Hitchcock Classic Goes Classical

I recently went downtown to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and their Friday Night at the Movies series.  The program was entitled Hitchcock at the Movies: A Symphonic Celebration.  WOW.  I know…sounds too good to be true, right?  Well, for me, it was (GEEK!).  Imagine: watching clips of Hitchcock movies with accompaniment by the CSO…live!  It’s like a dream come true!  (I told you…GEEK). 

The concert consisted of music and film sound bites from a variety of Hitchcock’s masterpieces, including The Lady Vanishes, Dial M for Murder and Strangers on a Train.  But, the highlight, for me, was the musical segment on North by Northwest, with music by Bernard Herrmann. 

As a Hitchcock fan, I always feel put in a tight place when people ask me about my favorite film. Of course, it would be a Hitchcock movie, but which one? When the pressure heats up and I am cornered, I would confess that North by Northwest would have to fit the bill of not only my favorite film, but also, more importantly, my favorite Hitchcock film.

The reasons? Well, it has every quality that Hitchcock is famous for. It has the comic element. It has the mistaken identity element. It has the "wronged" man element. It has what is commonly known in Hitchcock circles as the MacGuffin (some aspect of the plot that is totally irrelevant but succeeds in distracting the attention of the audience). And, it has romance. Basically, this is the film Hitchcock has been working up to his entire career. And, boy does it show. The performances showcase some of the finest work Hitchcock has ever filmed, especially "wronged" man Cary Grant, never looking more debonair, even when he's running from crop-dusting planes in a suit and tie.  This was Grant's fourth film with Hitchcock and the two have never worked better together. Grant’s comic timing, facial expressions, tone of voice, and mannerisms are all seamless here.

Of the eight films Bernard Herrmann musically scored for Hitchcock, N by NW seems to be the most apropos score.  Yes, Herrmann’s most famous collaboration with the director would have to be the Psycho score, with the shrieking violins as Mother’s knife comes down on Janet Leigh in the shower scene.  But, “most famous” does not always mean best…at least not in my opinion.  Herrmann’s music in N by NW is perfectly fitted to the chaos and turmoil Grant’s character, Roger Thornhill, is going through. 

So, if you want to see a great movie, rent any Hitchcock film. If you want to see the best of Herrmann and Grant and Hitchcock, rent North by Northwest!

North by Northwest: 1959, not rated, 136 minutes, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, Martin Landau, Jessie Royce Landis, and Leo G. Carroll.  The Niles Library owns this title on DVD and blu-ray.