1959 saw Hitchcock at MGM, distilling 25 years of experience to put together the perfect movie. If some of the scenes and scenarios seem familiar then you're right, with Hitchcock acting magpie-like, plucking his favourite moments from previous movies and reworking them to fit the mould of 'North by Northwest'.

Thornhill (Cary Grant) has stumbled into a cold war spy game, after mistakenly being believed to have picked up a telegram for a George Kaplan while dining with associates. George Kaplan is not to be allowed to make it to tomorrow alive, and Thornhill is abducted and driven to a secluded country house, where despite his protestations, the 'owner' of the house 'Lester Townsend' (James Mason), refuses to accept the case of mistaken identity and signs Thornhills death warrant.

Hitchcock directs as a man at one with his material, for the opposite effect try and sit through the leaden 'Topaz' or 'Torn Curtain'. His creativity and visual flair is apparent in every single scene. His handling of the comedy, romance, suspense and action shows what a master of the silver screen he was, at eae with any material and a superb technician. His use of visual and optical effects was sublime, and here we are treated to a mix of glass paintings, studio sets recreating locations, false perspectives, back projection, there wasn't a single element of film making that he couldn't utilise to enhance his movies. The man knew film making inside out, and a four picture run of 'Vertigo', 'North by Northwest', 'Pyscho' and 'The Birds' cemented his already lofty status as a master behind the camera.

James Stewart was desperate for the lead, but Hitch felt that poor takings for Vertigo were inspired in part by Stewarts age in front of the cameras. MGM pushed for Gregory Peck, while Hitchock favoured the debonair Cary Grant. It is near impossible to imagine the movie without the lead role filled by Grant. The script seems to have been tailored for his brand of charm and wit, and he fills the shoes of Roger Thornhill effortlessly. Suave and sophisticated, while certainly looking no younger than James Stewart might have, Grant does bring a youthful verve to the part, and is simply superb in the role. Nobody plays Cary Grant better than Cary Grant.

Eva Marie Saint is the ice cold platinum blonde, who treads a dangerous path between the good guys and the bad guys, desperately trying not to let either Thornhill or Vandamm know where her allegiance really lies. Like Thornhill, she becomes a pawn in a dangerous game of chess, with pieces being shuffled across the board until they reach the giddy heights of the Mount Rushmore National Monument. Saint is good in the role, excelling in 'ice cold' but a little stiff with 'relaxed'. Martin Landau is Masons right hand 'man'. A cruel henchman, with a sardonic wit, and a nasty streak a mile wide. Leo G Carroll performs a dry run for his later role as Alexander Waverly in 'The Man from UNCLE'. This time round he plays the Professor, head of a secret service division, and the mastermind behind George Kaplan, and the pursuit of Vandamm and his secrets.

'North by Northwest' is crammed with moments of magic, including the crop duster sequence and the finale atop Mount Rushmore. Helping to capture these moments was regular Hitchcock collaborator Robert Burks, who so wonderfully lensed 'Vertigo'. 'Northwest' is rich in colour and detail, and has an incredibly impressive sheen. Adding to the feeling of perfection is Bernard Herrmann who provides a score as every bit as invaluable as his work for 'Vertigo'. A tremendous composition, with the main theme echoing the panic and fright of hero Thornhill, all brass stings and staccato percussion, but with plenty of weaving and winding to represent the machinations of the Government bureaus as they manipulate Thornhills course across country.

Jaded MTV viewers with their Vin Diesel predilictions can **** off at this point, and I will not make a 'looks dated' remark. 'North by Northwest' still shines brightly as a beacon of perfect plotting, casting, direction, designing, scoring and it does not look in the least bit incongruous when viewed 40+ years on. Its 136 minute running time gallops past, and yes there are plot holes and absurdities in the storyline, but to be frank, do you really care?