North By Northwest (1959) had me HOOKED | *First Time Watching * Movie Reaction & Commentary

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My first time watching North By Northwest (1959) This was a genuine Alfred Hitchcock blockbuster! My favorite of his films so far! I hope you enjoy my movie reaction for North by Northwest.
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Original Movie: North By Northwest (1959)
*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. All rights belong to their respective owners.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

This movie was so exciting! My favorite Hitchcock film so far. What are your thoughts on North By Northwest?

[@GrouchyMarx]

@ 6:44 Hey Chris. With you said there, do you recall how he got mistaken for George Caplin at the beginning? It wasn't in your video so I couldn't see if you caught that.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

@@GrouchyMarx Sure do, the waiter was walking around calling for George Caplan at the same time Thornhill waved him down about sending a wire to his mom. It appeared to the henchmen that he was responding to the call for George.

[@GrouchyMarx]

@@CasualNerdReactions That's cool. When you wondered if he didn't know if he was Caplin or not, wasn't sure if you noticed that. Never mind! LOL! I'm still watching it. Pretty good movie, huh? 😁👍

[@CasualNerdReactions]

@@GrouchyMarx It was so good! Really, ahead of its time I think.

[@1ListerofSmeg]

NbNW What a film! This is my favorite from the legend that is Hitchcock.

[@catherinelw9365]

“Everyone wants to be Cary Grant. Even I want to be Cary Grant.” - Cary Grant

[@CasualNerdReactions]

That’s an amazing quote!

[@TheDietrichDaniels]

Cary Grant is a great actor, you should add "Arsenic and Old Lace" to your list of classic movies to watch.

[@jdnevesytrof6208]

Arsenic and Old Lace is an amazing film. Funnily enough I think Grant hated his own performance in it for being too broad, despite the fact it was exactly what suited the film.

[@catherinelw9365]

Funny, Grant did not like Arsenic and Old Lace. He thought his acting was over the top. I suggest Bringing Up Baby.

[@pravusprime]

Absolutely. Charade as well!

[@stlmopoet]

Yes!!!

[@TheDietrichDaniels]

@@catherinelw9365 bringing Up Baby is great, I’ve never seen it available for free on any of the usual streaming options.

[@jdnevesytrof6208]

Also how fabulous are the accents in this? I don't think anyone else in history had Cary Grant's specific form of archaic cultured mid-Atlantic accent, and James Mason's refined British voice...boy, smoother than butter.

[@angelamontgomery9007]

Agree 💯!!!

[@jimtrela7588]

Cary Grant had immigrated from England, where he came from a family of circus acrobats!

[@TheBTG88]

That train entering the tunnel at the end was Hitchcock's way of implying something the censors of the time would not have allowed. Same with the innuendo dialog between Eve and Roger. Anything too overt would have been deleted via censorship.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

I forgot how strict censorship was back then. Although, I never would have made that connection.

[@billolsen4360]

The symbolism would have been denied absolutely by Hitchcock, followed by a wink, I'm sure.

[@salsonny]

my favorite Cary line. "How does a girl like you get to be a girl like you" My fav Hitchcock film, also Hitchcock's sexual innuendo's throughout the movie , at the end when Cary kisses her, they fade out , the Train goes in to the tunnel

[@dlweiss]

I enjoy this film because it might just be Hitchcock at his silliest and most playful. Sure there are stakes and danger, but it's all wrapped up in a clear sense of spy-thriller fun and adventure, rather than horror or unease. And Cary Grant is so sassy and bewildered the whole time that you can't help but smile as things get more and more extreme.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

Yes! This movie was exactly what I needed when I watched it. High stakes, but tons of fun.

[@nellgwenn]

Family Plot is also silly and playful too.

[@gaelbourdier2941]

@@CasualNerdReactions If you liked "North by Northwest"; you can also watch "Saboteur" (1942). It is also a movie directed by Hitchcock.

[@terryv2006]

Microfilm was a way of miniaturizing documents. They simply needed to be inserted in a projector to view. The library used to keep old newspapers this way so people could search through archives.

