Funeral in Berlin (1966) – Scene Analysis & Connections – Part 1

Podcast Episode

Funeral in Berlin (1966) – Scene Analysis & Connections – Part 1

Join Dan and Tom as they head to Germany to attend the Funeral in Berlin!   This 1966 movie is the second installment after The Ipcress File, with Michael Caine as Harry Palmer, based on Len Deighton's novels.  Part 1 of 2. 

 

Join Dan and Tom as they head to Germany to attend the Funeral in Berlin!   This 1966 movie is the second installment after The Ipcress File, with Michael Caine as Harry Palmer, based on Len Deighton’s novels.  Part 1 of 2.

Lots of Bond connections, quips, key scenes are explored from a fresh angle.   If a funeral could be fun, this is it!  Join us, wont you?

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In Part 1, we discuss:

  • Comparing with The Spy Who Came In From The Cold for setting the tone
  • The use of quips
  • Airlines in movies
  • How Funeral in Berlin is like The Living Daylights
  • Other movies where we’ve seen Checkpoint Charlie
  • Did this movie influence a scene in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
  • Nikki Van Der Zyl who dubbed Samantha and her ties to James Bond
  • Is there a tie-in with Inglorious Basterds?
  • And More …

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THE IPCRESS FILE (1965) – Part 2

Watch the Video Version of this podcast Join Dan and Tom for Part 2 as they take a fresh look into one of the more significant spy movies of the 1960s, The IPCRESS File.

Spy Movies & Real-World Connections – Part 1

Have you ever thought about how events in the real world and other movies could affect and work their way into some of our favorite spy movies? Well, think about it a minute because that’s what we are going to…

<em>The 39 Steps</em>

The 39 Steps, directed by Alfred Hitchcock is considered by many to the first spy movie ever made! If you came to our site as a Bond, Bourne, Hunt, Smiley, or other spy movie fan, you might not have seen…

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THE IPCRESS FILE (1965) – Part 2

Podcast Episode

THE IPCRESS FILE (1965) – Part 2

Join Dan and Tom for Part 2 as they take a fresh look into one of the more significant spy movies of the 1960s, The IPCRESS File.

Join Dan and Tom and they take a fresh look into one of the more significant spy movies of the 1960s, The IPCRESS File.

Starring Michael Caine as Harry Palmer, this movie has a lot of Bond connections in staff, including Harry Saltzman as producer!  Great acting, great, gritty spy adventure and based on Len Deighton’s novels.

Looking at what was happening in the world at the time, and key scenes.  Is Harry Palmer at all like James Bond?  Let’s see!

Part 2 of a 2 Part podcast.

Related Content

This episode dives into the 1965 movie, The Ipcress File.   We examine:

  • Harry Palmer’s characteristics
  • Harry’s similarities to James Bond
  • Ken Adam’s sets
  • Harry’s cooking and its implications
  • Colonel Ross and the supermarket
  • The reality of proton scattering and mesons
  • How the “Albania” scene may have influenced Mission: Impossible
  • Fights(?) in this movie
  • And more …

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Alfred Hitchcock’s NOTORIOUS Decoded!

Today we decode a Hitchcock classic, NOTORIOUS with our special co-host Bill Koenig of The Spy Command.

RAAZI Is A Spy Movie Worth Watching

Dan and Tom decode the movie RAAZI. Is it a spy movie worth watching? Find out why this is one of Tom’s favorite spy movies.

THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD – Decoded!

Dan and Tom, decode the 1965 classic spy movie, THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD. This movie is dark but one of the best spy movies ever.

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THE IPCRESS FILE (1965) – Part 1

Podcast Episode

THE IPCRESS FILE (1965) – Part 1

Join Dan and Tom and they take a fresh look into one of the more significant spy movies of the 1960s, The IPCRESS File.

Join Dan and Tom and they take a fresh look into one of the more significant spy movies of the 1960s, The IPCRESS File.

