North By Northwest

Thornhill discovers that while many of the employees of the hotel know his name and corresponding room, they haven’t ever seen his face, and he is perplexed by the situation

“Mr. He tries to stay calm, but is eventually forced to drink large amounts of liquor to get him extremely drunk

CAR

Townsend is put into the drivers seat drunk, singing about bourbon

A man sits in the passenger seat and starts the car, directing it towards a cliff, assuming that “Kaplan” is too drunk to set the vehicle right and will die as a result of “drunk driving”

Thornhill pushes the man out of the car and takes the wheel

The car starts to go over the edge, but Thornhill rights it and begins to drive speedily away from the man trying to kill him

Heather Garrett

His drunk condition has left Thornhill’s reflexes a little slow, and he almost causes a crash, but swerves at the last minute

Thornhill speeds by a police officer sitting by the side of the road, who then jumps in to his cruiser and starts to pursue the suspected drunk driver

Thornhill appears to hear something, but doesn’t associate it with a police siren, and continues to speed away

A bike goes by, and Thornhill stops the car just in time to spare the cyclist from and accident

The villains who have been following him in another car see the police and turn around, driving away from the scene

Function/Theme: The kidnappers want George Kaplan to help them or to die/With us or against us

Explanation: The kidnappers go to great lengths to get rid of “Kaplan” so it will look like an accident, but don’t count on his tenacity to pull him through safely

STATION/COURTROOM

The car Thornhill was driving has been reported stolen

Thornhill calls his mother with the help of and officer and explains where he is, asking her and his lawyer to come the next morning

The medical examiner declares that Thornhill is intoxicated, which is obvious by his behavior and slurred speech

The next morning Thornhill’s lawyer presents his story of kidnapping which the judge finds unreasonable, but the lawyer’s faith in Thornhill and their seven year relationship allows for an investigation to take place

Function/Theme: Shows how much trouble Thornhill is in/The truth is stranger than fiction

Explanation: Thornhill has a difficult time convincing anyone that the story he’s telling to explain last night is the truth, even with his lawyer vouching for him

TOWNSEND ESTATE/LIBRARY

County detectives and Mrs. Townsend” enters the library and makes up a story about Roger’s evening with them the night before, and his drunken state, as Roger listens and becomes even more vexed at the situation

The detectives ask after “Mr. Townsend” calls from the lobby, addressing Thornhill as “Kaplan,” and is glad to hear that the man staying in Kaplan’s room is “in”

Thornhill grabs his mother and makes a hasty and panicked retreat to the elevator

Heather Garrett

Function/Theme: Shows George Kaplan has never been seen by any of the staff/Hints at an imaginary man

Explanation: Thornhill is repeatedly mistaken for Kaplan, leading him to believe that they must look alike, and is tracked down by his kidnappers

ELEVATOR

As “Mr. Townsend,” and learn from his “wife” that he’s at the United Nations

As the detectives and company exists, one of the men who was involved in Thornhill’s kidnapping looks up from trimming the bushes around the front door

Function/Theme: Shows what great lengths the villains are willing to go to in order to protect themselves

Explanation: Thornhill brings the authorities and his mother to the room where he’d been help captive, only to find that someone had altered it, and the people he’d seen the previous evening had created an elaborate lie to cover their tracks

HOTEL/KAPLAN’S ROOM

Thornhill and his mother find George Kaplan’s room, but discover he isn’t there when Thornhill tried to call from the lobby

Thornhill bargains with his mother, asking her to put on a smile and go get Kaplan’s room key

Mrs. Thornhill is skeptical as she asks the men if they’re really trying to murder her son, causing everyone to break out into laughter – genuine on the part of the villains, nervous on the part of the mother

The elevator reaches the lobby and Thornhill escorts the ladies out first as a pretext for his escape from the men following him

Function/Theme: Shows that Thornhill’s mother had little faith in him, and doesn’t believe his story/When the truth is so bizarre, it’s difficult to make people believe that it is in fact the truth – even loved ones

UNITED STATES … AGENCY

Thornhill is on the front page of the paper, and several people around a read the article about him and his alter identity, George Kaplan

The group discusses the fact that George Kaplan doesn’t exist, he’s a decoy to keep their real agent’s name secret

Van Dam is introduced as the men trying to kill Thornhill, and there is some concern over what should be done to protect the innocent man who has mistakenly walked in on their operation

