Today! Because a beautiful, mysterious woman pursued by gunmen – sounds like a spy story –
The 39 Steps (1935)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Starring Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll, Peggy Ashcroft, Lucie Mannheim, Wylie Watson, Godfrey Tearle, John Laurie, Helen Haye
Numerous remakes, including as a goofy play and a video game, may have dulled the memory of Hitchcock’s original film, which was instrumental in launching his fame across the ocean to America. Coming on the heels of his successful first version of The Man Who Knew Too Much, 39 Steps’ tight spy tale was a big enough hit to secure him higher and higher profile talent, and cement him as a major filmmaker.
As I said in #370 Notorious, I’m not a huge Hitchcock guy, but his espionage thrillers still resonate with me. Sure, the proceedings probably aren’t given the proper gravity by Donat’s everyman Hannay, thus making it an easier tale to transform into straight comedy than, say, Notorious would’ve been (again, they did manage to make adapt movie into a stirring rap biopic though – see #329 Notorious). But the story still has enough twists and atmospheric moor-ish settings to fill the lean 86 minutes. Continue reading
Knowingly Undersold 