History Film / NorthByNorthwest

* HammerAndSickleRemovedForYourProtection: The movie never mentions exactly who Vandamm and his associates are passing government secrets on to, although it's vaguely implied to be [[SovietRussiaUkraineAndSoOn some foreign country]].

* HammerAndSickleRemovedForYourProtection

Also, the ROT Matchbook. [[spoiler:Thornhill shows it to Eve first of all on the train to Chicago, then he later uses it near the end of the film to scribble a message inside to warn Eve of the attempt about to be made on her life.]]

The movie was a major stylistic influence on ''TheManFromUNCLE'': in fact, Leo G. Carroll, who played Alexander Waverly in that series, plays a very similar character (sobriquetted "The Professor") in the film, and the TV show drew its "innocent gets caught up in international intrigue" shtick from the film.

Also, the ROT Matchbook. [[spoiler:Thornhill shows it to Eve on the train, then he lter uses it to scribble a message inside to warn Eve of the attempt about to be mad eon her life.]]

* MrExposition: The Professor

* Foreshadowing: A few times.

->''The Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures.''

** Although, the corn fields look way too dry to be from Indiana (which, even during a drought, is greener than what you see, unless of course the drought happened to be pretty bad that year).

** Vandamm's house behind Mount Rushmore. Anyone who's been to Mount Rushmore knows there's aren't any houses within several miles. Not to mention the topography is all wrong. It does make for a good climax, however.

-->'''Roger's Mother:''' You gentlemen aren't ''really'' trying to kill my son, are you?

* UncomfortableElevatorMoment:

* [[TheCallsAreComingFromInsideTheHouse The Calls Are Coming From Inside the Hotel]]: Thornhill gets a call from the bad guys while casing "Kaplan"'s room at the Plaza Hotel. He then finds out from the hotel's switchboard operator that the call came from the lobby.

* DeadpanSnarker: Roger.

** James Mason more than keeps up with him as the AffablyEvil Vandamn, leading to some fabulous one-liners and plenty of SnarkToSnarkCombat.

* SerialSpouse: Thornhill has two ex-wives.

* Chekhov's Gun: A literal one. The gun [[spoiler:Eve]] uses on Thornhill in the diner scene [[spoiler:is first revealed as loaded with blanks after Thornhill is revealed to still be alive. It's later revealed by Leonard to Vandamm to be loaded with blanks. Later on the housemaid uses it on Thornhill, and the blasts from inside the house give Eve the chance to grab the MacGuffin statue and escape with Thornhill]]. Could also count as a Chekhov's Boomerang.
* Chekhov's Gunman: In the scene in the CIA [[spoiler:after the scene in the United Nations where Thornhill is framed as the murderer of the real Lester Townsend]], the Professor mention "their own agent" [[spoiler: who later turns out to be Eve]]. Literally, considering the diner scene.

* WordOfGay: Martin Landau stated in interviews that he portrayed Vandamm's henchman Leonard as a closeted homosexual who was secretly jealous of Eve Kendall's relationship with his employer. In the scene where he revealed to Vandamm that Eve was secretly working for the Feds, he commented, "Call it my woman's intuition if you will..."

* {{Chekhov's Gun}}: A literal one. The gun [[spoiler:Eve]] uses on Thornhill in the diner scene [[spoiler:is first revealed as loaded with blanks after Thornhill is revealed to still be alive. It's later revealed by Leonard to Vandamm to be loaded with blanks. Later on the housemaid uses it on Thornhill, and the blasts from inside the house give Eve the chance to grab the MacGuffin statue and escape with Thornhill]]. Could also count as a {{Chekhov's Boomerang}}.
* {{Chekhov's Gunman}}: In the scene in the CIA [[spoiler:after the scene in the United Nations where Thornhill is framed as the murderer of the real Lester Townsend]], the Professor mention "their own agent" [[spoiler: who later turns out to be Eve]]. Literally, considering the diner scene.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: A few times.

** Emile Klinger, the officer who arrests Thornhill for drink-driving after the first attempt on his life. The man's surname refers to Thornhill's attempts to cling to reality as at first he doesn't know what is going on. Also doubles as {{Foreshadowing}} [[spoiler:to the Mount Rushmore scenes at the end of the film]].

* [[{Chekhov's Gun}]]: A literal one. The gun [[spoiler:Eve]] uses on Thornhill in the diner scene [[spoiler:is first revealed as loaded with blanks after Thornhill is revealed to still be alive. It's later revealed by Leonard to Vandamm to be loaded with blanks. Later on the housemaid uses it on Thornhill, and the blasts from inside the house give Eve the chance to grab the MacGuffin statue and escape with Thornhill]]. Could also count as a [[{Chekhov's Boomerang}]].
* [[{Chekhov's Gunman}]]: In the scene in the CIA [[spoiler:after the scene in the United Nations where Thornhill is framed as the murderer of the real Lester Townsend]], the Professor mention "their own agent" [[spoiler: who later turns out to be Eve]]. Literally, considering the diner scene.