[@billolsen4360]

The old microfilm machines at school used to give me motion sickness if I scrolled through them too fast.

[@zachnesmith]

Gotta love Archie Leach (a.k.a Cary Grant.) Other great films of his you should check out: Notorious (also directed by Hitchcock) Bringing Up Baby and To Catch a Thief. Fun note: they showed this as the outdoor movie for my towns film festival and the leading lady, Eva Marie Saint, was the guest speaker. She aged like fine wine. Also, if you watch this again, keep your eyes on the little boy in blue in the background when Eva pulls the gun on Cary.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

He was covering his ears!! That’s so funny ni couldn’t resist googling it. 🤣 I love that so much.

[@jamesalexander5623]

@@CasualNerdReactions After a few takes .... He wanted to be ready for the big bang!

[@billolsen4360]

"I have a job, a secretary, a mother, two ex-wives & several baaaartendeders dependent up on me." 🤣

[@jamesharper3933]

One of my favorite Cary Grant movies. Another great movie I highly recommend is the 1963 film Charade. It features Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau, James Coburn and George Kennedy. It's the best Hitchcock movie that Hitchcock never made. Directed by Stanley Donen (Singing in the Rain), it has murder, mystery, romance and comedy. Would love your reaction to this classic.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

Thanks for the suggestion, it is definitely on the list!

[@deckofcards87]

Cary is one of the most lovable screen actors of all time. For me I was hooked forever after seeing him in The Philadelphia Story with Katharine Hepburn and James Stewart which was one of my Mom's favourite movies. He also did the great "Notorious" with Hitchcock in 1944 and "To Catch A Thief" in '55.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

That’s a cast in the Philadelphia story! Definitely looking forward to seeing more.

[@goodowner5000]

...and "Suspicion" w/Joan Fontaine. Grant & James Stewart were, I think, Hitchcock's favorite leading men/protagonists.

[@snookyookum]

One of the things Hitchcock loves doing is portraying authority, government and police mostly, as ineffective at helping in the plight of the common man. Getting eve and Roger in deep is one example, but he really loves visual cues. The towering shot from the top of the UN building of Roger once he went from and 'important' man to a tiny spec diving into a cab in front of a worldwide organization designed to protect the world from it's own corruption and The shot of Thornhill and Eve and the Vandamm gang's machinations with four Presidents watching unable to intervene . It's a great shot as the monument looms heavily over the tiny participants helpless to assist in any way. I love that.

[@ericmkendall1]

The innocent man framed by circumstantial evidence attempting to clear his name while eluding the authorities-this is a story that Hitchcock really specialized in, and more than a few of his films relate variations of it. “North by Northwest” is my personal favorite among his films for sheer entertainment value. I’m glad to see new people discover this great classic.

[@eliasshaikh2065]

Like THE MAN WITH ONE RED SHOE.

[@jamesalexander5623]

@@eliasshaikh2065 The Man Who Knew Too Much

[@ralphficker167]

CN, You're "middle of nowhere" is one of the most famous locations in movie history. It's been studied and analyzed in film schools all over the world.

[@frankmahovlich5099]

Has anyone ever noticed and commented on the similarities between the "middle of nowhere" in North By Northwest (1957) and "middle of nowhere" at the end of Cast Away (2000)?

[@aatragon]

From Hamlet: " I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is Southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw." I recommend Hitchcock's movie 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 (1947)

[@CasualNerdReactions]

Notorious is one I really want to see. I am hoping my Patreon a will vote for that one in February. 🤞

[@dabe1971]

10:18 Did you miss how it happened at the beginning ? A call goes out for a Mr Caplin just at the point Roger goes to send a message so the two thugs assume he’s Caplin answering the call. The whole saga begins there. Love it, Hitchcock’s best and a wondrous soundtrack to boot.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

I caught it in editing, him calling for callan didn’t click in my ear the first time. Although I probably still would have been trying to make it more complex in my mind

[@eliasshaikh2065]

It’s amazing to see how overconfident the thugs are about getting the right guy. It never occurred to them that Kaplan was a decoy, nor did it occur to them the possibility of an innocent bystander just going to the desk at the same time as the call. By nabbing Roger, they actually set up their own organization for ruin along with VanDam the boss. Exposure was the last thing they’d ever want. By getting the innocent bystander it accelerated their defeat.