Starring Michael Caine as Harry Palmer, this movie has a lot of Bond connections in staff, including Harry Saltzman as producer!  Great acting, great, gritty spy adventure and based on Len Deighton’s novels.

Looking at what was happening in the world at the time, and key scenes.  Is Harry Palmer at all like James Bond?  Let’s see!

Part 1 of a 2 Part podcast.

Related Content

This episode dives into The Ipcress File.   We examine:

  • The relationship of the key people involved with The Ipcress File and the James Bond franchise
  • Harry’s role as a reluctant spy and how that ties into La Femme Nikita and Mission: Impossible.
  • The brain drain of  top British scientists
  • The origins of Harry Palmer’s name
  • Product placement and why the coffee press is in the movie
  • And more …

 

 

 

 


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Cracking the Code of Spy Movies – A Look at 2019 and A Look Ahead to 2020

Join Tom and Dan in our 2019 wrap-up podcast of our Cracking the Code of Spy Movies show! Here, we include clips from all of our 2019 podcasts - take a listen, find ones that interest you and subscribe (free)…

Alfred Hitchcock’s NOTORIOUS Decoded!

Today we decode a Hitchcock classic, NOTORIOUS with our special co-host Bill Koenig of The Spy Command.

ALL THE OLD KNIVES First Reactions – No Spoilers

Listen as Dan, Tom, and Vicky share their first reactions of the movie ALL THE OLD KNIVES. Is it worth a watch? This is a no-spoiler discussion.

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The Silent Enemy (1958) – A Thunderball Inspiration?

Podcast Episode

The Silent Enemy (1958) – A Thunderball Inspiration?

Dan and Tom dive into THE SILENT ENEMY, a 1958 World War II spy movie, that has lots of connections with the 1961 novel and 1965 film, THUNDERBALL!  Explore this great film and all the connections to Bond movies!

Dan and Tom dive into The Silent Enemy, a 1958 World War II spy movie, that has lots of connections with the 1961 novel and 1965 film, Thunderball!

The Silent Enemy, while not a documentary, looks the deadly human torpedoes that the Italians created in World War II. We see how the British learn to deal with these deadly weapons. They need to figure it out in order to protect Malta. Explore this great film and all the connections to real-world events and Bond movies!

Related Content

In this podcast, we examine:

  • The historical background of this movie, set in World War II
  • The real-life Lieutenant Lionel Crabb upon who this movie is centered
  • Our assumption of the influence of The Silent Enemy on Thunderball
  • The role of the Human Torpedo
  • Ties to the real-life World War II decoy called Operation Mincemeat
  • And more …

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Q Planes (1939) – aka Clouds Over Europe

Watch the Video Version of this podcast Join Dan and Tom as they dig deep into the key scenes of the 1939 movie, Q PLANES, which is also known as CLOUDS OVER EUROPE in the US. They'll look into where…

Alfred Hitchcock’s NOTORIOUS Decoded!

Today we decode a Hitchcock classic, NOTORIOUS with our special co-host Bill Koenig of The Spy Command.

Interview with author Tony Lee Moral on Hitchcock’s NOTORIOUS

Dan and Tom talk about Hitchcock's classic spy movie, NOTORIOUS, with Tony Lee Moral, author of three Alfred Hitchcock books, with a fourth, "Alfred Hitchcock: The Storyboards" available September 2022.

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Q Planes (1939) – Historical Influences

Podcast Episode

Q Planes (1939) – Historical Influences

Join Dan and Tom as they pivot their analysis on the 1939 spy movie, Q PLANES. This movie was released just before the start of World War II and had some interesting historical ties. Take a listen.

Join Dan and Tom as they Crack of Code of the history that surrounded & impacted directly the making of the 1939 movie, Q Planes (Clouds Over Europe).

Our first podcast on Q Planes called, Q Planes (Clouds Over Europe) is an analysis of the movie, scene by scene.  In this new podcast, a different approach is taken, looking at historical events (the oncoming of World War Two, etc.) that directly affected the making of the film, looking at some very interesting connections!

