MovieChat Forums > North by Northwest (1959) Discussion > Emile---Some Sort of "Insider" Joke?

Emile---Some Sort of "Insider" Joke?

posted 9 years ago by hisgrandmogulhighness
4 replies | jump to latest

I really don't know why that name is in the script (Thornhill makes a big deal out of the fact that the officer's name is "Emile"--with his mother on the pnone) . . . some sort of inside joke? I found this item, though it really doesn't answer the question:

Chicago Sun-Times, Tuesday, August 21, 1956, p. 36, c. 1:

KUP'S COLUMN

In The Mail: "Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco wishes to thank you for your letter 2d July. Her Serene Highness is away for a short cruise. I can answer one of your questions you put to her right now, as I know for sure that H.S.H. Prince of Monaco and H.S.H. the Princess are leaving for the United States early in September. For your other three questions, I doubt that you will ever get an answer as they seem a bit too personal."--Emile Cornet, press attaché, Palais de Monaco. (Oh, well, one of the other three questions already has been answered--they are expecting the stork. . . . Hmmm, what would it be like to loaf on the Riviera)

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[–] Stuart Gardner 8 years ago

My supposition has always been that this is an inside joke based on the fact that in Notorious Grant's character learns of the death of a character named Emile Hupka. It's as if Roger Thornhill has a memory of Grant's earlier character, Devlin.
It's a curious little moment.

[–] Florestan51 8 years ago

Or perhaps an allusion to the German story Emil und die Detektive ... ? I guess not. 😃

[–] Stuart Gardner 8 years ago

Probably not, but thanks for introducing me to it!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emil_and_the_Detectives

Or

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emil_and_the_Detectives

[–] Pervy_Grin 8 years ago

In The Sopranos Christopher makes his bones on a guy named Emil. He keeps calling him "Email" before shooting him.