[@billolsen4360]

Hitchcock had a talent for recognizing talent in others, like Bernard Herrmann

[@laurab391]

Love it. Cary Grant is an amazing actor. Love every movie he is in. A great funny Grant movie is, Mr Blandings Biilds His Dream House. That movie also stars, Myrna Loy.

[@billolsen4360]

Liked him best in "Room for One More" as the kind foster father

[@dovegrey1]

I've never seen anyone react to this masterpiece of a movie, so extra points to you good sir! Cary Grant had such style and class, could handle drama, comedy and thrillers. "Why the bad accent though?" LOL Too funny. I watch this once every six months or so, always something interesting to pick up on..

[@CasualNerdReactions]

Definitely had style! This role suited him perfectly.

[@EastPeakSlim]

Fun fact: as Eve is backing away from Roger, just before she fires the blanks, you can see a young man seated a the table to her right rear with his fingers in his ears. This is one of the most noted goofs from a Hitchcock film.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

That’s great! He was prepared and yet, not prepared.

[@billolsen4360]

I think that was one of several takes and everything else in it was right so they kept it.

[@jdnevesytrof6208]

Everyone mentions the train as being a way to bypass the censors but Martin Landau's henchman character was subtly coded as homosexual as well, especially when he mentions his "feminine intuition." It wasn't necessarily the cliche of queer villains that developed later but Landau thought it would give his character an unusual and interesting subtext and Hitchcock agreed.

[@catherinelw9365]

True, in an interview, Landau said his character was in love with Mason, and was jealous of Eve.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

That went right over my head! In fact, I thought he was misunderstanding what women’s intuition is. 🤦🏼‍♂️ one more way in which this film was ahead of its time.

[@ThreadBomb]

I assumed he used the phrase as a joke, as no one ever uses "male intuition" as a figure of speech.

[@ballsyrocker]

They called those "Murphy Beds". I had an apartment in Michigan City ,Ind.along the lake edge and a wall of fake drawers would pull down on springs and Voila! A full sized bed. Cool when you had a guest but it was in the kitchen.Heh.

[@nealsterling8151]

I LOVE those old movies!

[@mamamurray2]

One of my favorite Cary Grant movies is Philadelphia Story. It also has Jimmy Stewart and Katherine Hepburn. They all show off their funny side. You should definitely check it out. 🙂

[@CasualNerdReactions]

That’s an all star cast and I definitely plan to watch it one day.

[@davidmenke7552]

Great reaction! I met Eva in 2011 when she came to a presentation of this film at the Cleveland Institute of Art!!! She was an old old lady and STILL a babe 🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@PrinceofArfon]

So one of the best romantic comedies is “The Philadelphia Story,” which sees (young) Cary Grant and (young) James Stewart both falling in love with the magnificent Katherine Hepburn. One of the most sharply-written and acted movies. Oh, and James Mason (who plays Kaplan) is one of the greats too. A huge variety of roles, from villainous to noble and a lot in between.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

Cary Grant & James Stewart in the same film? Ok. Very interesting! On the list, thanks!

[@billolsen4360]

Sorry, it was Van Dam not Kaplan, lol.

[@nickhayes1626]

In the list of cinematic masterpieces, this is top of the list. Even as amazing as all of Hitchcock’s films are, this is the absolute best of them all.