The real world does find its way into spy movies!

Related Content

Some of the items we discuss are:

  • How the British Secret Service was involved with this movie
  • How the movie was made to try to influence the United States from its neutral stance on Germany
  • How a phrase by Lord Horatio Nelson made its way into the movie
  • How the newspaper headlines in the movie are reflective of real 1938 headlines raising alarm of the British people
  • How the characters were created to portray different classes of people
  • How a scene with an American showgirl may have been made to make some not-so-flattering impressions about Americans
  • How this movie influenced the TV show “The Avengers”
  • The many ways this movie influenced the James Bond series of movies
  • Some similarities to The 39 Steps
  • and more …

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Alfred Hitchcock’s NOTORIOUS Decoded!

Today we decode a Hitchcock classic, NOTORIOUS with our special co-host Bill Koenig of The Spy Command.

THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH – Decoded!

Dan and Tom are joined by Bill Koenig of The Spy Command website. We decode both versions of the Hitchcock classic The Man Who Knew Too Much!

THE IPCRESS FILE Series Launched! Is it worth your time?

We've had the opportunity to view all 6 episodes of this monumental series. Dan, Tom, and Vicky share their no-spoilers insights here!

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Q Planes (1939) – aka Clouds Over Europe

Podcast Episode

Q Planes (1939) – aka Clouds Over Europe

Join Dan and Tom as they dig deep into the key scenes of the 1939 movie, Q PLANES, which is also known as CLOUDS OVER EUROPE in the US. They'll look into where this movie has connections to other spy movies and real-world events to come!

Q Planes is a spy comedy, treating a top-secret invention the British were testing just prior to World War II and what they had to do to keep the invention and information about it out of enemy hands.   In the US, it is also known as Clouds Over Europe. It is more spy than comedy, but it has a comedic element.   Starring Ralph Richardson, Lawrence Olivier, and Valerie Hobson.

Join Dan and Tom as they dig deep into the key scenes in this film and connections to other spy movies to come!

Related Content

Q Planes is one of those cult-spy movies that has a small but avid following. True spy movie fans should know this movie.

In this podcast, we’ll examine:

  • The reason for the two different names: Q Planes and Clouds Over Europe
  • The basic premise of the film
  • The impact Ralph Richardson’s portrayal of Colonel Hammond had on the tv show “The Avengers”
  • Ties into the world of James Bond in print and on the big screen: Including You Only Live Twice, For Your Eyes Only and The Spy Who Loved Me
  • Ties into the Mission: Impossible franchise; both on tv and movies.
  • The “Nelson Touch”
  • And many more items

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THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD – Decoded!

Dan and Tom, decode the 1965 classic spy movie, THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD. This movie is dark but one of the best spy movies ever.

Billion Dollar Brain – Decoded!

Join Dan and Tom as they decode the third Harry Palmer movie with Michael Caine, based on the Len Deighton novels!

All About Spy Movies – SpyMovieNavigator

Find out what we are doing at SpyMovieNavigator.com and how we are building a Worldwide Community of Spy Movie Fans! Dan Silvestri and Tom Pizzato explain the roots of SpyMovieNavigator and how this whole thing got started, and how we…

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Q Planes (1939) – Clouds Over Europe (US)


Q Planes movie posterQ Planes
is a 1939 spy movie.  Clouds Over Europe was its name in the United States.

It is about a British Agent and his mission to discover who is trying to steal top-secret experimental equipment.  The focus of this search is around the attempted theft of a new supercharger which should increase the flight speed of aircraft.

Above all, this light-hearted, spy comedy delivers a message to the world about threats. Released about 6 months before World War II, it was, in part, a propaganda movie.

Earlier movies influenced Q Planes. This movie influenced future spy movies such as James Bond and Mission: Impossible.

Our curated videos below show these influencers via video clips and descriptions. Also, check out our podcasts which discuss this movie in more detail.

WHERE TO STREAM:

  • It is available on Amazon Prime (Prime Link). (There may be a cost)
  • In addition, it is on YouTube: (YouTube Link)

Did the title Q Planes come from Q-Ships?

