I used to have an aversion to older films. I believe most children have difficulty interfacing with classic films- mainly black and white movies—until they find one flick that shatters their hesitancy. Before encountering North by Northwest, I deemed any movie that came out prior to 1980 unwatchable. Luckily enough, the Alfred Hitchcock classic became required viewing for a script writing class I took at summer camp. The initial reluctance I approached the film melted in the face of the brilliant plot and pacing of the flick. After the first twenty minutes, I became hooked and fascinated with Alfred Hitchcock's entire catalog.
In July 1959, North by Northwest hit theaters. Once adjusted for inflation, the film's 9.8 million dollar box office take (on a 4.3 million dollar budget) would be equivalent to a little shy of $100 million today. In the video linked above, I included the official theatrical trailer for North by Northwest.
