| “ | This matter is best disposed of from a great height, over water. | „ |
| ~ Vandamm threatening to kill Eve Kendall |
Phillip Vandamm is the main antagonist of the 1959 film North by Northwest. He is a spy and criminal mastermind who frames protagonist Roger Thornhill for murdering a diplomat as part of an elaborate plan to steal valuable microfilm.
He was portrayed by the late James Mason, who also portrayed Humbert Humbert in Lolita and Captain Nemo in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
North by Northwest[]
Two thugs in a New York City hotel bar hear a waiter paging George Kaplan, whom they are looking for. When advertising executive Roger Thornhill summons the same waiter, the thugs mistake him for Kaplan, kidnap him, and bring him to the Long Island estate of Lester Townsend, where Vandamm interrogates him with help from his right-hand man, Leonard. Vandamm disregards Thornhill's protestations and arranges his death in a staged drunk driving accident. Thornhill survives to be arrested for driving under the influence. Police take him back to Townsend's home, where a woman says he showed up drunk at her dinner party. She also says that Townsend is a United Nations diplomat.
A government intelligence agency realizes that Thornhill has been mistaken for Kaplan, but they decide against rescuing him for fear of compromising their operation: Kaplan is a non-existent agent they created for a plan to thwart Vandamm.
Thornhill sneaks onto a train, the 20th Century Limited to Chicago. On board, he meets Eve Kendall, who hides him from the police, and the two establish a relationship—on her part because she is secretly working with Vandamm. Later, she tells Thornhill she has arranged a meeting with Kaplan at an isolated rural bus stop. Thornhill waits there, but is attacked by Leonard in a crop duster plane. After trying to hide in a cornfield, he steps in front of a speeding tank truck; it brakes and the airplane crashes into it, allowing him to escape.
Thornhill reaches Kaplan's hotel in Chicago. Kaplan had already checked out before the time when Kendall claimed she talked to him. Thornhill goes to her room and confronts her; she leaves. He tracks her to an art auction, where he finds Vandamm purchasing a Mexican Purépecha statue. Vandamm leaves his thugs to deal with Thornhill; in order to escape, Thornhill disrupts the auction until police are called to remove him. He says he is the fugitive murderer, but they release him to the government agency's chief, "The Professor", who reveals that Kaplan was invented to distract Vandamm from the real government agent: Eve Kendall. Thornhill agrees to help maintain her cover.
At the Mount Rushmore visitor center, Thornhill—now willingly playing the role of Kaplan—negotiates Vandamm's turnover of Kendall to be arrested. Kendall then shoots him, seemingly fatally, and flees, when in actuality, her gun was loaded with blanks.
Afterwards, the Professor arranges for Thornhill and Kendall to meet. Thornhill learns Kendall must depart on a plane with Vandamm and Leonard. He tries to dissuade her from going, but is knocked unconscious and locked in a hospital room. Thornhill escapes the Professor's custody and goes to Vandamm's house to rescue Kendall.
At the house, Thornhill overhears that the sculpture holds microfilm and that Leonard has discovered the blanks remaining in Kendall's gun. Vandamm indicates that he will kill Kendall by throwing her from the plane. Thornhill manages to warn her with a surreptitious note. Vandamm, Leonard and Kendall head for the plane. As Vandamm boards, Kendall takes the sculpture, runs to the pursuing Thornhill and they flee to the top of Mount Rushmore. As they climb down the mountain, they are pursued by Vandamm's thugs, including Leonard, who is fatally shot by a park ranger. Vandamm is subsequently taken into custody by the Professor while Thornhill is exonerated.
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