Vertigo Review

Vertigo


Release Date: 23rd January 1959 - Australia


Production Companies

Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions (Uncredited)

Distribution
Universal Pictures Australia


Genre: Thriller

Rating: PG

Runtime: 120 minutes


Budget: $2,500,000

Box Office Gross: $7,798,146 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
A former police detective

named John 'Scottie'

Ferguson has developed

acrophobia and takes in
one last case to prevent

an old friend's wife from

killing herself. John finds
himself obsessed with her

as he struggles to face his demons.


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 McCorby - Manager of
McKittrick Hotel

Konstantin Shayne - Pop Leibel

Lee Patrick - Car Owner Mistaken for Madeleine

Fred Graham - Policeman on Rooftop (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Alfred Hitchcock - Man Walking Past Elster's Office (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew
Producer (Uncredited)/

Director - Alfred Hitchcock

Based on the Novel: "D'Entre Les Morts" - Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac

Screenplay - Alec Coppel and Samuel A. Taylor

Contributing Writer - Maxwell Anderson

(Uncredited)

Script Supervisor - Peggy Robertson

(Uncredited)

Associate Producer/Second Unit Director:

San Francisco (Uncredited) - Herbert Coleman

Producers: 1996 Restoration - Robert A. Harris

and James C. Katz (Uncredited)

Technical Advisor - A. Vincent Gerty

(Uncredited)

Art Directors - Henry Bumstead and

Hal Pereira

Set Decorators - Sam Comer and

Frank R. McKelvy

Costumes - Edith Head

Director of Photography - Robert Burks

Directors of Photography: Second Unit -

Loyal Griggs and Irmin Roberts (Uncredited)

Director of Photography: Back Projection

(Uncredited)/Process Photography -

W. Wallace Kelley

Camera Operators - James Knott,

Val O'Malley and Leonard J. South (Uncredited)

Unit Production Managers - Andrew J. Durkus

and C.O. Erickson (Uncredited)

Special Photographic Effects - John P. Fulton

Film Editor - George Tomasini

Titles Designer - Saul Bass

Motion Control Designer: Title Sequence -

John Whitney Sr. (Uncredited)

Sound - George Dutton (Uncredited)

Music - Bernard Herrmann


1959 Academy Awards
Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color -

Hal Pereira, Henry Bumstead, Sam Comer and

Frank R. McLevy (Nominated)
Best Sound - George Dutton (Nominated)


Review
Many people know Alfred Hitchcock as he was one of Hollywood's legendary directors and known for being the master of suspense. I have not seen his movies, nor did I see his classic TV show. I did know his history and saw the references in numerous TV series and others. I remember reading an article about VERTIGO that surpassed Citizen Kane as the best movie.

I finally got to see the film on Netflix. I did notice the influences used in other features. Movies like Jaws and Toy Story 2 have been taking inspiration from this known masterpiece. It goes to show that VERTIGO is an influential film.

Hitchcock has done several movies, but this is no exception. The film has a great storyline and several moments that will shock and thrill you. I liked how the movie's cinematography had those dolly-zoom shots in some scenes. This particular camera angle appeared for the first time in this film to an astonishing effect. The performances from James Stewart and Kim Novak were spot-on. Stewart was the director's go-to guy and was one of Hitchcock's favourites alongside Cary Grant.

VERTIGO was a great movie, but not one of my favourites. Still, I would instantly re-watch this cinematic classic and see the others Hitchcock directed.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

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