Cons: Madeleine Carroll was old enough to be my grandmother... Who knew... Sigh!
The Bottom Line: The 39-Steps is a masterpiece. It works on every level. It is a quirky romance; it is a brilliant comedy; but most of all, it is edge-of-your seat suspense.
Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie''s plot.
Every time I go to a theater in the West End, I expect a beautiful woman with a sexy accent to demand to go home with me. So far, no luck...
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Annabella Smith Have you ever heard of the 39 Steps?
Richard Hannay No. What's that, a pub?
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Richard Hannay There are 20 million women in this island and I get to be chained to you.
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(A flock of sheep block the road) Richard Hannay Hello, what are we stopping for? Oh it's a whole flock of detectives.
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From time to time, I have tried to list my favorite movies. It should come as no surprise that no two lists are the same. What may surprise some, is that my top five are usually black-and-white movies made long before I was born. Two old movies are always in my top five, and Hitchcock's, The 39 Steps, is one of them.
Richard Hannay (Robert Donat) is a Canadian tourist visiting London. He gets lucky one night at the theatre, when he meets Annabella (Lucie Mannheim), a beautiful woman with a mysterious European accent. When shots are fired, she asks Hannay to take her to his flat. Once she gets there, she tells a wild tale of being chased by spies, and a sinister man missing a forefinger. Hannay does not believe a word of it, but has enough sense not to say so. He changes his mind a few hours later, when she staggers into his room with a dagger in her back and promptly dies. Correctly assuming that he will be the prime suspect, Hannay takes off on a wild romp as he attempts to find the real killers before the police find him.
During the chase, Hannay repeatedly encounters people who help or hinder him. All have their own stories. Many of these stories interact with the main plot, many don't, but all are well, though briefly, told. John Laurie and Peggy Ashcroft as an abusive farmer and his young wife are particularly notable.
However, the most significant encounter is with Pamela (Madeleine Carroll), a beautiful young woman he meets on the train. The attraction between them is immediate, although she is somewhat reticent, since she firmly believes he is a vicious murderer. The interplay between them as each attempts to outsmart the other, leads to some of the cleverest dialogue in any movie, at least equal IMHO to the 1934 classic, The Thin Man. Despite the rigorous movie censorship of the day, this relationship has some obliquely sensuous film noir scenes that are worthy of attention, even today. The chemistry between the two stars is magical, and their performances are superb. This relationship alone would put this movie in my top ten. I'm a sucker for romance.
However, let us not forget Alfred Hitchcock. I realize that my praising Hitchcock is like a paper airplane praising the Space Shuttle, or a candle praising the sun, but it must be done.
I am not worthy... I am not worthy... Okay, now back to the review.
In 1935, Hitchcock was a somewhat obscure young British director with a couple of films under his belt. The 39-Steps catapulted him to international fame and established his reputation as the master of suspense. Hitchcock made a career out of "wrong-man" movies. By 1935, he had already made three others of the genre, but this time he got it right. He abandoned most of the John Buchan novel but kept the hero and the title. He added a romantic element, mixed in a little very dark humor, and subtly wove in those cinematic devices that would become his hallmark.
Hitchcock is renowned for his attention to detail, and in 39-Steps the detail is they key. However, in true Hitchcock style, you never know which details are window dressing and which ones are pivotal. The plot has more twists than a roller coaster. I must have watched this movie seven times or more, and I still spot something I missed each time I watch.
The 39-Steps is a masterpiece. It works on every level. It is a quirky romance; it is a brilliant comedy; but most of all, it is edge-of-your seat suspense. This movie is the model from which a thousand movies were made, quite a few of them by Hitchcock himself. While some of the twists and plot devices may seem stale today, in 1935 they were fresh and new and entirely innovative. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the 39-Steps is one of the most flattered movies ever.
Let us not forget that Hitchcock was a master technician as well as a master storyteller. The scream to a train-whistle sequence is one of the most famous cuts. The final scene of the movie is probably the best single pan shot in all of cinema, the very final frame of which is a rich metaphor that wraps the plot, and brings to story to an eminently satisfying conclusion. This is fabulous stuff. It is no wonder that the 39-Steps is a staple in every film buffs collection. It was certainly one of the first I bought.
Of course, there are naysayers. Some point out the movie strays greatly from the novel. So what? I point my tongue in your general direction. Sticking too close to a novel can be restricting. Just look at the first Harry Potter movie. Who is the better storyteller anyway, Hitchcock or Buchan? Before this review, had you even heard of Buchan? I rest my case.
(In fairness, it's a pretty decent novel and well worth a read, especially since Hitchcock did not spoil the plot for you. VEG!)
Some point out that 39-Steps raises coincidence to an art form. Well, if it is art, go with it. Some plot elements may not stand close scrutiny in the coffeehouse afterwards, but thanks to Hitchcock's pitch-perfect pacing, it works when it is on the screen.
I will, however, make one negative point. Not all copies are created equal. Some of the copies have iffy sound, and some do not capture the rich B&W tones well. I wasn't around in 1935 to see this first run so I cannot review the original, but I cannot believe that Hitchcock would have let them release it this way. Many of the VHS versions of this movie are not as clear and crisp as they should be. In general, DVD is better but I hear there are some clunkers. Since the Digitally Remastered version I recently bought is still in its cellophane, I cannot recommend it but I have high hopes.
Well now it is time for a rating. If you did not realize the 39-Steps was getting 5 stars, you obviously were not paying attention. Head down to the video store at once and hand over your money. Be careful though -- the remakes in 1959 and 1978 were by different directors. By all means watch them sometime, but you MUST see Hitchcock's 1935 version first.
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While suitable for kids of all ages, they will probably enjoy this movie most in their early teens, after they have noticed that the opposite sex exists.
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For the record, Hitchcock's cameo is.... hmmm... in the first 10 minutes. :))
(You really didn't think I was going to tell, did you?)
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The 39 Steps (1935)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Novel by John Buchan
Screenplay by Charles Bennett and Ian Hay
Cast:
Robert Donat - Richard Hannay
Madeleine Carroll - Pamela
Lucie Mannheim - Annabella Smith
Godfrey Tearle - Professor Jordan
Peggy Ashcroft - Margaret (farmer's wife)
John Laurie - John (farmer)
Helen Haye - Mrs. Louisa Jordan
Frank Cellier - Sheriff Watson
Wylie Watson - Mr. Memory
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