[@McLir]

I don't think it can be overstated how influential NNW has been. The writer, like Roger Thornhill, did not know what was happening next. It doesn't follow an act structure. But it does work as a series of set pieces. (The "making of" for NNW is really interesting.) Its success was a direct inspiration for the James Bond franchise. Flash forward to the mid-late 70s, when Spielberg and Lucas were hanging out on the beach. Steven expressed his desire to make a Bond movie. George said, "I've got something better." And they brainstormed for Raiders of the Lost Ark -- a series of outstanding set pieces. During their brainstorming session (available online) they actually call their future feature an amusement park ride. Raiders kicked off a whole sub-genre of action-adventure films in the 80s. The idea of movies as amusement park rides has since become the prevailing business model for Hollywood films. So, yeah, FUCK North by Northwest! Just kidding. It might be my favorite Hitchcock film, too. His whole run from Shadow of a Doubt to Psycho has too many perfect movies.

[@jonbolton3376]

I am really pleased you enjoyed it. I only saw it for the first time a month ago and it became a favourite, your reaction is the same as mine was lol.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

I’m glad I’m not the only one just now enjoying some of these classics!

[@ronsavage6491]

I got to meet Martin Landau fourteen years ago, and I got to tell him that this is one of my favorites of all time. He said, "Thank you, thank you," in a voice that sounded just like Martin Landau. Then he asked me if I had seen Crimes and Misdemeanors. I hadn't, but I was able to get a copy soon after. A couple of years later, someone else recommended the same movie. It's a serious movie about moral dilemmas, and believe it or not it's directed by Woody Allen.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

What an I credible encounter. I love that he asked about that movie. Really says something, it must have meant a lot to him.

[@mckeldin1961]

Crimes and Misdemeanors is excellent... a "serio-comedy" -- Allen specialized in those at that point in his career.

[@rchaselius3923]

This has always been my favorite Hitchcock film. The main theme by Bernard Herrman is a wonderful interpretation of a fandango. And as a former employee of Northwest Airlines, this film always pushed the right buttons with me. :)

[@Shazzadut1]

Did you notice the little boy in the background in the Mt Rushmore cafe? He knew the gunshot was coming and had his fingers in his ears before the gun went off. It’s one of movies greatest bloopers. Go back and watch it. Also notice that Hitchcock had a penchant for blondes. Janel Leigh Psycho, , Tippi Hedren The Birds, Eva Marie Saint North By North West, Kim Novak Vertigo, Grace Kelly Rear Window. He creepily fell in love with all his leading ladies.

[@jaywalker1233]

Apparently there were several takes of this scene and this version (one of the last) was Hitchcock’s preferred version despite the little boy, fed up with the bangs, protecting his hearing (Hitchcock was a master of detail - he would have spotted this), reasoning that the audience would be entirely focused on the action, not the little boy. And of course he was right - it was only decades later with the advent of stop+pause widescreen HD TV that enabled viewers and film schools to scrutinise all the ‘background’ stuff and spot this ‘gaffe’. Even today, unless you know where to look, it’s not going to be noticed. And the fact that Hitchcock chose this version is interesting in what it tells us about Hitchcock’s thought processes and understanding of his audience.

[@creech54]

Some future TV spies in this movie. Leo G. Carroll (The Professor) became the head of (The Man From) U.N.C.L.E. in the 1960s spy series and Martin Landau (Leonard) was an IMF agent in Mission Impossible.

[@rte4634]

The kid in the background plugging his ears @ 22:08. He knew what was coming

[@CasualNerdReactions]

That’s my favorite part of the movie 🤣

[@pattiharvey1787]

Another Hitchcock movie to check out is Marnie, with Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery early 60s. It's an unsung hero of his movies. 👍

[@garybrockie6327]

Great movie. This is an easy introduction to Hitchcock. Ernest Lehman was supposed to write an adaptation of “The Wreck of the Mary Deere” for Hitchcock to film for MGM. Lehman couldn’t really get into that story and told Hitchcock that he might need another writer. Hitchcock told him that we will just do something else. Lehman then told Hitchcock that he wanted to write the Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures. Hitchcock responded with “I always wanted to do a chase scene across the faces of Mount Rushmore”. They proceeded coming up with ideas for scenes they wanted to do, and then came up with a story to tie it all together. No, the National Park Service did not allow them to film at Mount Rushmore. The United Nations also forbid Hitchcock from filming on their grounds. The guards that Cary Grant walks past at the UN outside were looking to stop Hitchcock’s crew from filming. Hitch had his camera in a panel truck across the street filming Cary Grant. Another fun Hitchcock film is “To Catch a Thief”. Hitchcock on vacation.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

That takes start with the end in mind to the next level. Love those details. Thanks for sharing, Gary.

