The unnamed proprietress (Ellen Corby) of the McKittrick Hotel figures in the most mysterious scene of Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo (1958).Scottie (James Stewart) is a retired police detective following Madeleine (Kim Novak), the wife of an old college chum who claims he's worried she's going mad. Scottie sees her enter the hotel and then open the curtains of her room. Then he enters the hotel himself and asks the proprietress some questions about Madeleine, whom he discovers is renting the room under the name of Carlotta Valdes. Scottie asks the proprietress not to say anything to her tenant about his visit. She replies that Miss Valdes hadn't been there that day.Scottie insists that she has and that he saw her walk in. The proprietress maintains she had been putting olive oil on her rubber plant leaves and wouldn't have missed anyone coming in. Besides, Miss Valdes's key is still on the rack. Scottie presses her to check the room. She does, and the room is empty. Even Madeleine's car outside has vanished.Why hadn't she seen Madeleine enter her hotel? And how did Madeleine disappear? We never find out.See more about this scene in this FAQ entry. Show less «