Vertigo (1958)

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

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Alec Coppel (screenplay), Samuel A. Taylor (screenplay),

Stars:

James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes

Top 250 #53 | Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
James Stewart	...	John 'Scottie' Ferguson
Kim Novak	...	Madeleine Elster / Judy Barton
Barbara Bel Geddes	...	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

Storyline

John "Scottie" Ferguson is a retired San Francisco police detective who suffers from acrophobia and Madeleine is the lady who leads him to high places. A wealthy shipbuilder who is an acquaintance from college days approaches Scottie and asks him to follow his beautiful wife, Madeleine. He fears she is going insane, maybe even contemplating suicide, because she believes she is possessed by a dead ancestor. Scottie is skeptical, but agrees after he sees the beautiful Madeleine.

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Plot Keywords:

Suicide | Police | Acrophobia | Police Detective | Suicide Attempt | 

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Taglines:

A Mystery Revised... A Master Remembered! (1996 Restored Film Premiere)

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Genres:

Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 July 1958 (Brazil)

Also Known As:

'Vertigo'

Filming Locations:

1000 Mason Street, North Beach, San Francisco, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,479,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$1,486,818 (USA) (22 November 1996)

Gross:

$1,718,928 (USA) (20 December 1996)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min 129 min (1996 restored)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.50 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

San Juan Batista, the Spanish mission which features in key scenes in the movie doesn't actually have a bell tower - it was added with trick photography. The mission originally had a steeple but it was demolished following a fire.

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Goofs

As Madeleine leaves the florist in her Jaguar, Scottie follows her in his 1956 DeSoto, with license number HAF 376. However, 54 minutes into the movie, he follows her again, but the camera car, a similar DeSoto, with Scottie at the wheel, passes the HAF 376 licensed DeSoto which is erroneously parked at the curb.

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Quotes

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

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Crazy Credits

The opening Paramount logo is in black and white while the rest of the film, including the closing Paramount logo, is in Technicolor.

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Connections

Referenced in House M.D.: The Fix (2011)
poster in Wilson's office

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Soundtracks

"Sardis #4"
(uncredited)
(Forever Female), from Skylark (Poochie)
Composed by Victor Young
Orchestrated by Gus Levene
Played as 'cue 12D' by the orchestra while Scottie and Judy are dancing

User Reviews

Hitchcock's most stunning achievement. A fascinating masterpiece which improves with each year and viewing.

I get a bit tongue-tied talking about Hitchcock's greatest movies because they are just so remarkable, so astonishing, so entertaining, so multi-levelled, that it's very difficult to put into words what makes them great. Hitchcock made some of the greatest movies ever made, and 'Vertigo', though by no means his most accessible film, is quite possibly his crowning achievement. It is without any doubt a masterpiece, and I cannot fault it in any way. Every time I watch it I am knocked out, and every time I see something new, some nuance or moment that I appreciate more than I did the previous viewing. Jimmy Stewart, one of the most popular movie star in Hollywood history, gives a remarkable performance throughout, one of the best in his career. Stewart had worked with Hitchcock before, and had always been superb, especially in the much copied suspense classic 'Rear Window' a few years prior to this, but he plays against type in 'Vertigo' and is jaw-droppingly good. It's difficult to remember now that 'Vertigo' is regarded as a movie milestone, that it received many bad reviews when it was originally released, and was a relative failure for Hitchcock. A lot of this had to do with Stewart's intense performance I think, and also the difficult subject matter. 'Vertigo' is essentially a tale of sexual obsession, something most people were probably not expecting at the time! Almost as good as Stewart is Kim Novak ('The Man With The Golden Arm') in a role that she will always be remembered for. 'Vertigo' is a virtuoso piece from Hitchcock, and a movie that will no doubt continue to inspire other film makers over the years to come. However the most important thing about it is that it is still wonderful viewing, and a movie experience that you will never forget. In my mind it is one of the three of four greatest American movies. Simply astonishing.