The 39 Steps (1935)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

John Buchan (novel)
Charles Bennett (adaptation)

Release Date:

1 August 1935 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

His First Picture Since "Monte Cristo" ROBERT DONAT

Plot:

A man in London tries to help a counterespionage agent. But when the agent is killed and he stands accused, he must go on the run to both save himself and also stop a spy ring trying to steal top secret information.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Spy | Music Hall | Murder | Foreign Agent

Cast

Robert Donat	...	Richard Hannay
Madeleine Carroll	...	Pamela
Lucie Mannheim	...	Annabella aka Miss Smith
Godfrey Tearle	...	Professor Jordan
Peggy Ashcroft	...	Margaret - Crofter's Wife
John Laurie	...	John - Crofter
Helen Haye	...	Mrs. Jordan
Frank Cellier	...	Sheriff Watson
Wylie Watson	...	Mr. Memory
Gus McNaughton	...	Commercial Traveller with Pipe (as Gus Mac Naughton)
Jerry Verno	...	Commercial Traveller
Peggy Simpson	...	Maid

Also Known As:

The Thirty-Nine Steps (UK) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (British Acoustic Film Full Range Recording System)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | France:U | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:12 (2002) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:G (DVD rating) | Australia:PG (original rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:U | USA:Unrated | Norway:16

Filming Locations:

Big Water of Fleet Viaduct, Dromore, Gatehouse of Fleet, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland, UK

Company:

Gaumont British Picture Corporation

Trivia:

Visa de censure en France (1951): #11533/D.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Professor Jordan suggests Richard Hannay commit suicide, he says "What if I leave you alone with this revolver?" when he is clearly brandishing a small-caliber semi-auto pistol.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Music hall announcer: Ladies and Gentleman, with your kind attention, and permission, I have the honor of presenting to you one of the most remarkable men in the world.
Heckler in Audience: How remarkable? He's sweating!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Fractured Flickers: (#1.1)" (1963)

Soundtrack:

Tinkle, Tinkle, Tinkle

One of the finest films ever released.

The Thirty Nine Steps is extraordinary in every conceivabe way. Anyone who doesn't mind slightly old, black-and-white movies will be enraptured by this Hitchcock classic, which was one of the first films to present sophisticated and witty banter between two ill-matched characters. What makes it even more extraordinary is that it virtually totally alters the source material (John Buchan's novel), yet still comes across as a work of ingenuity.

The story concerns Richard Hannay (Robert Donat) a handsome young man who owns a London flat. A mysterious woman comes to him for help, claiming that she is being hunted by some spies. Hannay helps her, but when she is murdered in his home it look like he is to blame, and he has to go on the run from the police (who obviously want him for the "crime") and the spies (who want him to find out how much he actually knows). En route, he has many adventures as he flees across the South Scotland landscapes, including being handcuffed to a woman (Madeline Carroll) who happens to think he is guilty of the murder.

This is splendid from the word "go". It has enough memorable set pieces for a dozen films, its pace is invigorating, the plot is constantly turning up new surprises, and the performances are just about perfect. Hitchcock spent his career narrating tale of innocent men on the run (indeed, many consider it to be his "favourite" theme) and this is one of the very finest examples of that. Anyone interested in Hitchcock or cinema of the '30s simply must, must, must see this film.