The 39 Steps (1935)

1.5.2022

The 39 Steps is a 1935 British film directed by legendary director Alfred Hitchcock. This movie was distributed by Gaumont British Distributors and was loosely based on the 1915 novel, The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan. The film stars Robert Donat as Richard Hannay and Madeleine Carroll as Pamela.

One night at London Music Hall Hannay watches with other members of the general public a man with incredible memorization skills who names himself simply "Mr. Memory". It is during this demonstration that two gunshots are fired causing mass panic. As people flee towards safety, Hannay finds a frightened young woman and brings her back to his apartment so she can relax. It is here that she tells him her name, Annabella Smith, and that she is a spy. She caused the uproar because she wished to be able to escape two mysterious gunmen without being noticed. While Hannay and Smith talk about her predicament, she asks Hannay if he knows about the 39 Steps, admitting to him that it's not "healthy to know". She then asks for a map of Scotland before retiring for the night. Hannay is then woken up by Smith as she falls on him, a knife wedged in her back, dead. This leaves Hannay on the run for a murder he didn't commit.

Such is the dramatic and quite intriguing opening to a movie that is well crafted and paced.

The 39 steps prove to be both intense in plot ideals (Hannay being wanted for murder) and yet, oddly, fun and charming. There's even a sense of wonder as above all: What are the 39 steps? Who are the men following Hannay and Pamela? We find out of course, but the answer even still... curious. Not everything feels finished and answered, but enough is wrapped neatly together that any loose ends feel... forgotten.

This movie has everything in it: atmospheric music, great acting, murder, intrigue, mystery, suspense, and even a touch of romance. This film can certainly hold its own against those made in the modern-day. The film's writing is impeccable and showcases wonderful cinematography- cutting edge at the time.

I would agree with calling this film a certified masterpiece. 87 years after its release, The 39 Steps is one worth watching and adding to the personal collection for future generations to enjoy.