The movie Q Planes got it’s title post-production.   It is assumed the name was derived from the Q-Ships that were popular in World War I.

These were freighters or steamer designed to look like non-military ships that would be easy targets for German U-boats. The idea was to get the U-boat to surface, and then the Q-ship would reveal its guns and blast away. In the movie Q Planes, no one ever does this with one of the planes. Nor is the term Q Planes ever used in the film!  The title appears to have been thought of more for marketing to UK audiences than for how it relates to the plot.

The British public loved Q-ships in World War I, but they were not terribly effective according to some historians, and even less effective in World War Two. The designation “Q” came from the ships being outfitted in Queensland, Ireland, and it helped promote the idea of “Q” being a designation for taking something ordinary and outfitting it to be a deadly weapon.

This clip lets you see a real Q-Ship.  It’s old footage showing the troops and a Q-ship in action.

RELATED CONTENT:

Eastern Importations and Amnesia

Here we meet the quirky Major Hammond as he is arrested.  We don’t get his name in this scene, but we learn it soon afterward.  Additionally, we believe two items in this scene (Eastern Importations Company and Major Hammond’s amnesia) have influenced future spy books and movies. We examine these two items below:

  • Eastern Importations Company – This is the sign on the door of the place where the police first meet Major Hammond.  This isn’t Hammond’s company and we don’t learn specifically why he was there.  However, we do learn this was a place that he was investigating, but don’t get the specifics.  We don’t see why this place had any significance to him other than this is where he got hit in the head.
    • Similarly, Ian Fleming used Universal Export for the first time in his 2nd book, “Live and Let Die” as a cover company for the 00’s.  However,  we must note that “Export” was singular, not plural.  In the books and especially in the movies, “Exports” changes from singular to plural.  The movie Dr. No uses the plural form of “Exports”.  However,  On Her  Majesty’s Secret Service uses the singular “Export”.
    • So, did Ian Fleming get his idea of using “Universal Exports” from Q Planes “Eastern Importations”?
  • Amnesia – Major Charles Hammond is acting quirky here. He stays a bit quirky throughout the movie but does seem confused or out of it in this scene.
    • Did a blow to the head give Major Hammond amnesia?
    • Is this a precursor to Jason Bourne and his amnesia?

RELATED CONTENT

Q Planes and The Nelson Touch

When we at Spy Movie Navigator watch spy movies, we try to find where a movie may influence or was influenced by a real-world event or another spy movie. Happily, two things from this 11-second clip give us one of each type of influence. Specifically, Q Planes delivers with a phrase right at the end of this clip (“The Nelson Touch”) that has real-world historical significance.  Additionally, we get one phrase that may have influenced the Mission: Impossible series of movies and TV.

  • “You’re acting against instructions” – Major Hammond’s boss tells him “Unofficially, of course, you understand. I’ll give you every facility, but if he finds you out, you’re acting against instructions.”
    • This instantly brings a 20th and 21st Century spy movie fan to the Mission: Impossible TV and movie series.  “As always, should you or any of your IM Force be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions.”
    • Does this line get it’s birth from the movie Q Planes?  Remember, this movie came out in 1939.  The “Mission: Impossible” TV show didn’t happen for another 27 years.
  • Q Planes and “The Nelson Touch” –  Major Hammond says “The Nelson Touch” in response to the above directive.  This phrase brings a real-world reference into the movie.  It refers to Lord Horatio Nelson and what he initially described as one of his battle strategies.  It’s great to see a historical reference in this type of movie.  Q Planes use of the phrase The Nelson Touch brings us to two different eras of history and two different wars.  We discuss this in more detail in our Q Planes podcast.

So, check out this clip and see if you agree with us.

