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ACF Critic Series #31 North By Northwest
Terry Teachout and I talk about North By Northwest, or marriage in modern America. What would it take for a noir hero, betrayed by a beautiful woman, to make his way from thriller back to romance by way of comedy?
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All hail the ACF #31 podcast! A great subject, and I can’t believe you landed Terry Teachout! I was nineteen in 1971 when this 1959 movie was given a rare screening at the St. Marks Cinema in lower Manhattan. To me, “Vertigo” and “North By Northwest” will always remain prime Hitchcock. It was enormously influential, but not at first…it took us much despised Baby Boomers to remember and honor it.
Speaking of this credits scene: In 1987, I was pleased to serve on the Bilbao film festival jury with Saul Bass and we became friends. The following year we were able to do a tribute to his work in film.
Htichcock & Preminger in the 50s-60s to Scorsese in the 90s all hired Bass. That’s all fine, I’m sure, but when I was a cartoon-watching kid, I watched a movie on the strength of these titles, so that was Bass to me…–Looking at them again, the only thing I marvel at is, everyone was in that movie! Including Jimmy Durante & his nose. I wouldn’t have bet all those people were alive at that time, much less mad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1A7bJD3atk
For a while there, Hollywood was big on cameos.
This was the perfect role for Cary Grant and he was perfect for the role. The kind of light comedy, charming fellow roles he had been playing culminated here.
I always liked The Trouble with Harry for Hitchcock comedy.
Yeah, I always forget that one when it comes to comedies. Dunno why–I like it–I guess I don’t get it as well a these others; it’s the only one I’ve never written about.
Did you know he bought it for his girl?
Wait… What?
The movie; bought the rights to it; to leave as inheritance. There were three others–Psycho, I think. I forget which…
By girl, do you mean his daughter? If so, I would think maybe Stranger on a Train.
The other four–five in all–Rope, Rear Window, The Man Who Knew Too Much (remake, of course), & Vertigo. So the Jimmy Stewart Four! All for Patricia’s inheritance. I only did podcasts on two; will do more…
It was once practically impossible to see “Vertigo”. I saw it on its network TV premiere in 1966 and was knocked over by it. But it never played in theaters, even revival houses, and its second contractual TV showing wasn’t until 1972. When home video started, it wasn’t offered (until much, much later). I saw the film again at a secret collector’s screening at the LA County Museum of Art in 1983, and the print owner was so scared he begged us to keep the secret. It was as if we were seeing a banned Parajanov film in the basement of the Kremlin.
I raise the eyebrow, you understand, without intending any offense–at that last line.
But yes, Parajanov, Tarkovsky, Vartanov… Maybe the Suram Fortress? Ashug Karibi?
Yeah, Suram Fortress is a good one…Color of Pomegranates…