The Professor states that trying to keep Thornhill out of harm’s way will only cause trouble for their real agent, that a live decoy is better than an imaginary one, and that the elaborate rouse must go on, despite the consequences

There is a feeling of helplessness around the table over the group’s inability to stop Thornhill’s impending demise, and the lone woman wishes him well

Heather Garrett

Function/Theme: Shows that the kidnapper was NOT the real Townsend/The more hopeless the situation, the more desperate the actions needed to escape it

TRAIN STATION/TRAIN

Thornhill dons sunglasses to disguise himself

When he tried to get a ticket on a train that’s leaving in five minutes, the clerk questions the glasses and calls for help, only to turn around and find that the “murderer” had fled

On the train, Thornhill ducks into a room as the police pass by, and a woman in the hallway tells them that she thinks he’d gotten off the train

Thornhill hides in the bathroom while the train clerks check everyone’s ticket, and emerges to find a copy of a newspaper with his face all over it, which is promptly hides under a book

Function/Theme: Introduces Eve Kendall/Friends can be found in odd places

Explanation: Thornhill hops on the train to escape the police, but they board the train and almost catch him, until he ducks into a doorway and Eve tells them that he’s gone

DINING CAR

Thornhill enters the dining car and is seated with the mystery woman who’d helped him elude the police

Thornhill and his dining companion have an instant rapport, and exchange flirtatious pleasantries

The woman admits that she’d tipped the steward to have them seated together, and continuous to come on to Thornhill

Thornhill learns that the mystery woman’s name is Eve Kendall

Eve admits that she knows who he is, but won’t tell anyone, and doesn’t seem afraid to be eating with a so-called murderer

Eve gives Thornhill her room number and suggests calmly that he not linger over his meal because two policemen have boarded the train

Function/Theme: Roger and Eve get acquainted/Life is easier with an ally

EVE’S ROOM

Thornhill speaks to Eve from an upper compartment where she’s stuffed him to hide until the police have left

Heather Garrett

State police question her about her companion in the dining car, and Eve explains that they didn’t know each other, were merely making conversation, and speculated that he had gotten off the train when they got ON

Eve lets Thornhill out of his tight quarters and offers not only to let him stay in her hotel, but to look for George Kaplan and locate him for Thornhill

Thornhill and Eve share a kiss and are clearly attracted to one another

The porter buzzes, and Thornhill hides in the wash room while Eve gives the porter back his key and asks that he leave the water closet alone

When the coast is clear, Thornhill and Eve are left alone sitting on the bed in a passionate embrace, and despite their ardor, Eve mentions that he will be sleeping on the floor

Function/Theme: Put Eve and Roger together as a love match, to show that she’s on his side/Creativity and quick-thinking save the day every time

Explanation: Eve and Roger are attracted to each other, and both want him to escape the train alive

VILLIAN’S ROOM

The men who kidnapped Thornhill receive a note from Eve, asking what she should do with him in the morning

Function/Theme: To show that Eve is more than she seems/Friends can be fickle

Explanation: Eve is working both sides

PLATFORM

Eve dresses Roger up like a porter to help him escape suspicion

When the police find the porter without his uniform, he points them in the wrong direction and then happily begins counting his money

Function/Theme: To get Roger away from the police and their suspicion/Brain over brawn

Explanation: Eve has Roger dress up so everyone will overlook him, until the coast is clear, and then everyone will be looking for the wrong man

CHICAGO TRAIN STATION

Eve gets detailed instructions from “Kaplan”

Heather Garrett

Function/Theme: Show’s Eve’s involvement in the Kaplan conspiracy

MIDDLE OF NOWHERE

Roger gets off the bus and waits for Kaplan to arrive, looking confused as cars pass

A man gets out of the car and Roger crosses the street to talk to him, but he isn’t the one Roger is looking for

The man notices the crop duster in the distance and remarks that it’s odd

The crop duster dives at Roger several times, shooting at him while he runs, still confused as to why someone wants him dead

Roger hides in a field of corn, trying to escape the dive bombings of the plane

Roger sees a truck and runs in front of it, forcing the driver to stop

The crop duster crashes into the truck and everyone scatters, while Roger climbs into someone’s vehicle and drives off

Function/Theme: Roger’s life is in danger

Explanation: Roger goes out into the middle of nowhere to meet Kaplan and winds up being chased by a crop duster who’s trying to kill him

