The Roles of Roger O. Thornhill

Once we hear Vandamm address Roger as “George Kaplan”, we are then aware of the fact that Roger has been mistaken for a fictional character. This fact is an introduction to the performances of not only the actors within the actual film, but also of the characters they play. Although one may sympathize with Thornhill’s initial frustration of being identified as someone who he is not, one must also remember what type of person Roger must be. Roger Thornhill is an advertising man.

Thornhill ‘becomes’ Kaplan in various instances in order to gain access to who the real Kaplan is. He does this to get into the hotel and to get into the United Nations.

After acting as Kaplan to gain access into the United Nations, Thornhill is falsely accused of the real Townsend. Instead of trying to prove his innocence right away, Thornhill becomes a false fugitive

Thornhill dresses as a "red-cap" train attendant in order to escape police officials who believe he is a murderer on the run.

This profession as an ‘ad man’ already puts his identities into various roles to play—the roles that best aid his sales or persuasiveness. Thus, this is a man whose every move is plotted for his own benefit. But, in more technical terms, this is ‘man’ whose every move his plotted by another outside source; Alfred Hitchcock. Cary Grant plays a fictional character made by Hitchcock and other important outside sources, so in one sense, Roger Thornhill is no more real than the mysterious George Kaplan.