[@talltulip]

My favorite Cary Grant film has GOT to be Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House. Anyone who's ever had a house built or done a remodel will be able to relate to this movie. He plays the role fabulously. Highly recommend! Other great comedic performances: Father Goose, Houseboat, Indiscreet, I Was a Male War Bride, The Philadelphia Story, His Girl Friday, Bringing Up Baby. For drama, you can check out his other Hitchcock films: Suspicion, Notorious, To Catch a Thief (also starring the stunning Grace Kelly who was in Rear Window), as well as non-Hitchcock films Charade, An Affair to Remember, Room For One More, The Bishop's Wife, Penny Serenade.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

The Hitchcock films will hopefully get done soon! The others seem interesting. I might do a public full length reaction to Charade since it is public domain.

[@Muck006]

8:00 "I love her" ... because the movie is from a time when parents/MOTHERS were HONESTLY CRITICISING their children ... instead of "always praising them".

[@frankmahovlich5099]

Chris, I just watched your reaction to North By Northwest; so happy you enjoyed your intro to Cary Grant and his self deprecating style of acting even in thrillers and drama. Another film of his I'd like to suggest is An Affair To Remember (1957) not just for romance plot but for Cary's acting in the final scenes as a man bent on the revenge and shaming of his former lover but coming to the realization of why he was "jilted."

[@tonybarruk2]

Great reaction video - thanks! I'm glad you spotted just how "economical" the end of the screenplay is - from our hero & heroine facing certain death on the top of Mount Rushmore, to the villains being killed & captured, the microfilm found and the hero & heroine getting married and going on their honeymoon in around 30 seconds, amazing! That would take around 15 minutes in a modern movie, it really annoys me how younger viewers seem to think all "old" movies are slow-moving! 🙂

[@CasualNerdReactions]

If I’m being honest, there were a few brief moments in this film where I did feel like it dragged, but definitely not in its finale and even still this was a very tight script and most everything felt so vital. Trying to edit this down around half an hour felt impossible 🤣

[@chrislaw4189]

If you love this movie you should add The 39 Steps (1935) to your to watch list. In many ways, it's a much earlier British version of the same movie. It's also one of Hitchcock's best pre-Hollywood films, along with The Lady Vanishes (1938).

[@BubbaCoop]

Cary Grant's real name was Archibald Leach. That name was also used for John Cheese in A Fish Called Wanda.

[@drafigo13.4]

My favorite movie of all time! Youve earned a sub

[@MrCzerillo]

1959. Any time is a good time for bourbon. And I loved he symbolism at the end with the "train" entering the "tunnel" on their honeymoon.

[@ChicagoDB]

Try Cary Grant in: “Charade”, “Bringing Up Baby” and “Arsenic and Old Lace”…3 of his best.

[@minnidrake3342]

I loved your reaction to one of my favorite movies your reaction made me look at the movie through different eyes cool thanks

[@monacaravetta]

"That wasn't very sporting, using real bullets." Best line in the film! LOL

[@CasualNerdReactions]

🤣😃💯

[@ange1098]

Magnificent thriller with a great cast, great score and cinematography 👍

[@IvorPresents]

Another great score, Bernard Herrman once more serving Hitchcock with memorable music.

[@johnchristopher20]

North- on the east side of the Hudson on what’s now Metro North, then west to Chicago and northwest to Mt. Rushmore.

[@hifijohn]

22:10 note the kid in the background with his fingers in his ears.

[@SueProst]

The mansion usedwhere he is forced to drink is the Phipps estate in Old Westbury, Long Island. Was also used in Love Story. AmericanGangster and Age of Innocence.

