Vertigo (1958)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Pierre Boileau (novel) and
Thomas Narcejac (novel) ...

Release Date:

21 July 1958 (Brazil)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

A Hitchcock thriller. You should see it from the beginning!

Plot:

A San Francisco detective suffering from acrophobia investigates the strange activities of an old friend's wife, all the while becoming dangerously obsessed with her.

Plot Keywords:

Unmailed Letter | Cult Classic | Romantic Obsession | Dolly Zoom | Male Female Relationship

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

James Stewart	...	Det. John 'Scottie' Ferguson
Kim Novak	...	Madeleine Elster / Judy Barton
Barbara Bel Geddes	...	Marjorie 'Midge' Wood
Tom Helmore	...	Gavin Elster
Henry Jones	...	Coroner
Raymond Bailey	...	Scottie's doctor
Ellen Corby	...	Manager of McKittrick Hotel
Konstantin Shayne	...	Pop Leibel
Lee Patrick	...	Car owner mistaken for Madeleine

Also Known As:

'Vertigo' (USA) (poster title)
Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo (USA) (complete title)
From Among the Dead (USA) (working title)
Illicit Darkening (USA) (working title)
Listen Darkling (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

128 min | USA:129 min (1996 restored version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.50 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS 70 mm (1996 re-release) (70 mm prints) | DTS (1996 re-release) (35 mm prints) | Dolby Digital (1996 re-release) (35 mm prints) | Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #18867) | Brazil:12 (2007) (DVD re-rating) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (1997) | Spain:T | Canada:G (Nova Scotia) (original rating) (1983) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | USA:PG (re-rating) (1983) (certificate no. 27072) | Brazil:18 (original DVD rating) | Brazil:14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12/9 (1995) | Finland:K-12/9 (1997) | Finland:K-16 (1958) | France:U | Norway:11 (re-rating) (1997) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1988) | West Germany:12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

900 Lombard Street, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions

Trivia:

The building exterior used for Madeleine's apartment building is located at 1000 Mason St., across the street from the Fairmont Hotel.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Scotty takes Madeleine out of water her shoe is off. When they have reached the pier Madeleine has both shoes again.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Officer on rooftop: Give me your hand. Give me your hand.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in San Francisco: Scene of the Crime (2004) (V)

Get Lost in It.

Along with "Psycho", Hitchcock's best film that wraps itself around the viewer very fast and never does let go. San Francisco detective Jimmy Stewart is slowly going crazy due to a failed mission which did not work because of his intense fear of heights. This is all front-page news of course and Stewart is shamed about the whole event. But a ray of light shines as he gets a job to watch a man's wife (Kim Novak) who is supposedly having an affair with another man. Stewart believes this is his chance to put the past behind him, but sometimes the future is even darker. Stewart falls in love with Novak and the love turns into a dark and twisted obsession that becomes deeper and deeper as the film progresses. When tragedy strikes, that is the end. Right? Not quite. An amazing screenplay and arguably Hitchcock's greatest directing venture make the film solid and Stewart's stunning performance raises the whole project to a classic level. Somewhat ignored around the awards circuit in 1958, but ages beautifully as the years go by. 5 stars out of 5.