“KAPLAN’S” HOTEL

Roger discovers that Kaplan has checked out and is going to Rapid City

Roger sees Eve in the lobby and asks the clerk for her number, becoming suspicious of her and her connection to Kaplan

Function/Theme: Roger is becoming wary of Eve

Explanation: Roger goes back to the hotel looking for Kaplan but finds Eve

EVE’S ROOM

Eve sees Roger and embraces him, obviously surprised that he’s still alive

Roger sees that she has a copy of that day’s paper, in which his oil truck adventure is headlined

He questions her about Kaplan

Eve answers the phone, joys down an address, and sticks it in her purse

She asks Roger to do her a favor, to leave and never see her again

Heather Garrett

They had off his suit to the valet

Eve leaves while Roger is in the shower

Roger is NOT in the shower, but makes sure she is gone and colors over the blank pad to make a copy of the address she’d written

Function/Theme: Roger discovers that there’s more to Eve than meets the eye

Explanation: Roger discovers that Eve knows more about Kaplan than she’s letting on and is deeply involved in whatever he’s stumbled into, therefore he decides to follow her and try to discover more

BUILDING 1212

Roger follows Eve to an auction, where she is spending time with the men who’d kidnapped him, Van Dam and company

As Roger and Van Dam interact, there are hints of manslaughter

Eve and the men both want him to stay clear of the police

Eve and Van Dam leave together, his cronies block the entrances so Roger won’t be able to leave

To attract attention, Roger under and over bids for various items, causing a scene and drawing the police who take him out, away from the men trying to do him harm

The Professor is seen, and leaves to make a phone call

Function/Theme: To find Eve and discover more about what’s going on/People aren’t always what they seem to be

Explanation: Roger follows Eve to an auction, where Van Dam threatens him bodily harm, and cleverly draws attention to himself to get himself taken away by the police and escape Van Dam’s goons

POLICE CAR

Roger thanks the two officers for saving his life, congratulated them on catching a car thief and murderer, and listens as the one driving makes a cryptic call letting the station know who they have; the man is puzzled by the instructions he receives

Function/Theme: To add mystery to the plot, and show that it’s infiltrated the justice system

Heather Garrett

Explanation: Roger tells the officers who he is and what he’s done, and convinces them to call the main station, only to be dropped off to the custody of a mysterious stranger

NORTHWESTERN AIRPORT

The Professor takes Roger for a walk outside and explains that they will be going to Rapid City – the city from which Dan Dam is planning to leave the country – and explains that Van Dam is in the import/export business

Roger is told that there IS no George Kaplan

The Professor asks him to masquerade as Kaplan, but Roger declines

In order to manipulate Roger into being their decoy, the Professor tells him that Eve is the agent that they’re trying to protect, and explains what kind of a fate she might be facing if he doesn’t help

Function/Theme: To explain Eve’s behavior/Sometimes it’s necessary to do unpleasant things for justice to eventually prevail

RUSHMORE/RESTAURANT

Van Dam and company arrive, and Roger offers not to expose him or spoil his departure plans in exchange for Eve, claiming that he wants to make her life uncomfortable after the way she treated him

Roger takes Eve aside and she starts to make a scene, then shoots him and runs off to a yellow car and escapes

Function/Theme: To cast suspicion on Eve, and add suspense about Roger’s health

Explanation: Eve shoots Roger to prove that she isn’t on his side, and he falls while she makes her escape

WOODS

Roger and Eve meet up again

Roger and Eve each apologize to the other

Eve has to go, but Roger wants her to stay because she might be risking too much

His escort punches Roger in the face to get him to cooperate with their plans

Function/Theme: Eve really is on Roger’s side, and Roger is okay/Allies pull through in the end

Explanation: Eve is dedicated to her work as a spy, and refuses to be convinced to stop, even by the man she’s falling in love with

Heather Garrett

HOSPITAL ROOM

The Professor tells Roger that he has to stay there – locked in – so that no one will suspect that he isn’t seriously wounded

While the Professor is off looking for some liquor, Roger opens the window, climbs out, climbs into another patient’s window, and disappears from the hospital

Function/Theme: To show Roger’s determination to save the woman he loves/Love makes us do crazy and risky things

Explanation: Roger is locked up in a hospital room so that no one will see him alive, but is determined to escape and warn Eve that her life is in danger

OUTSIDE/INSIDE A HOUSE IN THE WOODS

Lights flash three times on a runway nearby

Eve is talking to Van Dam, upset about shooting a man

Van Dam and Leonard have a private goodbye, during which it is revealed that the treasure they’re taking out of the country is filled with microfilm

