Guide Note
Widely considered to be Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece, Vertigo is a suspense thriller film starring his frequent collaborators Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak. This mid-career entry represented the most potent command of "Hitch"'s craft and reflected his dark, lifelong obsession with women.
The film revolves around retired police officer John "Scottie" Ferguson (Jimmy Stewart) as he falls in love with the woman he is hired to follow. The screenplay is an adaptation of the French novel Cold Sweat: From Among the Dead by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac.
The film received mixed critical reviews upon its release in 1958 and was only nominated for technical achievements at that year's Academy Awards. Since that time, however, the film has been restored and reevaluated, and in 1989, was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
Fast Facts
- Studio: Paramount Pictures
- Release Date: May 9, 1958
- Director: Alfred Hitchcock
- Screenwriters: Alec Coppel and Samuel A. Taylor
- Composer: Bernard Herrmann
- Nominated for 2 Academy Awards
- Vera Miles originally pursued for Kim Novak's role of Madeleine
- Ranked AFI's 9th Greatest Movie of All Time
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