[@Lensmaster1]

You should watch some of Cary Grant's comedies. He was a very funny man.

[@contacluj758]

You should watch also "The Man Who Knew Too Much", with Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day

[@goodowner5000]

Enjoyed this and "Rear Window" reaction so much! It's great to see someone cover these Classics. For another less heralded Hitchcock, but IMO still worthy of a look (if not a reaction) , and it also features a National Monument in a memorable Set piece, is "Saboteur"(194?), set during WWII.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

Ooh, ok! I’m not sure if that one is only my Hitchcock list or not, but I’ll make sure. There’s a lot of his films I’m hoping to eventually watch here.

[@billolsen4360]

@@CasualNerdReactions See Saboteur if just for the final scene. But it's mighty good anyhow.

[@Gort-Marvin0Martian]

I've lost count the number of times I've watched this with friends and family that have never seen it. Great reaction / review. Thanks

[@angelamontgomery9007]

Just saw it yesterday for the first time! That Mt. Rushmore scene!!

[@jimidun]

Well done great reaction thanks very much

[@CasualNerdReactions]

*whew* You had me worried after your first comment 😉. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@roberthasse7862]

The crop dusting scene takes place in northwest Indiana. That's where I grew up. There's no desert there! (It's California!)

[@mledda621]

I really like this movie. It was so funny that he kept getting into and out of bad situations. Great ending. Two thumbs up!

[@MrGpschmidt]

Solid Hitchcock flick with a game Grant - who once was quoted as saying "Everyone wants to be Cary Grant. I even want to be Cary Grant". It very much is Hitch's Bond film w/Grant as 007 in a gray flannel suit instead of a tux. Good job reacting.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

I love that quote!

[@marklindsey2127]

Hitchcock was the master of the camera angle. I wish they could have shown more of the mother, I really enjoyed her wit.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

She was a great addition! Caught me off guard, but made me laugh consistently.

[@celinhabr1]

I love this movie so much. It's not my favorite Hitch movie but surely one of the best. Thanks for that reaction.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

There are so many of his films i want to see now that it’s going to be really difficult to choose the next one 🤣

[@hifijohn]

trivia: cary grants mother was only 7 years older than cary.shes very funny.

[@NateConklin]

The music to this movie is fantastic. The simpsons had a Halloween of Horror episode dedicated to Hitchcock (in black and white) and set to this music.

[@sheryldalton8965]

James Mason was always the most suave bad guy. Martin Landau starred in the original "mission impossible" tv show.

[@jackmessick2869]

Cary Grant is also in Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief.

[@Jerome616]

Another great reaction.

[@jamesstrickland517]

Three more Cary Grant movies I haven't seen mentioned that I like are Operation Petticoat and An Affair to Remember as well as The Forgotten Man.

[@MICHST1978]

Look again at the shooting scene. At about 22:09 you'll see a young boy plug his ears in anticipation of the gunshot. He must have learned from previous takes how loud the shot was. It's one of my favorite little easter eggs in film.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

That is now my favorite moment of the movie, the little psychic.

[@BB-eb8fj]

Hitchcock made 4 films with Cary Grant. Notorious is one of the best and stars Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. You may also be interested in to catch a thief which pairs Cary with Grace Kelly who you've seen in rear window.

[@amandabarbe]

The classics.. so nice! You haven’t seen Cary Grant in a movie yet?? He’s such a good actor

[@CasualNerdReactions]

I now know this to be true! 🤣 he nailed the role.

[@robertjewell9727]

My friend Dorothy's father composed the music for this film.

[@jackmessick2869]

I don't know how serious Hitchcock was, but the working title was "The Man in Lincoln's Nose."

[@JosephRGrych]

Creepy looking monument, isn't it? Seeing this movie on a large theatrical screen would have been awesome.

[@davidlionheart2438]

"North By Northwest" is the prototype modern action film. Unspeakably fun and exciting.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

I completely agree, I was thinking especially during the airplane scene that we just entered blockbuster territory. It was so good.