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Got a cigarette? What Hammond asks in Q Planes

In this short scene, we see a trope that has been used in many spy movies.  In fact, we see it in spy movies from Hitchcock thrillers through Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible and naturally, many James Bond movies.  Of course, we’re talking about the “Got a cigarette” Spy to Spy password conversation to validate to the other person you are who they think you are. In this case, Hammond asks man: “Got a cigarette?” The man gives him the cigarette.  However,  in reality, it’s a Comm or a note wrapped around the cigarette.

The note says “The supercharger is the enemy’s objective. They may know of proposed flight from secret agent here.”

This is a very important scene for the movie.  The note tells Hammond that he was right about the supercharger. Therefore, Hammond knows he has to remove it before the next test flight.  Thank goodness that note was written on that cigarette.  What would he have done if it wasn’t?

We think Leslie Bradley was the actor playing the man Hammond got the note from.  He was also the assistant in the scene in Hammond’s office.  His role was uncredited and it was such a brief shot of his face. Therefore, although we’re not certain it was him, we believe it was.  The uniform he had on said “Barrett & Ward” which is the airplane company who’s airplanes went missing.   So, even though he was passing notes, he looked like he worked for the airplane company. Just as any good spy would.

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Did this inspire the James Bond gun barrel scene?

We all know the iconic gun barrel scene in the James Bond series of movies. First, you see the gun barrel.  Then, James Bond turns and shoots toward the camera, and the red blood drips down. This was actually filmed through a gun barrel. However, it does have a similar look to this lens aperture in Q Planes. Therefore, we have to ask: Was this scene in Q Planes the genesis of the gun barrel scene we see in almost every James Bond movie?

This quick scene is interesting. A villain aims some sort of ray toward a plane. Somehow, the ray appears to cause an electrical problem on the plane bad enough to take the plane down. Look closely, as they fire, the apparatus they use makes it look like a camera lens aperture opening. Yet, it looks somewhat familiar to James Bond fans.

We hear it wasn’t the inspiration but it is close enough of an image to make us wonder.
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The plane is nabbed to get the supercharger

This scene is a key plot point in Q Planes.  First, this plane is incapacitated in flight. It is targets by a ray beam and loses power.   After that, it makes a perfect water landing. Finally,  the plane is nabbed to get the supercharger. Watch closely and you’ll see the plane being hoisted into the ship, the SS Viking. The crew is captured as it gets out of the plane.  Remember, at this point in the movie, the villains believe the supercharger was on board.  Fortunately, due to the message in the cigarette, Major Hammond has the supercharger removed from the plane before its departure.

Similarly,  this plot is repeated in differing forms in some James Bond movies. For instance, in You Only Live Twice, a space capsule is captured in space. In The Spy Who Loved Me, it’s a submarine that gets captured. In both of these cases, the goal is to get what’s inside whatever was captured.  Also, in Thunderball and Never Say Never Again, a plane or missile is diverted, capturing them for the nuclear payload they carry.   Whereas the plane was nabbed to get the supercharger in Q Planes, these James Bond movies, alter the purpose of nabbing the item.  As you might expect, we discuss these similar plot points in our podcast called “Q Planes (1939) -aka Clouds Over Europe“.

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Jenkins is almost run down

The villains almost run Jenkins down

In this scene from Q Planes, the jig appears to be up for Jenkins.  Here, Jenkins is almost run down by a car as the villains try to kill him.  However, Major Hammond just happens to be at the scene and saves him.  Hammond’s ubiquitous umbrella is used to save the day for Jenkins.  What a creative use of the umbrella here.

However, Jenkins’ has only been given a short respite from death as we see later in the movie.

As we know, Jenkins is “working” for Barrett and Ward.  However, in reality, he is working for the Northern Salvage Company.  This German company appears to be a front for the German government.  Predictably, things don’t go well for him at Northern Salvage and his days are numbered.

A Parallel in Atomic Blonde 

There are numerous examples of people being run down by vehicles in spy movies.   One excellent example comes from the 2017 movie, Atomic Blonde.   In the opening scene of this movie, a man is trying to escape his pursuers.  He’s running and climbing over fences. Unfortunately for him, there was no Major Hammond there to pull him away before the front of the car did its death-invoking deed.  However, the first impact doesn’t kill him.  Therefore, we get to see him run over a second time.

