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South Dakota History (1993) - Alfred Hitchcock's "Expedient Exaggerations" and the Filming of North by Northwest at Mount Rushmore

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Abstract

In 1959, the National Park Service allowed director Alfred Hitchcock to film nonviolent scenes for 'North by Northwest' on Mount Rushmore. Although Hitchcock accepted these conditions, he later added some violent scenes filmed on a studio mock-up of the memorial, an "expedient exaggeration" that angered the National Park Service, the Department of the Interior, and South Dakota senator Karl E. Mundt. Despite their protests, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer released the film intact in 1959. Rather than damaging the reputation of Mount Rushmore, the movie brought the site even more renown.

Notes

  • Based on the Mount Rushmore National Memorial Archives and Karl E. Mundt Historical and Educational Foundation Archives, the Rapid City Daily Journal, and secondary sources.

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