The 39 Steps Details

Alfred Hitchcock's masterwork based on John Buchan's novel stars Robert Donat as Richard Hannay, handcuffed for much of the time to Madeleine Carroll as he moves in a north-by-northwesterly direction to Scotland to uncover a spy ring. These early Hitchcock thrillers — including his first version of The Man Who Knew Too Much and The Lady Vanishes — are rightly fondly regarded, even if they lack the complexity of his later work in Hollywood and creak like a much-loved antique bedstead. This brims with typical set pieces, most notably the climax in a music hall where Mr Memory is asked “What are the 39 Steps?”. If you haven't seen the film 39 times, you probably won't remember.

Marvellous comedy thriller with most of the gimmicks found not only in Hitchcock's later work but in anyone else's who has tried the same vein. It has little to do with the original novel, and barely sets foot outside the studio, but it makes every second