Hitchcock Desecrated the Mt. Rushmore Temple
IMAGE CREDIT: YOUTUBE
From a murder at the United Nations to a climactic battle on the giant stone faces of four U.S. presidents, North by Northwest has been thrilling audiences with its improbable but highly entertaining story for nearly 60 years. Released in 1959, it was one of a string of hits for Alfred Hitchcock, who had just scored with The Man Who Knew Too Much and Vertigo and would next strike gold with Psycho. Watch out for that crop duster and enjoy these behind-the-scenes facts about an enduring classic.
1. IT WAS CONCEIVED WHILE ITS WRITER AND DIRECTOR WERE SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING ON SOMETHING ELSE.
You wouldn’t expect Hitchcock to have to sneak around, but even the Master of Suspense was no match for the United Nations, which did not allow filming at its New York headquarters, not even in the plaza outside. So to get the shot where Grant walks into the building, Hitchcock hid a camera in a nondescript truck and filmed in secret from across the street.
6. ALFRED HITCHCOCK OFFENDED THE POLICE.
Cinematographer Robert Burks recalled how the director, frustrated with the inefficiency and costliness of paying for police protection again and again when shooting on location, referred to New York’s finest as “New York’s worst” in an interview. Well, when the crew arrived at their next location, The Plaza Hotel, there was no police protection. That’s what you get, Hitch.
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