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Robert Donat,
Madeleine Carroll,
Godfrey Tearle,
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:
Alfred Hitchcock
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: Not Rated
: Criterion
: Classics, Foreign, Chase, Espionage, UK, Quest, Chase, Criterion Collection
: 86 min.
: English
: Spanish, Japanese
see additional details...
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This classic British thriller was one of Alfred Hitchcock's first major international successes, and it introduced a number of the stylistic and thematic elements that became hallmarks of his later work. Richard Hannay (Robert Donat), a Canadian rancher on vacation in England, attends a music hall performance by "Mr. Memory" (Wylie Watson); in the midst of the show, shots ring out and Richard flees the theater. Moments later, a terrified woman (Lucie Mannheim) begs Richard to help her; back at his room, she tells him that she's a British spy whose life has been threatened by international agents waiting outside. Richard is certain that she's mad until she reappears at his door in the morning, near death with a knife in her back, a map in her hand, and muttering something about "39 Steps." Discovering that a group of thugs are indeed waiting outside, Richard slips away and takes the first train to the Scottish town on the dead woman's map. Richard learns that he's now wanted by the police for murder, and he must find a way to clear his name. He begins trying to do so with the help of a woman he meets en route, Pamela (Madeleine Carroll), who serves as his unwitting assistant, even after she tries to turn him in. The 39 Steps was later remade in 1959 and 1978 -- both without Hitchcock's participation. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Special features: - Audio essay by Hitchcock scholar Marian Keane
- The complete 1937 broadcast of the Lux Radio Theatre adaptation, performed by Robert Montgomery and Ida Lupino
- THE ART OF FILM: VINTAGE HITCHCOCK, a Janus Films documentary detailing the director's British period
- Excerpts from the original 1935 press book
- Original production design drawings
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| Solid Fun for Hitchcock Fans and First-Timers Alike
by jamkat79
September 19, 2003 - 10:25 AM PDT
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8 out of 9 members found this review helpful
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| If you like Hitchcock's North by Northwest, you'll like The 39 Steps, though in spirit it is probably closer to Andrew Davis' The Fugitive; in structure, all three are essentially the same film, though their differences make comparison all the more enjoyable. Witty dialogue, comic sexual innuendo, smart chase scenes, and a healthy distrust of the police make The 39 Steps worth a look. |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 7.72)
247 Votes
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