[@frankmahovlich5099]

Also would like to suggest Hitchcock's SABOTEUR (1942) about an innocent factory worker (Robert Cummings; you might recognize him from DIAL M FOR MURDER) accused of sabotage at a USA aircraft plant (we had just entered WWII in 1941.) He's on the run cross country, meets a beautiful & eventually helpful blonde and the movie climaxes on a national monument. Hmmmm, similar but different. You'll love it!

[@43nostromo]

I love your channel. So much exposure to Bernard Herrmann and Jerry Goldsmith. And, you have nice eyes.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

I’m glad you’re enjoying the channel, thanks!

[@richarddefortuna2252]

Microfilm is just what the name implies: small film. It was developed to accommodate "micro" cameras or was used to transport sensitive images via unusual containers that would otherwise escape either suspicion or notice. Interestingly, the score of Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony, the "Leningrad," was transported to New York from Russia via microfilm so that Toscanini and the New York Philharmonic could perform it for a radio transmission meant to bring hope to both occupied Europe and those European nations still fending off the Axis powers.

[@igaluitchannel6644]

Microfilm - a way of storing data before USB keys (ie. tiny film pictures of documents).

[@michaelsimpson6970]

Hey Nerd! I enjoyed your reaction. For a good time, watch this in a theater and watch the audience try to get away from the cropduster.

[@fronkykoko]

The title ''North by Northwest' is meant to allude to the direction of travel Cary Grant's character gets pulled along into as the story progresses. It begins in NYC then Chicago and ends up in South Dakota. Problem is, if you look on a map it's more like he travels due West, but that title is less dramatic and makes it sound like a western...

[@bluecollarlit]

For more Cary Grant: Indiscreet Notorious The Philadelphia Story

[@wolandbegemotazazello]

up the Hudson...left to Chicago and Rapid...

[@DanielleDeLisle]

VERTIGO! I saw the comments below, but I loved the weird and creepy slow burn. You should react and decide for yourself. 😉

[@CasualNerdReactions]

It’s high up on my list, it might be my next next Hitchcock, but there’s so many good ones to choose from! Lol

[@joelake7986]

Definitely my favorite Hitchcock film.

[@e.s.9080]

Mistaken identity...one of Hitchcock's tricks to play on our fears and to get a laugh on putting his straight as an arrow leading men in relentless peril.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

I look forward to seeing more!!

[@madeincda]

So we'll be expecting CNR custom matchbooks in the future?

[@CasualNerdReactions]

I can’t say for sure, but that’s a really great idea!

[@nealsterling8151]

22:09 Watch the kid at the right side of the screen. It's one of the most famous movie errors. 😁

[@CasualNerdReactions]

🤣🤣 that’s my new favorite thing by far!

[@custardflan]

All hail Eva Marie Saint. You should watch On the Waterfront, her first and a totally different character, with Marlon Brando. Classic.

[@DreamingCatStudio]

New to your channel. You’re so adorably young! Please don’t be offended. I’m adorably old! You never having seen a Cary Grant movie nearly gave me a heart attack; not knowing people had initialized matches was just sweet. Thanks for a fun review of one of the best movies ever! FYI: {SPOILER}, cool goof: just before the gun is fired up at the park check out the young boy actor in the background.

[@ClaireWW]

Having watched this you should watch *Silver Streak*, which is very much an homage comedy, starring Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, who went on to make several other films together thanks to their perfect chemistry.

[@mikeduplessis8069]

... and of course the 'Freudian' ending of the train going into the tunnel (wink nod).

[@CasualNerdReactions]

🤣 I definitely wouldn’t have made that connection, but doubtless it’s a clever way to end the film.

[@roberthasse7862]

Did you catch the symbolism of the last shot? (The writer--who does the DVD audio commentary) admitted that he didn't write that, declaring, "Dammit!"

