Are you a fan of Alfred Hitchcock and his films? Well, then you should consider watching North by Northwest, starring Cary Grant and James Mason. Follow this article to find out where was North by Northwest filmed and other intriguing details of this special movie.
The American action thriller film North by Northwest was released in the late 1950s. The screenplay was written by Ernest Lehman, while Alfred Hitchcock pitched in as the director. In fact, apart from being at the helm, Hitchcock also produced this incredibly thrilling movie.
The basic premise of North by Northwest is centered around the character of Roger Thornhill, a middle-aged American man working in an advertising agency. The plot gets interesting when a group of foreign spies identify the lead actor as a special government agent and pursue him.
North by Northwest became quite popular after its release in the summer of 1959. However, the commercial performance of this nerve-wracking movie wasn’t as impressive. North by Northwest grossed $9.8 million in worldwide collections against the production budget of $4.3 million.
But before I tell you more about this thriller movie, let’s first discuss where was North by Northwest filmed.
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Where Was North By Northwest Filmed? Let’s Know This Action Thriller Film Closely!
The story of North by Northwest is set in and around the iconic city of New York. But apart from a handful of scenes that were filmed in New York, the majority of the scenes were captured in different locations in America.
Since Hitchcock had the conviction to follow his own style of filmmaking, he refused to use the same old techniques used by other contemporary filmmakers. So, right at the beginning of the project Hitchcock and a few members of his team began looking for filming locations in America.
After some time, the director and his members were finally able to identify ideal shooting locations in and around the state of New York, California, and Illinois. After these locations were reviewed for the second time, Hitchcock eventually selected them for shooting.
The principal photography of North by Northwest commenced in the final week of August 1958. The shooting process was over within a month or so. Plus, during this time, Hitchcock supervised the entire process, right from acquiring the filming permission to arranging the logistics.
The production members traveled to different shooting locations in New York, California, and Illinois during the filming process and captured absolutely stunning visuals. After the outdoor shots were captured, the crew returned to California.
The interior shots of the movie were then captured inside a film studio in Thousand Oaks. The entire shooting process was wrapped by the final week of September 1958.
Ok, friends! Let us now discuss in detail where was North by Northwest filmed.
New York | USA
The shooting process of North by Northwest commenced in the third week of August 1958. The opening scene of the movie, where we see the character of Roger Thornhill inside his Ad-agency, was actually filmed in New York.
The production members used a commercial building located near Old Westbury, Long Island, to capture this scene. But before capturing this interior scene, the vacant space had to be turned around to look like the interior of an Advertising Company.
Other important scenes in the state of New York were captured in Long Island, Manhattan, and New York City. The outdoor scenes depicting Thornhill’s new agency were actually filmed outside of a high-rise building located at 650 Madison Avenue, New York.
Other Filming Locations
The second phase of shooting commenced in the state of California. The sequences depicting the hideout of the lead actor were captured near Bakersfield, California. The production members took special shooting permission from the owners of a small cabin located in the south of Bakersfield.
The scene where we see the lead actor hiding inside a cottage with his new girlfriend was then filmed inside the same property. Other important scenes in California were captured in and around the city of Los Angeles and Chatsworth.
Finally, in order to capture the outdoor shots of the last quarter of the movie, the production members moved to the state of Illinois. The ending scene of North by Northwest was captured in the downtown area of Chicago, after which the filming process stopped in Illinois.
The production members then captured the remaining interior scenes inside a studio located in Thousand Oaks.
And now, let me give you an overview of North by Northwest. In the meantime, you can also check out Carnival of Souls, The Evil Dead, and Back to School.
Plot Of North By Northwest | What’s It About
The basic premise of North by Northwest revolves around the enigmatic character of Roger Thornhill, a middle-aged American salesman. At the very beginning of this movie, the lead actor is pursued by International spies who believe Thornhill to be a CIA agent.
As the story progresses further, the lead actor is able to somehow break away from the watch of these spies and find refuge at a covert location. Shortly after, Roger gets acquainted with a charming young lady and later develops a romantic relationship with her. But soon, the lead actor starts to question her loyalty after witnessing a shocking event.
Watch North by Northwest to find out the full story!
Final Words
Alright, guys! I hope you enjoyed the read. We’ve reached the end of this article, but if you wish to read other articles like, where was North by Northwest filmed, then you can browse through similar blogs on Viebly.
Other than that, if you have any questions, feel free to drop a comment below.
Who Is The Cinematographer Of The Film North By Northwest?
Robert Burks is the cinematographer of the film North by Northwest.
What Is The Rating Of The Film North By Northwest?
The film North by Northwest has an R rating.
Who Is The Music Director Of The Film North By Northwest?
Bernard Hermann is the music director of the film North by Northwest.
Who Is The Producer Of The Film North By Northwest?
Alfred Hitchcock was the producer of the film North by Northwest.