One difference in Q Planes is that Jenkins isn’t running.  Instead, he is darting around, looking paranoid before the car tries to run him down.
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Hammond is confused by women

This fun scene lets us see how Major Hammond is confused by women.  It reminds us of this conversation from the 1964 movie “My Fair Lady”.   Henry Higgins complains about women to Colonel Pickering.  Whereas Major Hammond says nice things about women to McVane but at the same time complains about them,   Henry Higgins only complains about them before breaking in the the song “Why Can’t a Women be More Like a Man”.   However, something seems to be familiar between these two scenes.

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A Bondian Breakout and Fight

Breakout

Tony McVane’s and his crew are captured.  Therefore, he has a chance to talk with the crew captured earlier.   McVane then leads a Bondian-like breakout by smashing the door with a large pole (where was that pole before?).

This is an interesting part of the film. There is a huge James Bond-type shoot-out.   A lot of guys get shot down with machine guns, pistols, and more.  But we never feel McVane is going to get killed. 

Just as often happens in Bond movies, his team got the better of a large crew with just a few guys.  But it wasn’t over yet. And of course, the bad guys had black uniforms and the good guys white. After all, this is a Black and White film.

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North By Northwest – Part 2

Podcast Episode

North By Northwest – Part 2

Join Dan and Tom as they are Cracking the Code of Spy Movies. Today they navigate through part 2 of the 1959 Alfred Hitchcock classic, NORTH BY NORTHWEST.

Join Dan and Tom as they dive deeply into Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 “monumental” spy thriller, North by Northwest.  Some have called this the first Bond movie!  From New York City to Chicago to Mount Rushmore, the thrill is on!

We look at scenes, comparisons to other spy movies, actors and insights into the key scenes and backstories!    Fun stuff for one of the best spy films ever created, with one iconic scene that everyone knows, the Crop Duster scene!

This is part 2 of a 2 Part North by Northwest podcast.

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This 1959 Alfred Hitchcock classic is one of the great spy movies.
In part 2 of this podcast, we’ll examine:
  • The Crop Duster Scene
  •  How the Crop Duster Scene influenced a scene in the movie From Russia With Love
  •  How did they get to that address in Chicago
  •  The Auction Scene
  •  The double pursuit
  •  Roger’s death
  •  Roger’s influence on women
  •  Mount Rushmore
  •  The last train ride

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ALL THE OLD KNIVES First Reactions – No Spoilers

Listen as Dan, Tom, and Vicky share their first reactions of the movie ALL THE OLD KNIVES. Is it worth a watch? This is a no-spoiler discussion.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare Review – No Spoilers!

Dan and Tom give you their no-spoiler THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE review - designed to enhance your viewing of the movie.

Steven Saltzman – An interview with the Executive Producer of THE IPCRESS FILE 6-part series!

Dan and Tom interview Steven Saltzman, Executive Producer for the THE IPCRESS FILE series. Listen to hear about the making of the series.

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North By Northwest – Part 1

Podcast Episode

North By Northwest – Part 1

Join Dan and Tom as they are Cracking the Code of Spy Movies. Today they navigate through part 1 of the 1959 Alfred Hitchcock classic, NORTH BY NORTHWEST.

Join Dan and Tom as they dive deeply into Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 “monumental” spy thriller, North by Northwest.  Some have called this the first Bond movie!  From New York City to Chicago to Mount Rushmore, the thrill is on!

We look at scenes, comparisons to other spy movies, actors and insights into the key scenes and backstories!    Fun stuff for one of the best spy films ever created, with one iconic scene that everyone knows, the Crop Duster scene!

This is part 1 of a 2 Part North by Northwest podcast.

Related Content

This 1959 Alfred Hitchcock classic, North by Northwest,  is one of the great spy movies of all time.