[@CasualNerdReactions]

Definitely went over my head, but it has been pointed out 😅

[@doctorj6030]

Another great movie you watched & Hitchcock did not disappoint. Cary Grant was perfect for this movie. It would not have been the same without him & his mother. So many twists & turns, so much action. Another good Hitchcock movie is the Msn Who Knew Too Much, if u have not watched it already.This was a fun movie. Great choice.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

Thanks! I’m glad I picked this one, my next Hitchcock will be Vertigo. After that my patrons will be voting on which of his films i watch next. I’m trusting them to pick some good ones!

[@shallendor]

This is one of Hitchcock's best movies!

[@_ag_-ol8oy]

One of my favorite Movies 9/10

[@jamesalexander5623]

Two completely different Cary Grant films you might like "Gunga Din" a great adventure buddy movie! And "The Bishop's Wife" a great Christmas film!

[@CasualNerdReactions]

Oh cool! Thanks for the suggestions.

[@eliasshaikh2065]

Regarding the scene where he’s being chased by the crop duster plane, you’d be quite surprised at what primitive technology was used for that special effect. They had him running on a treadmill in front of a movie screen, and similarly when he ducked. That technique was still common into the 1980s. It wasn’t as convincing in early films, but by the 1980s filmmakers had become as good as they could get with the proper lighting to make it look real, which was still the case in some James Bond movies of the early-mid 80s made by the UK studios. Hollywood filmmakers however used it less and less because matte photography (blue screen system) looked more realistic. By the 90’s CGI really beautifully enhanced the quality of blue screen and green screen matte filming.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

That’s actually a pretty great way to pull it off! Makes sense. It’s amazing how we’ve revisited that idea (only much more complex) with the way they film the mandolorian.

[@eliasshaikh2065]

@@CasualNerdReactions I personally never liked front or rear projection, I could always tell just within seconds of seeing it. However, in the 1983 James Bond movie Octopussy they did the lighting well enough to fool my eyes, a certain end scene hanging from a cliff.

[@porflepopnecker4376]

One of the most interesting things about the filming of this movie is that in 1959, there were still dinosaurs roaming the Mount Rushmore area. In fact, every day Hitchcock and crew had to wait patiently for various dinosaurs to wander out of his camera set-ups (one rather large T-Rex that seemed to have attached itself to the project even went so far as to step on the car driven by Eva Marie Saint's character, necessitating a quick run to the nearest auto dealership). Some say that in one of the day-for-night shots during the climax, a brontosaurus can be seen peeking its head into the frame for a split-second, but that seems to be an urban legend along the lines of the "hanging midget" stories from "The Wizard Of Oz." Cary Grant, of course, got on famously with some of the less threatening species, including a friendly triceratops he nicknamed "George." Grant later quipped: "George and I liked to share a drink after filming each day. He was my Cocktail-saurus."

[@catherinelw9365]

🤨

[@unnamedofficial5796]

Great reaction to one of the best films ever made (IMHO); thanks! I wanted to add a little about the espionage angle. First, to the question of whether intelligence agencies recruit "ordinary people" as spies, the answer is yes -- in fact, that's what the overwhelming majority of human-source intelligence is. The professional intelligence officers -- actual trained employees of agencies like CIA -- are mostly in the business of recruiting and "running" agents who already have valuable access. "Spies" are mostly ordinary people who have "useful" jobs or personal connections. So the Eve Kendall "case" is perhaps the most realistic part of the film. The wildly unrealistic bits are, of course, the exciting set-pieces. Being a spy is mostly boring, if you don't count the constant threat of prison and, in some countries, torture and death. For the "younger viewer," it's also important to be aware of what was going on in the world in 1959. This was the height of the Cold War, including really brutal "spy-vs-spy" activity, particularly in the divided Germany. The Berlin Airlift crisis ended only ten years before, and at the end of 1958, Khrushchev had demanded that Western powers withdraw from West Berlin within six months. (The Berlin Wall was constructed in 1961 and the Cuban Missile Crisis would bring the world to the edge of an actual nuclear war in late 1962.) It's not directly relevant to the film, but it's helpful to understand what "spies" would have connoted to the filmmakers and audiences at the time.

[@ThreadBomb]

It would be cool to see a reaction to "The spy who came in from the cold" (1965) on this channel.