I’ll leave legitimate movie reviews to guys like Nolte and Toto. My review: if you haven’t figured out that North By Northwest is a classic, you should either apply for a lobotomy (aka: register as a Democrat) or move to France.
Visually, it was magnificent. My daughter and I saw the remastered version on I-Max and the scenes were stunning, particularly those on Mt. Rushmore. You really get a sense of Hitchcock’s genius and that of his cinematographer Robert Burks when the result of their art is presented before you in images twenty feet high.
A couple of observations:
- I remain saddened by the fact that the character of Clara Thornhill (Roger’s madre) disappears in the second half of the film, except for a couple of phone calls. Perhaps there was no way to fit her in to the rest of the picture, but I enjoyed the hell out of Jesse Royce Landis’ performance. Not quite Mrs. Teasdale, but close.
- Why the hell can’t Hollywood make pictures like this any longer?
- I am still annoyed that they over-dubbed Eva Marie Saint’s “I never make love on an empty stomach” line.
- If I was a chick, I’d still be pining for Cary Grant.
We went to the inaugural showing, at the Chicago Film Festival. They trucked out Martin Landau for the occasion and, though I was more than ready to despise him, I found myself totally enjoying Landau during a Q&A session after the airing.
He came across as a very genuine, thoughtful fellow. Landau was also revealed to have a remarkable talent for mimicry. His Hitchcock and James Mason impersonations were spot on, and his Cary Grant was only a tad below that standard.
The most interesting revelation – and perhaps some of our readers are aware of this – is that Landau came up with the idea to play the character of Leonard as a gay fellow entirely on his own. He proposed the idea to Hitchcock, which must have taken some guts since this was Landau’s second feature film, and Hitch jumped on it. It was a great twist, one which caused Mason some heart burn for the rest of his career (“People were constantly asking James if his character was meant to be bi-sexual,” Landau said. “He told them that Vandamm was not bi, it was all my fault.”) and I found myself impressed by Landau’s creativity and subtlety.
Great stuff. If you get a chance to check out the remastered version, check it out. You won’t regret it!
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Did Landau tell you guys this story? Hitch didn’t talk to him much on the set, and he finally got nervous enough to ask why… and Hitch told him that it was because “Marty” was giving a fine performance and he didn’t want to get in the way.
Jake – He DID! Told that story in pretty much exactly those words. He added that Hitch spent a lot of time conferring with Grant, Saint and Mason, so he was a little worried. But then Hitch told him that and all was well.
+JMJ+
I caught the first half of this movie on cable many years ago and was tranfixed.
Then the power went out.
I never did get around to watching the whole thing, but I figure it’s something to look forward to in the future.
I hope the power’s back on.
+JMJ+
Hahahaha! To add insult to injury, the power came back on just as the next movie was about to start.
Enbrethiliel – Do not pay attention to Rufus (now or ever). Great film, and I’m sure you’d like it.
+JMJ+
As I’ve said, I do look forward to seeing it again, this time in full! =)
I’ll consider taking your advice about Rufus, but he seems so harmless and funny . . .
I have had the remastered version on DVD for quite some time now and still watch it every so often.
great flick.
other amazing looking Hitchcock restorations are Rear Window and Vertigo!
one day I’ll have a blu-ray and a big DLP TV.
Enbrethiliel,
I’ll save you the trouble:
Grant and Eva Marie Saint die in a fiery car crash.
The train in the tunnel always makes me laugh.
I hear ya…subtle Hitch, very subtle
First off, Rufus – you schmuck – don’t toy with her like that! It does not have the same ending as “The Birds.”
Second, I’ll have to check out the remastered “Rear Window,” I think that is my favorite Hitchcock movie. Pretty tough to beat Grace Kelly at her loveliest and Raymond Burr as the antagonist.
That’s right, Rufus. Cary and Eva Marie don’t die in a fiery car crash.
That’s the ending to “Rear Window.”
