Why is Roger Thornhill mistaken for George Kaplan in North by Northwest?

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Master of suspense — Alfred Hitchcock Alfred Hitchcock's talent as both filmmaker and storyteller is abundantly evident in a film catalog that includes *Dial M for Murder*, *Vertigo*, *Psycho*, and *The Birds*.

In the 1959 Alfred Hitchcock film North by Northwest, advertising executive Roger Thornhill is mistaken for George Kaplan because Kaplan is a fictional character created by U.S. intelligence officials to deceive a group of international spies led by Phillip Vandamm.1

While the spies believe Thornhill is the agent Kaplan and demand information from him, the reality is that no such person exists. This case of mistaken identity serves as a central plot device, thrusting the unsuspecting Thornhill into a dangerous web of espionage as he is pursued by both the criminals and the authorities.12