In part 1 of this podcast, we’ll examine:

  • The overall plot of North by Northwest
  • Is this really the first James Bond movie (albeit without James Bond)?
  • Roger’s unfortunate case of mistaken identity
  • How two early scenes may have influenced On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
    • Let’s all sit in the back seat and I’ll joke around
    • Is that how you hold a cigarette?
  • Where the line “Pay the 2 dollars” originated
  • How Hitchcock got the shot of the United Nations building
  • The sexual conversations Eve and Roger have on the train
    • Including one word that had to be overdubbed
  •  A reference to David O. Selznick

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Q Planes (1939) – Historical Influences

Watch the Video Version of this podcast Join Dan and Tom as they pivot their analysis on the 1939 spy movie, Q PLANES. This movie was released just before the start of World War II and had some interesting historical…

Hitchcock spy movie techniques with Tony Lee Moral

We talk with the author of the new book "The Young Alfred Hitchcock's Movie Making Masterclass" and discuss how Hitchcock made spy movies.

THE IPCRESS FILE – ITV Series Briefing with Actors, Director

On December 16, 2021, we had the wonderful opportunity to “attend,” via a Zoom meeting, a press briefing for "The Ipcress File TV" series through ITV Studios, with the actors, director & more!  Join us as we discuss this briefing…

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A Case of Mistaken Identity

Roger Thornhill gets mistaken for someone named George Kaplan.  This simple mistake will cause Roger many problems.   Notice how he is put in the back seat of the car between two henchmen.   We’ve seen in another movie – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.  Listen to our podcast on North by Northwest where we go into more detail about this car ride.

Mr. Townsend’s Death

In this scene, Roger learns that Mr. Townsend is not the man he thinks he is. Roger (Cary Grant) finally meets the real Mr. Townsend and realizes he’s been duped. In this clip, we see the meeting at the United Nations building and what happens to Mr. Townsend.  Pay attention to the camera angles – fantastic – especially the last one!

Now this is a train scene

Most Erotic Conversation!  Of all the train scenes we’ve seen in spy movies, this clip shows one of the most erotic conversations ever.  It puts any conversation between James Bond and a Bond Girl to shame.  And this is in 1959!

The quips between Eve and Roger are amazing.  They even had to dub out a line that was too risqué. Watch Eve’s lips in the clip and see what you think!  Listen to our podcast to hear our take on this scene!

North By Northwest (1959)

Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 thriller, North by Northwest is a movie about an advertising executive who gets caught up in the world of spies. A case of mistaken identity early in the movie sets Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) and the audience up for a thrilling journey across America.

In this curation (and in the podcast), we examine things beyond just the scope of the movie, and its interrelationship with other movies and events:

  • A crafty, yet charming villain, much like Franz Sanchez in Licence to Kill
  • Suspense on a train
  • How the henchmen put Thornhill in the car which foretells a scene in James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
  • An unknown criminal organization – Can you say Spectre or Quantum?
  • Stars from the television shows “Get Smart” and Man From U.N.C.L.E. are the good guys in this movie year’s before their tv spy-dom
  • A joke that is told is based on an old vaudeville routine and first showed up on film in the 1945 movie Ziegfeld Follies
  • Airplanes trying to run the hero down, a la James Bond in From Russia With Love
  • And many others

RELATED CONTENT:


It’s a crop duster – look out!

One of the Most Famous Scenes in ANY Movie: Check out this scene that foretells something similar in From Russia With Love.  It’s a crop duster, Roger – DUCK or you’ll lose your head.  Fabulous photography and directing here.  You can feel the tension and fear.  As Hitchcock once said, “I just want to scare the hell out of people.”  This is one of his most famous scenes, ever, to do just that.

Getting Out Of A Bad Situation

We’ve seen auction scenes in spy movies since North by Northwest (think Octopussy), but we can’t think of one before this movie.  In this scene, Roger must use his wits and create a diversion to get out of a bad situation at an auction.

The way he does this is both funny and brilliant.  We want-to-be spies must remember this scene when we’re up against it.