* [[{Foreshadowing}]]: A few times.

** Emile Klinger, the officer who arrests Thornhill for drink-driving after the first attempt on his life. The man's surname refers to Thornhill's attempts to cling to reality as at first he doesn't know what is going on. Also doubles as [[{Foreshadowing}]] [[spoiler:to the Mount Rushmore scenes at the end of the film]].

* Chekhov's Gun: A literal one. The gun [[spoiler:Eve]] uses on Thornhill in the diner scene [[spoiler:is first revealed as loaded with blanks after Thornhill is revealed to still be alive. It's later revealed by Leonard to Vandamm to be loaded with blanks. Later on the housemaid uses it on Thornhill, and the blasts from inside the house give Eve the chance to grab the MacGuffin statue and escape with Thornhill]]. Could also count as a Chekhov's Boomerang.
* Chekhov's Gunman: In the scene in the CIA [[spoiler:after the scene in the United Nations where Thornhill is framed as the murderer of the real Lester Townsend]], the Professor mention "their own agent" [[spoiler: who later turns out to be Eve]]. Literally, considering the diner scene.

* Foreshadowing: A few times.

** Emile Klinger, the officer who arrests Thornhill for drink-driving after the first attempt on his life. The man's surname refers to Thornhill's attempts to cling to reality as at first he doesn't know what is going on. Also doubles as Foreshadowing [[spoiler:to the Mount Rushmore scenes at the end of the film]].

** Emile Klinger, the officer who arrests Thornhill for drink-driving after the first attempt on his life. The man's surname refers to Thornhill's attempts to cling to reality as at first he doesn't know what is going on. Also doubles as [[Foreshadowing Foreshadowing]] [[spoiler:to the Mount Rushmore scenes at the end of the film]].

** Emile Klinger, the officer who arrests Thornhill for drink-driving after the first attempt on his life. The man's surname refers to Thornhill's attempts to cling to reality as at first he doesn't know what is going on. Also doubles as [[Foreshadowing]] [[spoiler:to the Mount Rushmore scenes at the end of the film]].

** At the art auction: ---> '''Roger:''' Apparently, the only performance that will satisfy you is when I play dead.

** Emile Klinger, the officer who arrests Thornhill for drink-driving after the first attempt on his life. The man's surname refers to Thornhill's attempts to cling to reality as at first he doesn't know what is going on. Also doubles as Foreshadowing [[spoiler:to the Mount Rushmore scenes at the end of the film]].

* Chekhov'sGun: A literal one. The gun [[spoiler:Eve]] uses on Thornhill in the diner scene [[spoiler: is first revealed as loaded with blanks after Thornhill is revealed to still be alive. It's later revealed by Leonard to Vandamm to be loaded with blanks. Later on the housemaid uses it on Thornhill, and the blasts from inside the house give Eve the chance to grab the MacGuffin statue and escape with Thornhill]]. Could also count as a Chekhov's Boomerang.
* Chekhov'sGunman: In the scene in the CIA [[spoiler@ after the scene in the United Nations where Thornhill is framed as the murderer of the real Lester Townsend]], the Professor mention "their own agent" [[spoiler: who later turns out to be Eve]]. Literally, considering the diner scene.

* Foreshadowing: Thornhill on the phone to his mother in Grand Central Station foreshadows the crop-dusting sequence once he arrives in Chicago as well as his first meeting with Eve: "The train, it's safer... Well, because there's no place to hide on a plane if anyone should recognize me... Oh, you want me to jump off a moving plane?"

* MeangfulName: Two.
** Emile Klinger, the officer who arrests Thornhill for drink-driving after the first attempt on his life. The man's surname refers to Thornhill's attempts to cling to reality as at first he doens't know what is going on. Also doubles as Foreshadowing [[spoiler:to the Mount Rushmore scenes at the end of the film]].

The film begins with advertising executive Roger Thornhill (CaryGrant) being abducted by [[EvilMinions enemy agents]] working for the master foreign spy Phillip Vandamm (James Mason), who is currently masquerading as the diplomat Lester Townsend. Vandamm believes Roger to be an American spy, George Kaplan, who has been tailing Vandamm. When Roger insists he is not the spy, Vandamm orders him killed. His henchmen, led by the sinister Leonard (Martin Landau), decide to [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident stage a fatal accident]] by pouring a bottle of bourbon down Roger's throat and then placing him at the wheel of a stolen car on a cliffside road.