The Critics' Corner on NORTH BY NORTHWEST

Critical reaction to North By Northwest was overwhelmingly positive. It was praised by the critics and public alike as one of Hitchcock's great films and one of the best films of the year. This was a welcome return to positive reviews for Hitchcock, after the confused and often negative reception accorded Vertigo, 1958. (Ironically, the latter is now widely acknowledged as a masterpiece by most film historians and critics.)

Variety declared the crop duster attack sequence "a brilliant use of location," a scene that "would not have one-tenth its effect if done in a studio, no matter how skillfully contrived."

Saturday Review wrote: "Much the best Hitchcock that has come along in some years, and it is probably due to the fact that his situation, this time, has allowed him to indulge his fancy for all sorts of playfully macabre moments. If, by the way, you like to take your suspense straight, the movie has all that's necessary to keep you on the edge of your seat."

The New York Herald Tribune reported that it was "one of the wildest and most entertaining movie marathons of the summer season."

The New York Times said: "A suspenseful and delightful Cook's Tour of some of the more photogenic spots in these United States....It is all done in brisk, genuinely witty and sophisticated style."

"From the glossy '60s-style surface of Saul Bass' credit sequence to Hitchcock's almost audible chortle at his final phallic image, North by Northwest treads a bizarre tightrope between sex and repression, nightmarish thriller and urbane comedy...All in all, an improbable classic." - Helen MacKintosh, TimeOut Film Guide.

"Delightful chase comedy-thriller with a touch of sex, a kind of compendium of its director's best work, with memories of The 39 Steps, Saboteur and Foreign Correspondent among them." - Halliwell's Film & Video Guide.

"Running at over two hours, Hitch is able to pack in many memorable sequences including the famous crop-dusting scene. While each of them excels in intrigue and suspense, he cleverly links them with black humour. Hitch delivers these emotional highs and lows with perfect timing, allowing moments of relief to break out before mounting another crescendo of excitement. The effect is like a grand musical work, conducted with bravura audience manipulation." - Almar Haflidason, BBC.co.uk.

Awards & Honors

Despite all of the praise North By Northwest received, it was overlooked at Academy Award time. While the film did garner nominations for Best Original Screenplay, Editing, and Art Direction, it failed to be nominated for Best Picture, Director, Cinematography, or Score. Given the film's stellar reputation today, it seems inconceivable that it could fail to be nominated for at least Best Picture. But North By Northwest happened to be released during a crowded year, dominated by Ben-Hur (1959), which went on to win eleven Academy Awards. Other competition included The Diary of Anne Frank, The Nun's Story, Some Like It Hot, Anatomy of a Murder, and Room at the Top.

North By Northwest was completed on a budget of $4 million dollars, which upset the MGM brass since the flick was supposed to cost less than $3 million. After its record-breaking engagement at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, the film went on to net a profit of $6.5 million in North America alone. It became the sixth highest grossing film for 1959 (tied with Anatomy of a Murder) which made up for the commercial disappointment of Vertigo.

Compiled by Scott McGee & Jeff Stafford