Tonight's Movie: North By Northwest (1959) at the Egyptian Theatre

Last night I had the pleasure of seeing the new 70mm restoration of Alfred Hitchcock's NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959) at the recently remodeled Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.

The film was part of the American Cinematheque's Ultra Cinematheque 70 Fest; it's being shown multiple times this weekend at the Egyptian and then will move to the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica for additional screenings.

This was my third time to see the film theatrically, although it had been a great many years since I last saw it on a big screen; when I was in my mid teens I saw it at both the Tiffany in Hollywood and the Wilshire in Fullerton. The Wilshire was quite memorable, as the theater was a converted swimming pool! Incredibly, there was still a drain in the floor at the front of the theater.

I had an opportunity to see the new NORTH BY NORTHWEST print at April's TCM Classic Film Festival, but the cavernous Chinese Theatre isn't my favorite venue and I ended up choosing a different option which worked better with my overall schedule. I was thus very glad to see the restoration on the 70mm festival schedule.

Right off the top I'll say that while the new print looked wonderful and I had a great time seeing the movie on a huge screen for the first time in many years, the sound balancing was very problematic.

My hearing admittedly isn't perfect, but I don't usually have any issues at the Egyptian, and my husband had the exact same problems: The great Bernard Herrmann score and the sound effects often drowned out the dialogue.

My husband has since talked to a very knowledgeable friend also in attendance last night who confirmed that yes, the sound mix was as bad as we thought. I hope the Egyptian can correct this for future screenings.

Fortunately the film is a great favorite and one we know well, so we survived not catching all the dialogue and had a good time regardless. There were a surprising number of hands shown by people seeing the movie for the very first time, and I hope they didn't end up confused or miss some of the great lines.

NORTH BY NORTHWEST is special to me for many reasons; not only is it a superb movie, but it's a film where I'm very fortunate to say I've seen both of the lead actors in person over the course of my life.

When I was in high school, right around the time I first saw the film theatrically, Cary Grant narrated a Christmas Candlelight performance I sang in with my high school choir. And as I wrote in my recent centennial tribute to Eva Marie Saint, I've been able to see her at multiple events over the years.

Those appearances included seeing her opposite Henry Fonda in a theatrical production of THE FIRST MONDAY IN OCTOBER in the late '70s, hosting a Hitchcock night at the Hollywood Bowl a decade ago, and at multiple TCM events. These special memories were one reason among many I was glad to revisit the film in a theater at long last.

NORTH BY NORTHWEST thrills from its opening moments, with Saul Bass credits set to Bernard Herrmann's exciting score. Herrmann's pulsating music gives the film a unique "tang" which is absolute perfection and helps it stand out from the norm -- even from other Hitchcock films.

The script by Ernest Lehman is also a gem, balancing thrills and humor in equal measure. Cary Grant has the perfect role as Roger Thornhill, a cynical twice-divorced New York businessman who's baffled to be mistaken for a stranger and finds himself immediately thrown into inexplicable, life-threatening situations.

As Roger travels "north by northwest," ultimately ending up in South Dakota, he finds romance with mysterious Eve Kendall (Saint), not to mention reserves of courage and resourcefulness it's unlikely he knew he had.

NORTH BY NORTHWEST reminds me of my favorite Hitchcock film, FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (1940), for its sheer number of perilous set pieces; the crop duster sequence is justly famous, and the story culminates, of course, atop Mount Rushmore. My 2021 post on the Academy Museum includes a look at the original Mount Rushmore backdrop, which was quite a thrill to see in person.

Everything in the movie fires on all cylinders, including Robert Boyle's production design (that house at Mount Rushmore!), the sets, and the photography of Robert Burks, capturing the movie's memorable color palette, heavy on woods and shades of brown and orange.

When Eve enters wearing her beautiful red and black dress -- which Saint has recounted she purchased at Bergdorf Goodman's with the director -- it stands out not only because it's beautiful but because the color design is noticeably richer than most of her wardrobe.

The greatest compliment I can give NORTH BY NORTHWEST is that I love short films and this movie's 136 minutes absolutely flies past.

The supporting cast is tops, starting with James Mason and Martin Landau as the villains and Jessie Royce Landis as Roger's mother ("You gentlemen aren't really trying to kill my son, are you?"). Also on hand for the fun are Leo G. Carroll, Josephine Hutchinson, Adam Williams, Philip Ober, Les Tremayne, Edward Platt, and Edward Binns.

I'm not sure it had ever registered with me before that John Beradino (Dr. Steve Hardy on GENERAL HOSPITAL) plays a cop in the sequence where Roger is arrested for drunk driving. More familiar faces such as Walter Coy, Patrick McVey, Ken Lynch, Maudie Prickett, Jeremy Slate, Olan Soule and Tol Avery are also in the cast. Famed extra Bess Flowers is in one of the hotel lobbies; I was watching for her in the crowd scenes but didn't spot her. Next time!

It's probably not necessary to say much more about NORTH BY NORTHWEST, as many of my readers have already seen the film and I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't. Let me simply say to be sure to see this one! It's most highly recommended.

NORTH BY NORTHWEST was released on DVD in 2004; this edition, in an "old-fashioned" snap case, has been on our family's Hitchcock shelf for the past couple decades. The movie was also released on Blu-ray in 2015. It also had a VHS release.

I've not yet heard any information about a Blu-ray release of the new restored print but am hopeful there might be some news on that front before long.  Seeing it at home won't be the same as seeing a 70mm print on a huge screen, but it would still be nice to have the updated print available for home viewing.

Finally: What was Netflix thinking installing a digital electronic sign above the classic Graumans Egyptian sign on the front of the theater? It clashes with the building's overall aesthetic, and they really should have known better.

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