A variation on the absurd speech in Scotland in "The 39 Steps" and the "Paul Newman screaming fire in a crowded opera house" scene near the end of "Torn Curtain". Hitchcock said: "Self-borrowing is style."
PSYCHO, of course, is often highlighted for its edited shower sequence; but in many ways this auction sequence is even more brilliantly and complexly edited, though less spectacularly so, since it's concealed by continuity. But I count 72 separate shots, brilliantly collated, of various characters and parts of the auction auditorium. In many ways this is comparable to the great montage editing of the assassination or attempted assassination concert sequence in the American "Man Who Knew Too Much."
he was awesome. He destroyed Van Damn and wrecked his auction day. I love this scene. Grant was brilliant. He messed up the villain and his goons day on this one. He sabotaged the entire movie. I love how he wrecked the villain here. Totally destroyed him. When the bad guy got Grant drunk on that DUI....he came back and DESTROYED Van Dam....and Leonard. One of the greatest moments ever. I love it!!!!!!
Composer Bernard Herrmann knew when to be silent in this movie--as in the auction scene, until Cary Grant says, "Sorry, old man, too bad, keep trying." In the numerous times I've seen this movie with audiences, that dialogue line often gets a big laugh, drowning out Bernard Herrmann's music comment, but the music actually breaks the auction scene tension and carries the movie out of the auction.
Montage break-down of the Auction Sequence in 75 shots, brilliantly edited. For simplicity I have presented only the basic mise-en-scene and used the word "auctioneer" to simplify reference. 1. Grant enters auction. 2. Eyeline match on spy. 3. Grant's troubled reaction. 4. Eyeline match on auctioned art. 5. Cut to Grant walking. 6. Cut to another spy (Landau). 7. Cut to Grant who sees Landau. 8. Eyeline match on Landau. 9. Eyeline match on Grant. 10. Cut to Landau still looking at Grant. 11. Cut to Grant as he takes a seat. 12. Cutaway to other spy. 13. Cut to Grant looking around. 14. Cut to Mason escorting Saint (Eve). 15. Cut to Grant looking at them. 16. Eyeline match on Landau. 17. Cut to Grant thinking how to escape. 18. Cut to auction lectern and crowd. 19. Cut to Grant bidding. 20. Cut to perturbed Landau. 21. Landau's eyeline match on auctioneer. 22. Cut to Grant thinking, bidding. 23. Cut to auctioneer. 24. Wide shot on bidders, inc. Grant. 25. Cut to perturbed Landau. 26. Cut to auctioneer. 27. Similar to 24. 28. Cut to auctioneer. 29. Cut to other spy. 30. Similar to 27. 31. Cut to auctioneer. 32. Cut to Landau really nervous now. 33. Similar to 30. 34. Cut to woman calling Grant an idiot. 35. Cut to auctioneer. 36. POV on Grant. 37. Similar to 35, POV. 38. Cut on Grant bidding. 39. Similar to 37. 40. Cut to Grant thinking, gazing around. 41. Similar to 39. 42. Cut to Grant bidding. 43. Similar to 41. 44. Reaction shot on Grant. 45. Similar to 43. 46. Cut to auctioneer. 47. Cut to assistant whispering about Grant. 48. Cut to Grant watching this. 49. Eyeline match as woman picks up receiver. 50. Cut to Grant's smiling reaction. 51. Cut to auctioneer. 52. Cut to Grant bidding. 53. Eyeline match on auctioneer. 54. Cut to Landau, very nervous. 55. Same as 53. 56. Cut to Grant. 57. Same as 55. 58. Cut to Grant. 59. Cut to other spy. 60. Cut to auctioneer. 61. Cut to Grant responding. 62. Same as 60. 63. Cut to Grant bidding. 64. Cut to determined enforcer. 65. Cut to police entering. 66. Cut to Grant punching enforcer. 67. Cut to include Grant and police. 68. Cut on second punch. 69. Cut to Leo G. Carroll, concerned. 70. Cut to Landau. 71. Cut to police restraining Grant. 72. Cut to auctioneer, pencil in mouth. 73. Cut to Grant escorted out. 74. Continuity cut on Grant escorted out. 75. Cut outside the auction house.
look at him, coming at Grant off the stage like that. I would have just opened fire, first the bodyguard then any other goons who got in the way, but Mason's secretary is going down. Grant should have taken out the bodyguards by stealth attack then hit Mason and his secretary. But hahaha, I love how he SCREWS his enemies over here at the auction with the sabotage, that'll teach THEM. Look at how irritated they become, hahaha, go Mr. Thornhill! Wish the guy he punched had been Leonard the secretary though, but glad he messed up the day of Mason's goons. Even told that bodyguard goon off at the end "Sorry old man, keep trying," lol
Van Damn knew he was in serious trouble when Kaplan..Grant showed up, sober and ready to fight, again. Again. He knew the Feds were on to him, in his delusion, and he ultimately lost at the end of this movie.
Of course today any painting by an “early 17th century master” would never start at $1000! By the way, in the sequence of things this scene, to me, was on a Friday night. The movie started on a Wednesday and ends on Saturday night.
One of the very best scenes in the film, still cracks me up!!!!
How clever of Cary Grant!
Yes, clever indeed! If you can't escape because there are people trying to kill you, get yourself arrested for a small charge.
The woman Cary Grant sits next to is the actress (Paula Winslow) who voiced Bambi’s mother.
Brilliant and hilarious scene...
A variation on the absurd speech in Scotland in "The 39 Steps" and the "Paul Newman screaming fire in a crowded opera house" scene near the end of "Torn Curtain". Hitchcock said: "Self-borrowing is style."
