50 Fun Facts About North by Northwest

Who directed North by Northwest?

He planned it as a light-hearted change of pace after Vertigo.

Who plays advertising executive Roger Thornhill?

Lehman made the hero a Madison Avenue ad man, a job he had once held himself.

Who plays Eve Kendall?

MGM wanted Cyd Charisse; Hitchcock held out for Saint.

Who plays the villain Phillip Vandamm?

Vandamm is first met impersonating UN diplomat Lester Townsend.

Who plays Vandamm's henchman Leonard?

Hitchcock spotted him on stage in Middle of the Night and told him, "You're now Leonard."

Who plays "the Professor", head of the intelligence agency?

He later played a near-identical spymaster in The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

Who plays Thornhill's mother, Clara?

She was only about eight years older than Cary Grant.

In which year was North by Northwest released?

It opened on July 1 at the United Artists Theatre in Chicago.

Who wrote the original screenplay?

He set out to write "the Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures".

Who composed the score?

Herrmann had recommended his friend Ernest Lehman to Hitchcock.

Which graphic designer created the opening title sequence?

It was the first film with extended use of kinetic typography in its credits.

For whom is Thornhill mistaken?

The agent does not exist; the agency invented him as a decoy.

At which New York hotel is Thornhill kidnapped?

Cary Grant kept a room at the hotel and Hitchcock gave him no direction for crossing its lobby.

Where is the real Lester Townsend murdered?

The UN refused permission, so Hitchcock filmed Grant arriving with a hidden camera.

On which famous train does Thornhill meet Eve Kendall?

He sneaks aboard at Grand Central without a ticket.

What attacks Thornhill at the rural bus stop?

Hitchcock's first idea was a tornado; Lehman asked how villains would work up a cyclone.

In which state is the crop-duster scene set?

It was actually shot near Wasco, California, with replica square highway signs.

Where was the crop-duster scene actually filmed?

Local crop-duster Bob Coe flew the plane.

Where does the climactic chase take place?

Hitchcock had long wanted a chase across the monument's faces.

What hides the microfilm the spies are smuggling?

Vandamm buys it at a Chicago art auction.

What term did Hitchcock popularise for an object like the microfilm?

Everyone chases it, but it has no deep relationship to the plot.

How does Hitchcock make his cameo?

It happens just as his credit appears on screen.

What was one of the film's early working titles?

Hitchcock imagined Grant hiding in Lincoln's nose and sneezing.

Which WWII intelligence ruse inspired the fictitious-agent idea?

Journalist Otis Guernsey sold Hitchcock his 60-page treatment for $10,000.

How much did Hitchcock pay journalist Otis Guernsey for the story idea?

Guernsey admitted his treatment was full of "corn".

Which novel was Hitchcock meant to be adapting for MGM before this film?

Lehman got stuck on it and the pair wrote something else instead.

North by Northwest was the only Hitchcock film released by which studio?

Turner Entertainment has owned it since 1986.

In which widescreen process was the film shot, at Hitchcock's insistence?

The only other VistaVision film made at MGM was High Society.

In which architect's style was Vandamm's cliff-top house designed?

The house never existed; exteriors were matte paintings and interiors a Culver City set.

What did the leading lady's mother advise her to wear to meet Hitchcock?

Saint credited the outfit with winning her the role.

Which actress did MGM want for Eve Kendall instead of Saint?

Hitchcock stood by his choice.

Why did the leading man cost an extra $5,000 a day before shooting even began?

Production costs rose accordingly.

What did a 2006 GQ panel declare about Grant's grey two-piece?

It was copied for Tom Cruise in Collateral and Ben Affleck in Paycheck.

How many minutes did MGM want cut so the film would run under two hours?

Hitchcock checked his contract, found he had final cut, and refused.

Eve's dining-car line was redubbed to say she does what on an empty stomach?

Censors found the original too risqué.

For how many consecutive weeks did the film top the US box office?

It set record opening-week grosses at Radio City Music Hall.

Which film took two of the three Oscars North by Northwest was nominated for?

Lehman did win an Edgar Award for the screenplay.

At which festival did Hitchcock win the Silver Shell for Best Director?

He had won the same prize the year before for Vertigo.

What did Hitchcock say about the title's meaning?

Many assume it quotes Hamlet's "I am but mad north-north-west".

Which airline was worked into the film to reinforce the title?

Lehman's own working title was In a Northwesterly Direction.

What did Hitchcock call the final shot of the train entering a tunnel?

He told Truffaut it was probably one of the most impudent shots he ever made.

Which Bond film's helicopter chase was inspired by the crop-duster scene?

The film has been called "the first James Bond film".

Which Austin music festival reportedly took its name from the film?

Austin Chronicle editor Louis Black coined it as a play on the title.

Which Doctor Who serial pays homage with a biplane attack?

The Doctor, like Thornhill, is framed for a political murder.

Which Anthony Horowitz novel spoofs the film's plot and title?

It is the third Diamond Brothers book and became an ITV series in 1991.

In which year was the film added to the National Film Registry?

It was deemed culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.

Empire magazine named the crop-duster sequence what in 2009?

The Guardian had it at No. 29 in its top 100 film moments.

Which publication named it the greatest thriller ever made in 2022?

Its Metacritic score is 98 out of 100.

Who directed the 2025 UK stage adaptation that opened at York Theatre Royal?

An earlier adaptation by Carolyn Burns premiered in Melbourne in 2015.

What resolution was the 2024 65th-anniversary restoration mastered in?

It premiered at the Tribeca Festival in 70mm.