North by Northwest
| North by Northwest | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Alfred Hitchcock |
| Written by | Ernest Lehman |
| Produced by | Alfred Hitchcock |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Robert Burks |
| Edited by | George Tomasini |
| Music by | Bernard Herrmann |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 136 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $4.3 million[2] |
| Box office | $9.8 million[2] |
North by Northwest is a 1959 American spy thriller film produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason. The original screenplay written by Ernest Lehman was intended to be the basis for "the Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures".[3][4]
North by Northwest is a tale of mistaken identity: an innocent man (Grant) is pursued across the United States by agents of a mysterious organization that aims to prevent him from blocking their plan to smuggle microfilm containing government secrets out of the country. It is one of several Hitchcock films featuring a musical score by Bernard Herrmann and an opening title sequence by graphic designer Saul Bass. The film was the first to feature extended use of kinetic typography in its opening credits.
North by Northwest was released on July 1, 1959, to critical and commercial success. It topped the box office in the United States for seven consecutive weeks. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards and garnered Hitchcock the Silver Shell for Best Director at the San Sebastián Film Festival.
North by Northwest is listed among the canonical Hitchcock films of the 1950s and is widely ranked among the greatest films ever made.[5][6] In 1995, the Library of Congress selected North by Northwest for preservation in the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[7]
- ^ "Chicago [Picture Grosses]". Variety. July 1, 1959. p. 10. Retrieved May 20, 2019 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ a b The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study
- ^ Jaynes, Barbara Grant; Trachtenberg, Robert (2004). "Cary Grant: A Class Apart". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on January 8, 2009. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
- ^ Freedman, Jonathan (July 8, 2015). The Cambridge Companion to Alfred Hitchcock. Cambridge University Press. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-316-30101-2.
- ^ "AFI'S 100 YEARS…100 MOVIES — 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on September 15, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
- ^ Sight and Sound. "The Greatest Films of All Time". BFI. Archived from the original on September 22, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
- ^ "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2020.