Cary Grant Stylishly Treks North By Northwest in a Classic Hitchcock Romp
Constituting one of the most
perfectly-packaged entertainments of its era, MGM’s sleek 1959 production of Northwest
by Northwest provides filmgoers avid for an enthralling night at the movies
the ideal venue to forgo reality and dive into a thrilling adventure guided by
the masterful hand of Alfred Hitchcock. Armed with a Grade-A cast and top talent
in every department, including a typically rousing score, artful editing and
ace cinematography by regular Hitchcock collaborators Bernard Herrmann, George
Tomasini and Robert Burks, respectfully, and a terrific original screenplay by
Ernest Lehman that could serve as a blueprint for all mistaken-identity
storylines featuring a charismatic hero haplessly caught in a web of intrigue
and in the arms of a mysterious could-be femme fatale. Mixing a host of
intoxicating elements together with great wit and clarity, Hitchcock concocts
one of his classiest and most enduring capers with his exhilarating trip North
by Northwest.
Nearing the end of a decade wherein
he witnessed a peak period of creativeness and popularity, both in films and on
television with the event of Alfred Hitchcock Presents in 1955, the
prodigiously talented director was surely looking for a viable commercial property
to end the 1950s on a high note, after his previous, possible most personal
work, Vertigo, brought in decent returns but failed to meet with the
public enthusiasm granted other recent Hitchcock offerings such as Rear Window and To Catch a Thief. Lehman’s escapade-laden scenario,
featuring aspects of comedy, romance and suspense, with memorably-drawn
characters, both of noble and disreputable inclinations, gave Hitchcock ample
material to work up some of his most lasting imagery onscreen, while also
taking care of his famous cameo appearance more swiftly than, but as amusingly
as in any other of his films. The film’s other wealth of assets exciting, including superlatively staged set pieces, specifically the famous crop duster sequence and
imperiling Mount Rushmore finale, allows a top-of-his-game Hitchcock to display
all of his formidable skills, once again proving his fully warranted “Master of
Suspense” title in the process.
Cary Grant slips into the role of
Roger Thornhill, the beleaguered advertising executive unwittingly drawn into
the central plot surrounding the enigmatic “George Kaplan,” with apparently
effortless class and charm. Grant, at the peak of his abilities and star
charisma after over twenty years as a top male draw in such classic films as The Awful Truth, His Girl Friday and three previous Hitchcock outings,
confidently depicts Roger’s mounting confusion and desperate attempts to avoid
run-ins with said crop duster and other adversaries with the skill of a screen
veteran who knows how to make his character’s every move come across as
persuasive and relatable to audiences. In one of his best moments, Grant deftly
maneuvers through a sequence wherein a drunken Roger deals with an
out-of-control car, then the police, with a perfect blend of comic deftness and
believability, not once making the bit come across as hokey. Judiciously
utilizing his acute acting skill, Grant makes Roger a simultaneously cool and
affable hero one is drawn to from the first frame to last, allowing a viewer to
except all the improbable circumstances he becomes embroiled in, while enjoying
every minute of watching how Thornhill/Grant will attempt to escape from his latest
dangerous obstacle.
Northwest represented a change-of-pace
for lovely, talented Eva Marie Saint, playing the alluring Eve Kendall, who
seductively meets Roger on a train and quickly trysts with him, before plot
entanglements reveal deeper motives on Eve’s part. Starting in television and
on the stage in the late 1940s Saint, in a manner apropos to her surname,
established herself as a moralistic, dramatic heroine of rare persuasion in
films with her Oscar-winning debut in 1954’s On the Waterfront, and
continued in this vein via Raintree County and riveting work in A
Hatful of Rain. Hitchcock, deploying Saint as his latest enticing blonde,
allows the star a chance to add glamour and some morally ambiguous shadings to
allow Eve to attract a viewer’s interest from her first run-in with Roger as
strangers on a train, a meeting that works out as stimulatingly as in an
earlier Hitchcock classic. Saint appears to be relishing playing opposite
Grant, especially in their romantic moments, including some clever, suggestive
banter, while also using her strong dramatic gifts to later vividly show the
turmoil Eve feels entrapped in as plot complications thicken and Eve is caught
up with Grant between Mount Rushmore and a hard place. Saint would remain a
foremost leading lady in films throughout the 1960s, starring in top offerings
such as Exodus, Grand Prix and The Russians Are Coming, the Russians
Are Coming, while carefully balancing a fruitful career with alternate
roles as wife and mother, then continue to work in films and one television,
gaining an Emmy in the process. North would join Waterfront as
one of the bona fide seminal works in her filmography, with Saint honoring
these and other quality films on her resume by serving as an unofficial
ambassador for classic movies, appearing in the L.A. area frequently to offer
wonderful interviews to rapt audiences, wherein she discussed her involvement
with specific films being screened, and her fascinating career in general.
