The 39 Steps (1935)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Screenplay: Charles Bennett and Ian Hay (loosely based on the book by John Buchan)

Cast: Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll

Music: Jack Beaver and Louis Levy

Time: 86 minutes

Bottom-line: Filled with twists; short, but engaging  

One of Hitchcock’s early British films, The 39 Steps is a wrong-man thriller where an everyman is mistakenly accused of murdering a spy. The film stars Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll in the lead roles, with Godfrey Tearle and Lucie Mannheim to support them. The British Film Institute ranks the film as the fourth best British film of all time (after The Third Man, A Brief Encounter and Lawrence of Arabia). 

At a London music hall, the entertainer is a man with extraordinary powers of recall: Mr. Memory. Suddenly, shots are fired from a gun, and in the ensuing panic, a common man, Richard Hannay (Donat), is approached by a frightened woman, Annabella Smith (Mannheim), who later tells him that she is a spy, being chased by assassins. She mentions a certain  “the 39 steps” but does not reveal what it is. Later that night, Annabella is fatally stabbed, and in her last moments, she hands Hannay a map of Scotland. Hannay travels to the indicated place on the map, but halfway through his train journey, a young woman, Pamela (Carroll), gives him up the police. Hannay escapes, but once in Scotland, he realises that the danger has only increased, and soon he finds himself in the company of killers, spies, and Pamela.

Carroll as Pamela, and Donat as Hannay

The 39 Steps cuts right to the chase, and the pace of the story is exhilarating. There is no major plot twist, like several of Hitchcock’s later films, but there is always a surprise around the corner, and it’s never predictable. This is also a rare Hitchcock films with a lot of humour, from sarcastic remarks to smartly hilarious actions. The climax is most certainly unexpected, and can be considered to a brilliant plot twist or a disappointing one; I, for one, choose the former. Another interesting thing to note here is the scene where Hannay escapes the cops by joining a parade crowd; this was the first film to use that idea, later paid homage to by The Fugitive (1993).

There is minimal background score, and in fact, the music composers are often uncredited for the film. Robert Donat’s acting is a major boost to the film, with his wit, charm and charisma, very similar to the traits of Roger Thornhill later in North by Northwest. Madeleine Carroll’s role is Hitchcock’s first “prototype” of his typical female lead: blonde, and usually with a cold demeanour. The transition of Pamela’s character is another thing to notice: from loathing Hannay, to assuming him to be the murderer, to being handcuffed to him, and finally realising the truth behind everything.

The chase sequences are a bit comical, when they’re not supposed to be, and the background in several places is clearly artificial. Yet, these minor flaws apart, the good acting, excellent plot twists, and hints of the Hitchcockian elements that would later become famous, make this a memorable film.

My Rating: 4/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 98%