What happens when a case of mistaken identity turns deadly?

I don't know about you, but my greatest fear is to be accused of doing something, and to be unable to prove that I didn't do it. The plot of Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest takes this natural fear and runs with it, over and over again. In some scenes, quite literally.

This is exactly the situation that Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) finds himself in. Roger is a busy Manhattan advertising executive. His typical days bustle with activity, from working in the office, to meeting associates in big hotel dining rooms, and trotting out and about. It's a good thing that he's got a great and savvy secretary in Maggie (Doreen Lang). One of Roger's favorite evening recreations is to take his mother Clara (Jessie Royce Landis) to the theatre. Successful businessman that he is -- and twice divorced -- Roger still relies on his mother for advice and companionship. This is unexpected. Still, it's kind of nice.

What isn't nice is that Roger gets publicly mistaken for a man named George Kaplan. Immediately, two men kidnap him and try to kill him, believing he is Kaplan. And when Roger gets out of that situation and does his best to explain what happened, he learns that all of the evidence has been removed. He can't prove the truth to the police or even to his disapproving, head-shaking mother. This scene marks only the beginning of a nasty game of cat and mouse that lasts for several days for Roger, and for two full hours for us.

To his credit, Roger wants to uncover what's really going on. He's curious, since he's been accidentally and innocently brought into this situation. He follows Kaplan's trail, from New York to Chicago to South Dakota. Talk about planes, trains and automobiles! (Also taxis, buses and police cars. And oh, those long and heavy '50s cars!) Before his amateur investigation is even halfway over, Roger has interacted with the United Nations, the U.S. Intelligence Agency, and a variety of local police departments. We eventually learn that the bad guy behind the action is Phillip Vandamm (James Mason). But what is his business about? And why does he want George Kaplan, aka Roger Thornhill, to bite the dust? We viewers are given a few more insights than Roger is privy to; but we're really keeping only one step ahead of him. Roger's full realization won't come until it's almost too late to change Vandamm's trajectory. In the meantime, Roger meets Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint) on the train. She seems like a lovely companion to have around. Is romance in the air?

If the tensions of the plot aren't distressing enough on their own, then the soundtrack does its best to ramp up our heartbeats. Bernard Herrmann's music doesn't quite mimic the SCREECH-SCREECH-SCREECH of Psycho, but the tremors of its main theme keep us anxious, worrying and wondering. We know the seriousness of this business, just by listening ... which is what a good soundtrack serves to do.

But don't get distracted by the music here, folks. Pay close attention to the dialogue, too. Roger pulls off some great quips that ooze with justified indignation but are also laced with sarcasm and humor. Maybe this is why he's good at advertising. And Eve can keep up with his banter pretty well, too.

It's fun to watch old movies and to catch familiar faces, sometimes unexpectedly. Viewers of a certain age will recognize Roger Thornhill's attorney, Victor Larrabee, portrayed by Edward Platt. He was later the "Chief" for Don Adams's Maxwell Smart on Get Smart. Of course, Vandamm required some sinister assistants to do his dirty work. Martin Landau plays the one named Leonard.

My mother used to thrive on Alfred Hitchcock movies, and North by Northwest was one of her favorites. She knew that I didn't like scary movies, and yet she thought this one would number among the few from Hitchcock that I could tolerate. I liked it back then, and I still enjoy watching it today ... even though it puts my own fear on the big screen, in full technicolor VistaVision.

This film stands up well, these many decades later. Its settings are especially memorable: from the posh hotels of New York and Chicago, to a remote Indiana cornfield and a famous national monument. See this movie just once, and these scenes will stick with you forever. Leave it to Alfred Hitchcock to create compelling dramas with timeless, relatable themes. And here's a final tip: Be ever on the alert whenever you hear the song, "It's a Most Unusual Day." It could be a warning.