Welcome to the Hitchcock Architecture of Suspense Film Festival at the Shepherdstown Opera House

October 30 - November 1, 2026

Three hosting screenings with live introductions and post-film discussion by author Christine Madrid French, author of the acclaimed book "The Architecture of Suspense"

Costumes Invited! Come dressed as your favorite Hitchcock character, a building from the films, the mood of suspense—or the master director himself.

Click here for more information on the Film Festival and to buy a discounted ticket for the entire Festival (all three film blocks including author talks and Q&A sessions). Can't attend all three films? No problem, you can buy single-film tickets, too!

Film Block #2

North by Northwest (1959)

Cary Grant stars as an innocent man mistaken for a spy in one of director Alfred Hitchcock's greatest thrillers. While leaving New York's Plaza Hotel, advertising executive Roger Thornhill (Grant) has the misfortune of standing just as the name "George Kaplan" is paged--starting a lethal case of mistaken identity and a nonstop game of cat and mouse as he is pursued across North America by espionage agents trying to kill him--and by police who suspect him of murder.

Cast: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, Jessie Royce Landis, Philip Ober

Program time: Film is 136 minutes + presentation/Q&A

Age Rating: TV-PG

General admission. Doors open 30 minutes before showtime. Advanced purchase encouraged. Refreshments available for purchase (no outside food or drinks please).

Accessibility: Theater is wheelchair accessible and has an accessible restroom. Hearing assistance: The Opera House uses the AudioFetch system to enable patrons to receive movie sound on their own phones and listen via their Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids. For instructions, look for instructions on our website (OperaHouseLive.com) under "Planning Your Visit."

Plan Your Visit: Parking and other helpful information available on OperaHouseLive.com under "Plan Your Visit."