The 39 Steps (1935) DVD, 1935

From the moment he discovers a dead woman in his flat, Richard Hannay falls prey to a caper which teeters playfully on the edge of harm and hilarity. Featuring archetypal Hitchcockiana such as Hannay handcuffed to a blonde and Mr Memory, it also serves as the template for later works such as North by Northwest.

The Thirty-Nine Steps is a classic. It's a superb film full of familiar faces playing memorable parts. The story is solid excitement and surprise. There's plenty of wo... more >

The Thirty-Nine Steps is a classic. It's a superb film full of familiar faces playing memorable parts. The story is solid excitement and surprise. There's plenty of wonderful imagery such as the Scotish Highland scenery, The Forth Bridge, The Flying Scotsman, and Madeleine Carroll. Robert Donat is great in this Hicthcock film and excels in two other classics: Goodbye, Mr Chips (1939), and The Count of Monte Cristo (1934).

Also very much worth watching are the the other versions of the The Thirty-Nine Steps starring, respectively, Kenneth More (1959) and Robert Powell (1978). The films are not all quite the same and John Buchan's novel of the same title is similarly distinct enough to be well worth the time. Enjoy them all! < less

A classic British mystery and one of Hitchcocks best. The film provides both suspense and comedy as Donat is caught between the police and enemy agents. more >

A classic British mystery and one of Hitchcocks best. The film provides both suspense and comedy as Donat is caught between the police and enemy agents. < less

View all 95 of anon’s reviews

Comfortably the most exciting, entertaining and finest pre-War British film. more >

Comfortably the most exciting, entertaining and finest pre-War British film. < less

View all 49 of John Davies’s reviews