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Harrison's Reports (1959) - North by Northwest

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"North by Northwest" with Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason

(MGM, July; 137 min.)

Alfred Hitchcock lives up to his famed reputation as a master of suspense and thrills in this highly entertaining spy melodrama, which has been photographed in VistaVision and Technicolor. It undoubtedly will prove to be a top box-office attraction, not only because of the cast names, but also because of the favorable word of mouth that will surely spread from all who see it. There is something unusual happening all the time in the eventful though somewhat implausible story, which moves along at a fast clip throughout the footage and centers around a debonair Madison Avenue advertising executive who becomes innocently and dangerously involved with an enemy spy ring when he is mistaken for an American counterspy. Cary Grant is ideally cast as the hapless executive who not only finds himself mixed up with spies but who is also framed on a murder charge and becomes the object of a nationwide police hunt. Aside from the suspense and thrills, there is plentiful comedy throughout, with many situations that will make audiences howl with laughter. Eva Marie Saint is excellent as a sexy American counterspy who wins Grant's heart but leads him to believe that she is the willing mistress of the suave enemy spy leader, effectively portrayed by James Mason. Grant's romantic scenes with Miss Saint are quite "hot" and their dialogue is unusually frank. Not the least of the films assets are the interesting backgrounds in New York, Chicago and South Dakota. A most fascinating background is the Mt. Rushmore Memorial, where a frantic, cliffhanging pursuit takes place among the giant sculptured faces of Presidents Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt. The color photography is excellent:—

The rather complicated but interesting story opens with the kidnapping of Grant from a New York hotel by several of Mason's henchmen, who think that he is a counterspy. After being questioned by Mason at a Long Island estate, Grant is forced to drink a whole bottle of whisky and is placed behind the wheel of a moving car to drive drunkenly to his death. He manages to escape but is picked up by the police as a drunken driver. He retraces his steps with the police and is unable to prove the fantastic details of his story. Confounded, he decides to investigate on his own. This leads him to the United Nations Building, where one of Mason's henchmen frame him in the murder of a diplomat. He manages to elude capture and to board a train headed for Chicago. Eva, a passenger, recognizes him as the "wanted murderer" and aids his escape by hiding him in her compartment. From then on, Grant becomes involved in all sorts of wild adventures, during which several unsuccessful attempts are made on his life and during which he discovers that Eva is a part of Mason's gang. This disillusionment ends when he is taken in hand by Government agents who explain that he (Grant) had been mistaken for a mythical spy they had created, and that Eva actually was an American counterspy. Grant agrees to cooperate with the American agents to strengthen Eva's role, but something goes wrong and her identity is discovered by Mason. Grant rescues her from the spies and this leads to a dangerous chase on the Mt. Rushmore Memorial, where the pursuers are either shot or fall to their deaths while Grant and Eva barely escape with their lives.

It was produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock from a screenplay by Ernest Lehman.

Adult fare.

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