The Precursor To Bond’s Appeal To Women?

This scene is short but impactfully funny.  Roger is trying to escape and ends up cutting through this woman’s room.  At first, she’s aghast.  Then she sees Roger and changes her tune. She only utters the same word twice.  Both times have very different meanings.   Roger’s reaction is wonderful.

This movie came out four years before the James Bond movie Dr. No, but Roger’s sex appeal to women here sure carries over to the Bond series.

When the girl shoots the hero

Will Eve Shoot Roger?  This scene in North By Northwest was shot on location at the Mount Rushmore restaurant.   Another fabulous scene, where Hitchcock builds up suspense for a big finish to this scene.   Little things, like Leonard (Landau) straightening his tie as he walks over to Eve and Philip Vandamm  Also,  pay close attention to the boy behind Eve – so natural and perfect.

Mount Rushmore

A great spy movie needs great scenery.  Check out this clip of Roger & Eve as they try to escape Leonard (Martin Landau) on Mount Rushmore.  Again, great tension, great anticipation, great photography – the hallmarks of a Hitchcock film, and this spy film!  We will see lots of Bond films with great fight scenes taking place in perilous places – some of that began here.

All’s well that ends well

The movie ends with Roger and Eve on Mount Rushmore.  He’s just proposed but Leonard is still pursuing them.   More tension, and then a great Hitchcock cut takes us to the final scene.   Train through the tunnel . . . concludes the film that Hitchcock mastered as a very sensuous movie in 1959!  We will see many spy movies to come, where the spy and the woman unite at the end!

Secret Agent (1936) – A second spy movie by Alfred Hitchcock

Podcast Episode

Secret Agent (1936) – A second spy movie by Alfred Hitchcock

Join Dan and Tom as they are cracking the code of spy movies! Here, we're taking a close look at the 1936 Alfred Hitchcock movie, Secret Agent, its influence on future spy movies, and how sometimes being a secret agent is not that secret!

Secret Agent – 1936

Join us as we’re cracking the code of spy movies!

Here, Dan and Tom are taking a close look at the 1936 Hitchcock movie, Secret Agent, its influence on future spy movies, and how sometimes being a secret agent is not that secret!

Related Content

  • We dissect the key scenes in the epic spy film from 1936, Secret Agent.
  • We look at how this film has influenced spy movies to come, and the impact these early spy films have had on the genre.
  • We look at some scenes and how these scenes are the first time we see them but will see them again, lie the faked death of a person so he can spy incognito.
  • Early Hitchcock!

Note: You can watch the entire movie on YouTube: (here is the link)


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Cracking the Code of Spy Movies – A Look at 2019 and A Look Ahead to 2020

Podcast Episode

Cracking the Code of Spy Movies – A Look at 2019 and A Look Ahead to 2020

Join Tom and Dan in our 2019 wrap-up podcast of our Cracking the Code of Spy Movies show! Here, we include clips from all of our 2019 podcasts - take a listen, find ones that interest you and subscribe (free) to our Cracking the Code of Spy Movies show and listen to the full episodes! We end the episode with a look ahead at the spy movies we are anticipating in 2020.

Join Tom and Dan in our 2019 wrap-up podcast of our Cracking the Code of Spy Movies show! Here, we include clips from all of our 2019 podcasts – take a listen, find ones that interest you and subscribe (free) to our Cracking the Code of Spy Movies show and listen to the full episodes!  We end the episode with a look ahead at the spy movies we are anticipating in 2020.

Happy New Year and thank you to all our listeners around the world! We are humbled that our spy movie community has downloaded our podcasts in 29 countries so far!

Related Content

We look back on all of our podcasts in 2019:

  1. We selected clips from each show, highlighting what the show is all about
  2. Commentary on the clips and the year

Thanks for listening!   We appreciate it very much!


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What Makes GoldenEye a Standout Bond Movie?

What Makes GOLDENEYE a standout James Bond movie? Dan and Tom Decode this movie that introduced us to Pierce Brosnan as James Bond.

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