve read that this influenced the creation of the Bond films, because it showed that a market for this kind of story existed. Of course, this story is much more realistic than most later spy thrillers, which are often at the comic-book level.
Hitchcock wanted to film the chase on the real Mt. Rushmore, but the Park Service refused permission, so he built meticulous, scaled-down sets.
Good edit. You’re luck so far: no copyright claims yet.
And AH'S personal favorite Shadow of a Doubt.
Those you mention in the first paragraph are my favourites too ☺️☺️☺️
I've adored this movie ever since I first saw it as a kid. I agree with everything you said, except for the initial train romance scene. I don't think it's too long. Certainly, one of my favourite Hitchcock films. That said, I'd be hard-pressed to pick between NxNW, Vertigo, Rear Window, Strangers on a Train, Spellbound, Notorious, Psycho, Shadow of a Doubt etc. With Hitchcock, it's an embarrassment of riches!
Again I envy you getting to watch this for the first time as an adult in 2024.
Oh yeah, what a movie!
Rear Window for cinematography too! But I must confess Grace Kelly's clothes were the real seller. I enjoyed watching this one again with you. Oh, and 'Marnie' - you'll love that one too. And 'Rope.'
This a romantic thriller. The sexual chemistry between Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint is half of what makes this film great.
Yay! Another Shandor day!
NXNW and Rear Window are my favorite Hitchcocks.
Back in the 80s the studios toured restored prints of H’s 1950s movies and the big screen is where to fully experience these technicolor beauties!
The mood, tone n set design (especially that house at Mt Rushmore!) always thrills!!
I love how the actress who's supposed to be Cary Grant's mother is like 10 years older than him. 😂
Yeah, that's funny!
The shooting scene at Mt Rushmore..if you look just past ms Kendall..bottom right, you will see a young boy covering his ears..he is an extra who knows the gun is about to be fired..and he has been in quite a few takes already..but there he is covering his ears in that famous scene..
This was a fun one.
For me, the scenes on the train are the best part of the movie.
A terrific fun movie - snappy dialog, beautifully photographed, greatb score. Bernard Hermann deserves a name check.
The most ridiculous part is using a plane for a hit. And it's a loaded crop duster that just happens to have a machine gun attached. Still a fun movie.
I don't think the train scene is too long. It's photograhed beautifully, and the movements and camera angles are sugestive of rolling around on a bed.
One of my all-time favorite movies! I love that you loved it! That romantic scene on the train was essential to establish that Roger and Eve would develop feelings for each other. Drawing the scene out is something that Spielberg would later copy from him - to the annoyance of plenty of critics.
Of Bernard Herrmann’s many great scores, this is one of my favorites. The film CHARADE has at least half a dozen echoes of this one.
The best Hitchcock film not directed by Hitchcock.
I've been to Mt Rushmore...it's so far away. Hitchcock did the monument a favor by bringing it up close....
You've just watched what many people call the first James Bond Movie! In fact Cary Grant was offered the role of Bond in "Dr. No"
I heard Grant turned it down because he thought he was too old for the part. I think that was wise of him.
Part of what makes this film look so good is the use of Technicolor. The rich color saturation, the intense contrasts of lights and darks, the silky smooth quality of the film creates an overall sense of beauty, balance and reality.
Indeed, movies today seem rather "flat" in comparison.
@@wilhelm-z4t and part of that is due to the limited use today (or absence of) blocking, especially where characters enter or exit a scene, or of not using deep focus, with characters/objects in the background, plus medium plus foreground- instead techniques today rely on constant cutting back and forth with quick edits with everyone in closeups, so there is a flatness and lack of spatial sense. Some people today think that the constant quick edits, and constant closeups gives more of the dramatic “punch” which many viewers have become accustomed to.
@@Dej24601 Personally, I think the excessive utilization of quick-cutting has caused it to lose any "punch" it may have had, and it just makes me feel like I'm being whipsawed. It also makes me wonder if actors are incapable of learning their lines.
@@wilhelm-z4t I agree with you 100%!
19:10 Back then, some people would refer to passionate love-making as "murder." 😲
For a guy who was 55 years old in the late 50's the guy still moves like a cat. (All the acrobatics when he was young?). Perfect choice in this role on this movie and in To catch a thief. Yeah I can see why women would swoon over him.
Keep doing what you’re doing. I’m going to suggest two movies Black Narcissus and The Andromeda Strain. Both completely different from each other 😊
Cary Grant raised his hand for the telegram just as someone paved Caplan, so the bad guys though he raised his hand for the page.
Cary Grant movies I love:
Indiscreet
Walk don’t Run
Father Goose
Hitchcock did a great interview with Ingrid Bergman's daughter, Pia Lindstrom in which he described N by NW as a fantasy film which I think is really interesting because does have a dream-like quality about it, doesn't it?
Most of his films are dreamlike, Vertigo especially. NBNW is definitely like an "adventure dream" and Psycho like a fever-dream.
That's true. Vertigo undoubtedly.@@deckofcards87
Hitchcock's best.
Prototype James Bond movie, that's not a James Bond movie!
Honeymoon and the train goes into the tunnel
Check out The Man Who Knew too Much
37:58 "She's in high heels. Like seriously!" A bit of trivia. Those patent leather shoes Cary Grant's character is wearing (shoes typical of the era) aren't much better than her high heels. I'm old enough to have worn dress shoes like that, and they're terrible for anything other than walking around on city sidewalks. 😸
Have you done "Charade"?
Not yet!
It might be "beautifully shot", but it still has the problem of BORING AMERICAN LANDSCAPE / ARCHITECTURE as the basis of it, which cant compete with anything in "To Catch a Thief".
Is this a kissing movie?
Keep your shirt on. One day you might not mind so much.
😂😂😂
Unfortunately, you didn't show my favourite shot ---- the one taken from above the U.N. Building looking down at Cary running out of the building. I hope you noticed that the character Leonard was played by a young and then unknown Martin Landau, who won an Oscar 35 years later for his brilliant portrayal of an aged Bela Legosi in Tim Burton's "Ed Wood."
Everyone loves the line in that movie when Lugosi demonstrates his beckoning Dracula hand gesture to Ed Wood. "My Gosh, Bela, how do you do that?" Landau as Lugosi: "You must be double-jointed. And you must be Hungarian."
Well done as usual, Shandor. Interestingly, this movie was a reworking of a film Hitchcock had already made several times! The one I recommend you watch next is "The 39 Steps," which is the British film that made Hitchcock famous around the world. Robert Donat is basically in the Cary Grant role and Madeleine Carroll is Eva Marie Saint. If you like that one, then after that, I'd watch "Young and Innocent." (There's even one more in this format: "Saboteur.") He used this theme again and again. But the one to watch next is "The 39 Steps." @shandoratthecinema4098 #shandoratthecinema4098
Yeah, Hitchcock returned to the "Wrong Man" theme often. Other common themes/elements in Hitchcock films include "mother figures," insanity/psychotic behavior, coded or not so-coded references to homosexuality, food, blondes, staircases, trains, fear of heights/falling, voyeurism etc. Another thing to watch out for in Hitchcock films is his disdain for modern art. A view which I happen to share. For example, in "Rear Window" there's a weird "modern" painting in Jimmy Stewart's apartment which Wendell Corey quizzically examines.