A must-see for Alfred Hitchcock fans, their loved ones, and and their friends!

Rating: Null/10 (17 September 2002)

Having seen this movie in excess of 15 times, I am aware of each scene from start to finish. Yet, this piece is not designed to spoil the plot, merely to entice those movie fans who have not yet seen this masterpiece.
"North by Northwest" stars Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, Leo G. Carroll and Martin Landau (pre-"Mission Impossible").
The basic story is one of an advertising man whose life suddenly takes a drastic turn into espionage and murder. Humor and even romance are deftly woven into this suspenseful tale.
This movie will make you laugh and maybe swoon as you sit on the edge of your seat.
The cast does a terrific job. Cary Grant can do drama and comedy perfectly, and this movie shows him in a peak performance.
Eva Marie Saint is quite sexy and excellent as the "cool blonde" (Hitchcock liked blondes in the lead female role) in this tale.
James Mason and Martin Landau play the antagonists. They are well-dressed and quite sinister
Leo G. Carroll plays a government agent - one can see why he played the spy leader in "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." in the 1960's.
If you have heard of the movie, there are sequences involving a crop-duster and Mount Rushmore. Hitchcock loved to experiment visually, and he succeeds admirably with those aforementioned sequences and the others that tie this film together.
Don't look away too long. This is not a film to be played in the background and interrupted regularly. Also, Hitchcock made a habit of appearing in cameo roles in his films. Originally, it was because the film required more people in certain scenes. Later on, it became a trademark.
In addition, the cinematography is very pleasing in color, the script is abundant with standout dialogue, and that music score - Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmann were a perfect match.
I personally never tire of the film. It had taken years for me to see in its full widescreen format, and it was worth the wait.
See it.