Leonard voices his suspicions about Eve, namely how convenient it is that she has to come with them out of the country; Van Dam is upset about Leonard’s accusations and denies that anything could b wrong

Leonard shoots Van Dam with Eve’s gun, which only has blanks

Van Dan punches Leonard in the face, but sees the truth and is shaken by it

Roger writes a message to Eve about the danger she’s in on the inside cover of his monogrammed matchbook and throws it down to her, where she eventually discovers it after Leonard picks it up and puts it on the table

The three travelers leave and Roger is descending the stairs when the maid sees his reflection in the television set and goes to get the gun

Function/Theme: For Van Dam to realize that Eve isn’t really on his side/Be careful who you trust and/or fall in love with

Heather Garrett

Explanation: Leonard thinks that Eve is a spy trying to get inside information and tries to convince Van Dam that his love is betraying him, but Van Dam is unwilling to believe until he’s faced with undeniable proof – a NON-smoking gun

OUTSIDE THE HOUSE/MOUNT RUSHMORE

Shooting is heard, but the shots were fired with Eve’s gun full of blanks, and Roger comes running out of the house and gets in his car

Eve grabs the treasure from Van Dam and runs to the car, but they can’t escape using the vehicle, so they try by foot

On the way down the slope, Roger proposes to Eve

As they climb down the monument, Eve’s heal breaks and she begins to fall

Van Dam jumps on Roger with a knife, but Roger pushes him and Van Dam falls into the ravine

Leonard pushes Eve, who begins to fall, but Roger jumps in to save her

Roger asks Man to help, but he steps on Rogers foot instead, and is then shot by men on a nearby ledge

Function/Theme: Allows Roger and Eve to escape while punishing the “bad guys”/The good guys always win

Explanation: Eve and Roger escape Van Dam and his man, and narrowly avoid death while climbing down Mount Rushmore

TRAIN

Eve has become Mrs. Thornhill refuses and assures her son that she wouldn’t do such a thing for any amount of money, but relents when he offers her $50

As Thornhill and his mother are about to enter the room, they’re stopped by a maid and Thornhill gets nervous that he’ll be caught

In the hotel room, Thornhill finds a picture of the fraudulent Mr. ft in conversation to find out what’s happening and is frustrated when his attempts fail

Thornhill leans over the man on his left to try to escape, but finds the door is locked and is disappointed

Function/Theme: Shows Thornhill’s persistence/Making the best out of a bad situation

Heather Garrett

Explanation: Thornhill had been kidnapped and is on his way to an unknown location

TOWNSEND ESTATE/LIBRARY

“Lester Townsend” enters and engages “George Kaplan” in conversation about who he is

Leonard enters

“Townsend” refers to Thornhill as “Kaplan,” and Thornhill tries to explain his identity

“Townsend” hints that “Kaplan” might not survive the evening if he doesn’t cooperate

Thornhill insists that he has to be on his way to the theater in New York to see a play he’s been looking forward to, and is confused and angry that the mystery men won’t believe that he isn’t Kaplan

“Townsend” reads a list of hotels and cities where “Kaplan” has been recently in an effort to get “Kaplan” to stop pretending that he isn’t George Kaplan

Thornhill refuses to cooperate with “Townsend”

Leonard offers him a drink, and encourages him to take it, or they will have to force the bourbon on him

Thornhill makes a dash for the door, but is shoved back down into the couch

Leonard pours him a tall glass of liquor and forces him to drink it

Function/Theme: Shows the “bad guys” as unwilling to compromise/When you know you’re right, YOU’RE RIGHT

Explanation: Thornhill has been mistaken for someone else and tried to explain the situation, but cannot get through to his kidnappers. Thornhill accompany Thornhill to the estate, where they are greeted by the maid who says she recognizes Thornhill

Heather Garrett

Thornhill becomes excitable upon entering the library and is anxious to show the couch cushions where liquor was spilled and the cabinet where it was stored the previous evening

Thornhill is frustrated to discover that no proof of last night’s visit remains

“Mrs. Townsend” and company get out of one elevator, Thornhill and his mother enter another, and are followed

Mrs. Thornhill and they spend their honeymoon as they spent their first night – on the train

Function/Theme: To tie everything together/Love conquers all!

Explanation: The movie ends with the happy couple traveling by train, which is what brought them together

END CREDITS

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