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Structure
Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 45 general entries. We are selecting 30 for display.
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Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
Vertigo
How long were Scotty and Midge engaged in college? | Vertigo
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3 weeks. 'Good old college days.'
Magnin's. 'I'm just a girl, I work at Magnin's and I live here.'
What color is Madeleine's car? | Vertigo
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What is the name of Madeleine's great grandmother? | Vertigo
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Carlotta Valdes. 'Sweet name, foreign, but sweet.'
What business is Gavin Elster in? | Vertigo
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ship building. 'I find it quite dull'
Where does Scotty first see Madeleine? | Vertigo
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Ernie's. 'You have a thing about Ernie's don't you?'
What does Midge do for a living? | Vertigo
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What classical music does Midge tell Scotty to listen to while he is in the mental hospital? | Vertigo
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Mozart. 'Mozart is the boy for you, Johnny-O.'
Where did Judy live before moving to California? | Vertigo
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Salina, Kansas. 'I decided I'd see what it was like in sunny California.'
Wood. Her last name is only used twice in the movie--a nurse calls her Ms.Wood.
The score for "Vertigo" was made by one of the most celebrated composers that ever worked with movies. He wrote the music for several other Hitchcock masterpieces (i.a. "Psycho"), as well as classics such as "Citizen Kane" and "Taxi Driver". What was his name? | Vertigo
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Herrmann . Bernard Herrmann wrote nine scores for Hitchcock. He died just after recording the score for Scorsese's "Taxi Driver" (1976).
Basing its structure on repetition and the doppelgänger theme, "Vertigo" reaches its climax in the belfry the second time around. This time the girl's fall is as real as it gets (in a movie..). What is the cause of it? | Vertigo
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The dark shape of a nun appearing in the doorway. The cloaked shape seems to surge up from the past in what might be seen as a sinister parallel to the faked story of obsession and invasion in Madeleine Elster's personality.
"Vertigo" is based on a French novel by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac. What is the title? | Vertigo
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D'entre les Morts. "Les Visages de l'Ombre" and "Celle qui n'était plus" are other novels by Boileau/Narcejac, whereas "La Présence des Ombres" is the title of a Canadian movie from 1995 that's also based on "D'entre les morts".
In which city does most of the action take place? | Vertigo
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San Francisco. San Juan Batista is where Mrs. Elster appears to throw herself from the belfry.
Who plays Marjorie (Midge) Wood? | Vertigo
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Barbara Bel Geddes. This was the only Hitchcock movie that Bel Geddes had a part in. After her career in the movies had declined, she was cast for the TV soap "Dallas".
According to Mr. Elster, his wife has reached the age at which Carlotta Valdes killed herself. What age? | Vertigo
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26. John Ferguson is asked to watch out for suicide attempts. Ultimately, the whole suicide theme serves to camouflage a murder.
What is, originally, the connection between Mr. Elster and John Ferguson? | Vertigo
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They are old schoolmates. When convincing Ferguson to take on the task of spying on his wife, Elster makes it clear that the dubious nature of her ailment requires him to engage someone trustworthy.
What artist made the portrait of Carlotta Valdes? | Vertigo
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Unknown. The portrait hangs in a museum where John sees Madeleine (and later on others) observe it while seated on a cushioned bench.
Ferguson's friend Midge (Marjorie) is by all appearances secretly in love with him. At one point, while alone in her apartment, she batters her own cheeks and calls herself names. Why? | Vertigo
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She has made a painting that he doesn't find funny. Midge has observed Johnny's interest in a portrait of Carlotta Valdes that Madeleine spends time in front of, and has made a copy of it with her own features replacing Carlotta's. Seeing it makes Johnny depressed and he leaves.
After a car ride, Ferguson and Mrs. Elster make a stop in a forest reservation. What is it that seems to trigger a spell of vertigo in the girl's mind? | Vertigo
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A slab of sequoia inscribed with historical dates. Madeleine remarks the short span of her own (i.e. Carlotta's) life in a sequoian perspective, and runs off.
What is the name of the restaurant where John Ferguson first lays his eyes on Madeleine Elster? | Vertigo
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Ernie's. Gavin Elster has asked Johnny to observe them dining at Ernie's so as to know what his wife looks like. Argosy is the book shop where Ferguson and Midge learn the Carlotta Valdes story from the old proprietor.
The character played by Kim Novak is first called Madeleine Elster, though her identity as such is threatened by spells where her great-grandmother Carlotta Valdes seems to "invade" her. As it turns out, the whole thing is a sham. What is the character's real name? | Vertigo
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Judy Barton. John Ferguson (James Stewart) is asked to follow Madeleine Elster, and develops his own fascination for her as he studies her spell with Carlotta Valdes. As it turns out, the whole thing is set up to camouflage a murder.
What color clothing is Madeline wearing most throughout the film? | Vertigo
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gray. Kim Novak is seen in black and green, but gray stands out the most, especially in the suit she wears when she falls to her death. Gray is not a good color on blondes and Novak objected to it at first, but Hitch ordered that his costume designer Edith Head make most of the clothes gray. Great move on his part.
What is the name of the restaurant where Scottie first sees Madeline? | Vertigo
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Ernie's. The restaurant is no longer there, but I think it will live on because of the film. The real exterior of the restaurant was filmed, but set builders were ordered to draw the actual inside of the restaurant and recreate it on a set. It was done perfectly and is an important place in the plot of "Vertigo".
By what famous landmark does Madeline try to commit suicide? | Vertigo
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Golden Gate Bridge. A great shot of cinematography as you can see the Golden Gate in the distance as Madeline jumps into San Francisco Bay.
What year was the film released in the US? | Vertigo
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1958. The film was released in 1958, but not a huge success when released. 1948, 1954, and 1956 were the US releases of the three other Stewart/Hitch collaborations "Rope", "Rear Window" and "The Man Who Knew Too Much". "Vertigo" is back in the public eye after the restoration and re-release in the mid-90's.
The director of "Vertigo" is whom? | Vertigo
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Alfred Hitchcock . Although not a complete success when released, "Vertigo" is now considered Hitchcock's masterpiece. I think it was the film that Hitch had always wanted to make and had a wonderful cast, crew and location to make it perfect.
Who portrayed the designer friend of Scottie? | Vertigo
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Barbara Bel Geddes. They were once romantically linked, as mentioned in the film, but are now just good friends. Midge (the character's name) is there to visit Scottie after he is institutionalized and Scottie is a regular at Midge's apartment.
What piece of jewelry was key in the identity of Madeline? | Vertigo
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necklace. The necklace is shown many times during the film, including in the portrait of Carlotta. A bit gaudy but does provide a great twist in the film.
In what US city was "Vertigo" mostly filmed? | Vertigo
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San Francisco. San Francisco is filmed beautifully in this film. Most of the filming was done in San Francisco, but some interior shots were done on stages in LA.
Who portrayed the acrophobic detective Scottie Ferguson? | Vertigo
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James Stewart. A great choice for the role although not a usual Jimmy Stewart vehicle. Wonderfully acted by Stewart.
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