PSYCHO, of course, is often highlighted for its edited shower sequence; but in many ways this auction sequence is even more brilliantly and complexly edited, though less spectacularly so, since it's concealed by continuity. But I count 72 separate shots, brilliantly collated, of various characters and parts of the auction auditorium. In many ways this is comparable to the great montage editing of the assassination or attempted assassination concert sequence in the American "Man Who Knew Too Much."
this is the best
he was awesome. He destroyed Van Damn and wrecked his auction day. I love this scene. Grant was brilliant. He messed up the villain and his goons day on this one. He sabotaged the entire movie. I love how he wrecked the villain here. Totally destroyed him. When the bad guy got Grant drunk on that DUI....he came back and DESTROYED Van Dam....and Leonard. One of the greatest moments ever. I love it!!!!!!
Composer Bernard Herrmann knew when to be silent in this movie--as in the auction scene, until Cary Grant says, "Sorry, old man, too bad, keep trying." In the numerous times I've seen this movie with audiences, that dialogue line often gets a big laugh, drowning out Bernard Herrmann's music comment, but the music actually breaks the auction scene tension and carries the movie out of the auction.
The cropduster scene is silent until the plane crashes into the fuel truck. Then the music explodes.
Good observation. Great Directors played silence like a background music
yeah, trolling...I love how he screws with them, hahaha
Pure fun - no green screens and fakery.
That woman dined out the rest of her life on getting to sit next to Cary in this scene!
Montage break-down of the Auction Sequence in 75 shots, brilliantly edited. For simplicity I have presented only the basic mise-en-scene and used the word "auctioneer" to simplify reference.
1. Grant enters auction.
2. Eyeline match on spy.
3. Grant's troubled reaction.
4. Eyeline match on auctioned art.
5. Cut to Grant walking.
6. Cut to another spy (Landau).
7. Cut to Grant who sees Landau.
8. Eyeline match on Landau.
9. Eyeline match on Grant.
10. Cut to Landau still looking at Grant.
11. Cut to Grant as he takes a seat.
12. Cutaway to other spy.
13. Cut to Grant looking around.
14. Cut to Mason escorting Saint (Eve).
15. Cut to Grant looking at them.
16. Eyeline match on Landau.
17. Cut to Grant thinking how to escape.
18. Cut to auction lectern and crowd.
19. Cut to Grant bidding.
20. Cut to perturbed Landau.
21. Landau's eyeline match on auctioneer.
22. Cut to Grant thinking, bidding.
23. Cut to auctioneer.
24. Wide shot on bidders, inc. Grant.
25. Cut to perturbed Landau.
26. Cut to auctioneer.
27. Similar to 24.
28. Cut to auctioneer.
29. Cut to other spy.
30. Similar to 27.
31. Cut to auctioneer.
32. Cut to Landau really nervous now.
33. Similar to 30.
34. Cut to woman calling Grant an idiot.
35. Cut to auctioneer.
36. POV on Grant.
37. Similar to 35, POV.
38. Cut on Grant bidding.
39. Similar to 37.
40. Cut to Grant thinking, gazing around.
41. Similar to 39.
42. Cut to Grant bidding.
43. Similar to 41.
44. Reaction shot on Grant.
45. Similar to 43.
46. Cut to auctioneer.
47. Cut to assistant whispering about Grant.
48. Cut to Grant watching this.
49. Eyeline match as woman picks up receiver.
50. Cut to Grant's smiling reaction.
51. Cut to auctioneer.
52. Cut to Grant bidding.
53. Eyeline match on auctioneer.
54. Cut to Landau, very nervous.
55. Same as 53.
56. Cut to Grant.
57. Same as 55.
58. Cut to Grant.
59. Cut to other spy.
60. Cut to auctioneer.
61. Cut to Grant responding.
62. Same as 60.
63. Cut to Grant bidding.
64. Cut to determined enforcer.
65. Cut to police entering.
66. Cut to Grant punching enforcer.
67. Cut to include Grant and police.
68. Cut on second punch.
69. Cut to Leo G. Carroll, concerned.
70. Cut to Landau.
71. Cut to police restraining Grant.
72. Cut to auctioneer, pencil in mouth.
73. Cut to Grant escorted out.
74. Continuity cut on Grant escorted out.
75. Cut outside the auction house.
Brilliantly funny ❤
Hitchcock - The Master
He was the perfect Hitchcock actor.
He showed them! If it were me, that secretary would have gotten smashed in the face after that alcohol and driving setup.
even if the bodyguards shot me. Frankly, I probably would have brought my own piece and took THEM out first.
look at him, coming at Grant off the stage like that. I would have just opened fire, first the bodyguard then any other goons who got in the way, but Mason's secretary is going down. Grant should have taken out the bodyguards by stealth attack then hit Mason and his secretary. But hahaha, I love how he SCREWS his enemies over here at the auction with the sabotage, that'll teach THEM. Look at how irritated they become, hahaha, go Mr. Thornhill! Wish the guy he punched had been Leonard the secretary though, but glad he messed up the day of Mason's goons. Even told that bodyguard goon off at the end "Sorry old man, keep trying," lol
3:48 love that bit!
Van Damn knew he was in serious trouble when Kaplan..Grant showed up, sober and ready to fight, again. Again. He knew the Feds were on to him, in his delusion, and he ultimately lost at the end of this movie.
Of course today any painting by an “early 17th century master” would never start at $1000! By the way, in the sequence of things this scene, to me, was on a Friday night. The movie started on a Wednesday and ends on Saturday night.
It was 1959, please take Inflation in account. That 1959 equivalent is worth about $10,000 now.
👌
Hilarious!
and hahaha....he screwed them, again, and they knew it.