Let's start this entry about North by Northwest (1959) by giving credit where it's due. Bernard Herrmann, who wrote the film score, was a damn genius.

There's plenty else to say, such as how easily I was sucked into the plot, how brilliant the performances are from Cary Grant (every man wants to be Cary Grant), Eva Marie Saint (whew! my heart was on fire!), James Mason (so calmly evil), and Martin Landau (the very definition of wolfish), how absolutely cool Alfred Hitchcock's directing is.

The story of mistaken identity, the plot of double crosses, the scenes where apparently nothing is happening, and yet...everything is happening. All this adds up to a great movie.

One of many geometric shots in the film. Beautiful.

Eva Marie Saint. Sexy, suave, sultry. Sigh.

Cary Grant. Effortless excellence.

Cary Grant, James Mason, Eva Marie Saint, and Martin Landau

The famous, amazing Mt. Rushmore set. Not only is this set amazing for its apparent massiveness, but check out the actual size it must have been. In the foreground are Grant and Saint. In the background lower right is Landau.