As Roger’s chief North adversary,
Phillip Vandamm, James Mason imbues the role with a calm, disarming self-satisfaction
that marks him a perfect dastardly counterpoint to Grant’s smooth playing in
heroic mode. Mason was having a fine run in the 1950s, scoring with portrayals
of difficult, morose men facing serious conflicts, specifically as a Norman
Maine and Captain Nemo for the ages in his incredible 1954 one-two punch of A
Star is Born and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and in possibly the
decade’s most surprising and harrowing suburban drama, Bigger Than Life, playing
a teacher and family man who gets hooked on cortisone and goes berserk. Playing
an outright villain in North, Mason is clearly in his element and
appears to be having a lot of fun in the part, taunting Thornhill with a relaxed
dexterity that indicates Vandamm is so assured a rogue that any explanation
Roger offers Philip concerning who he is will be simply dismissed. With Mason’s
firm grasp of the role, one believes Philip will gain his objectives by any
means necessary, however macabre they may be, not minding and even enjoying it
if a murder or two comes into play. Post-North, Mason would close out
the decade with the vastly enjoyable sci-fi smash Journey to the Center of
the Earth, then find later-career success in character parts, specifically
with his wonderful work as Humbert Humbert in Lolita and Oscar
nominations for Georgy Girl and The Verdict.
Jessie Royce Landis, returning to
Hitchcock and Grant with aplomb after her success in Thief, steals
several moments with her florid portrayal of Roger’s non-nonsense, wry mother,
Clara. With her sly retorts and exasperation at her son’s seemingly far-fetched
but true claims someone is trying to kill him, Landis’ and her killer comic
timing prove North highlights during her brief appearances, making one
wish for a follow-up film featuring Roger going South by Southwest with
mother in tow. Martin Landau, in one of his key early roles, utilizes an
icy blue-eyed gaze to great effect as Leonard, Vandamm’s ultra-loyal key
henchman, artfully suggesting just how deep Leonard’s affection for his boss
might go, during a period wherein the Production Code frowned on any hint of
homosexuality on screen. Hitchcock regular Leo G. Carroll once again lends his
urbane presence as a contact aiding Roger as he tries to figure out which way
is up as he traverses throughout the film’s title. In other roles, Les Tremayne
and his rich vocal tones are perfectly cast as the auctioneer perplexed by
Roger’s unusual bidding technique, Josephine Hutchinson makes a strong, eerie
impression early on as the duplicitous “Mrs. Townsend” and several other
familiar character actors, including Edward Binns, Philip Ober, Edeward Platt,
Maudie Prickett and Adam Williams also rate notice in small roles.
Upon its release in July of 1959, North
by Northwest indeed proved to be quintessential summertime fare for patrons
eager to take in Hitchcock’s latest tension-addled adventure, but one blessed
with a light touch. At the box-office, the movie earned a hefty $5,250,000 in initial
rentals (according to Variety), placing it among the top ten hits of the
year. Critically the film also found favor, with many praising it as one of
Hitchcock’s most ingenious and entertaining offerings, helping North to
place on both The New York Times and the National Board of Review lists of the year’s top ten movies, while Hitchcock and Lehman also were mentioned by
the Director’s and Writer’s Guild branches, respectively. At the Oscars, North
would garner Lehman one of the more deserved nominations for Best Original
Screenplay, along with nods for Best Art Direction and Tomasini’s editing, with
Grant, alas, once again being overlook for one of his most indelible
performances and Hitchcock also missing out on a warranted place among the top
five. Time has only increased the appraisal of and public adoration for the
film, with North growing a strong fanbase via television showings and
various physical media releases, including a new 4K release featuring a
pristine print of the movie. Those interested in seeing one of Hitchcock’s
liveliest diversions featuring Grant at his suave best will find an
irresistible venture awaits them with a journey North by Northwest.
And a fond farewell to Richard Chamberlain, who passed away March 29th at age 90. Although the handsome, skillful and serene actor built a nice big screen filmography over the course of his esteemed career, including Petulia, The Three (and Four) Musketeers, The Towering Inferno (in a nice against-type turn as a villain) and The Last Wave, it was in television that Chamberlain sealed his superstardom, first during his 1961-66 run as heartthrob Dr. Kildare, with his fame carrying over to a top ten hit on the Billboard charts via his rendition of the show’s theme song, then a huge career boost in the 1980s as the “King of the Mini-Series” with the invent of Shõgun and an even bigger blockbuster, 1983's The Thorn Birds, both of which brough him Golden Globe awards and Emmy nominations. Chamberlain would continue in films and t.v., ending his television endeavors on a high note in 2017 via David Lynch’s Twin Peaks update. With his 2003 autobiography, Chamberlain also came out, in doing so exhibiting the same class, charm and intelligence that were integral aspects of his signature roles. Rest in peace to a fine talent, Richard Chamberlain.