I know, Tink. I just didn’t want to give away the actual ending, where Grant and Saint fall from the Statue of Liberty’s torch only to be impaled on a hot dog vendor’s umbrella.
You blew it up! Damn you, God damn you all to hell. Oops wrong movie.
Screw you, Rufus … Uncle Charlie killed Grant and Saint without a shadow of a doubt. There’s much suspicion that the man was a notorious psycho, as well as a spellbound saboteur. Who in a frenzy, watched people from his rear window, like Mr. and Mrs. Smith, go up their 39 steps and get vertigo. When the man who knew too much was at the end of his rope, he was ready for the family plot.
I meant schmuck.
Fixed Tink!
Thanks and warmest regards, kind sir!
Just gave away my old copy of NXNW to make room in my DVD collection for this. I cannot wait. Hitch, Grant, Saint, brilliance
Huzzah for VistaVision! I heard/read once that Cary Grant was concerned that he might look too old for the clarity of VistaVision. I also recall that the studio was a little upset that he used VistaVision for close-up shots rather than using the process for panoramas.
Yes, Cary Grant for ever, the ideal 20th century man.
Have always loved this film, partly because I grew up in the Black Hills and love seeing the footage of the old visitor’s center/cafeteria.
Love that pic, Stacie! Getting any sleep these days or should we be looking for posts from you in the wee hours?
Thanks, Tink. Have been awake/asleep at all hours of day and night so far, but starting to be more awake/day, asleep/night which is very good for my sanity. Then I come here and my sanity is questionable again…
I saw a comment from a Tink on RedEye the other night. You?
Not me, unfortunately (would love to get a shout-out from those awesome guys). I’ll have to check out the poser using my name.
My theory is American parents ought to ship their newborns off to China and the Chinese should reciprocate in a cross-cultural baby swap. Fetuses (feti?) tend to sleep while their moms are moving, all that movement is like rocking so that’s when they nap. When mom is asleep the tummy is still and that’s when the feti play. Mommy’s day is their night, and vice versa. So, our kids are born with 12 hours of jet lag. Find a couple in China who had a baby on the same day as yours, arrange a swap, and sleep in peace.
By the way, CONGRATULATIONS!!! on your newest bundle of joy!
Thanks, Rufus – but man-boobs or not, you have obviously never breast-fed a baby. You get four hours, max, with most newborns. Have you ever shared a bed with a woman nine months pg? She doesn’t get to sleep through the night either, having to get up to use the facilities or go have a midnight snack, etc.
China is too far away. Maybe new moms could just move a couple time zones. We seem to move all the time anyway; got to talk to Mr. Make.Do. about better planning.
Mrs. Firefly carried four kids to term and breast fed, and, inspite of my complicity in all that, she let me share the bed with her throughout, so I’m pretty familiar with the deal. Because of some jaundice our first child had we stumbled into giving a bottle of formula for the late night feeding and followed that procedure with all our kids. That way she’d get one feeding where someone else (me) could feed the kid so she could get more than four hours of sleep, and, newborns often get more in one serving from a bottle, so the kids would often sleep a little longer after that feeding. You have to be careful that there is no confusion on the kid’s part, but it worked for us.
Rufus, you sound like a seasoned old salt when it comes to babies! Can’t believe you’d really have traded any of your littles to China just for a bit of extra sleep.
We tried a bottle as a supplement with our first and it didn’t help worth beans, so I never bothered again. He ended up with allergies despite (or perhaps because of) using soy formulas. Our second child learned to sleep a good 6-8 hour stretch when he was just two months, so got lucky there.
Our newest little gal is three weeks old today, so I’ll give her some more time to catch on. Then there’s my mother-in-law who had 13 kids and even now (in her 80s) swears she still wakes up for the 2 o’clock feeding… like a phantom limb that itches.
Don’t forget the all-kings-of-awesome opening scene:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIlqatMQSgI
That music is, like PSYCHO, perfect suspense thriller music.