The Thirty-Nine Steps
Directed by	Alfred Hitchcock
Produced by	Michael Balcon (uncredited) Ivor Montagu (uncredited)
Written by	John Buchan (novel), Charles Bennett (adaptation) Ian Hay (dialogue)
Starring	Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll, Lucie Mannheim, Godfrey Tearle, Peggy Ashcroft
Music by
Cinematography by	{{{cinematography}}}
Editing by	{{{editing}}}
Distributed by	Gaumont British Picture Corporation
Released	August 1, 1935 (US)
Released	{{{release_date}}}
Running time	86 min.
Language	{{{movie_language}}}
Language	English
Budget
Preceded by	{{{preceded_by}}}
Followed by	{{{followed_by}}}
IMDb profile

The Thirty-Nine Steps is an adventure novel by John Buchan, first published in 1915. It is one of a number of Buchan's works to feature Richard Hannay, an all-action hero with a stiff upper lip and a miraculous habit of getting himself out of sticky situations. The Thirty-Nine Steps This is a DVD cover. ... Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock KBE (August 13, 1899 – April 29, 1980) was a British-born (later American as well) film director and producer, closely associated with the suspense thriller genre. ... Sir Michael Balcon (May 19, 1896–October 17, 1977) was a British film producer, best known for his work with the Ealing Studios. ... Ivor Goldsmid Samuel Montagu (23 April 1904, London, England – 5 November 1984, London) was a British filmmaker, screenwriter, producer and film critic. ... John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir (August 26, 1875 – February 11, 1940), was a Scottish novelist and politician who served as Governor General of Canada. ... Charles Bennett (2nd August, 1899 - 15th June, 1995) was a British playwright and screenwriter, probably best known for his work with Alfred Hitchcock. ... Friedrich Robert Donath (March 18, 1905 – June 9, 1958) was a distinguished English film and stage actor of English, Polish and German descent. ... Madeleine Carroll - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Dame Edith Margaret Emily Ashcroft, DBE (22 December 1907–14 June 1991) was an English actress. ... August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... DeFoes Robinson Crusoe, Newspaper edition published in 1719 A novel (from French nouvelle, new) is an extended fictional narrative in prose. ... John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir (August 26, 1875 – February 11, 1940), was a Scottish novelist and politician who served as Governor General of Canada. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Richard Hannay is the fictional secret agent created by Scottish novelist, John Buchan. ...

In Film

There have been three major film versions of the book. All three departed substantially from the text, and introduced a love interest which was not in the original novel. For the films the title is often abbreviated to The 39 Steps, but the full title is more commonly used for the book. An interesting feature of the phrase "the 39 steps" is that its meaning in each of the film versions is essentially different not only from the book, but also between the various films. In the 1935 film, the phrase refers to the clandestine organization itself; in the book and in the other film versions, it does refer to physical steps, but located in different places and with different significance to the plot.

The 1935 black and white version was directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and starred Robert Donat as Hannay and Madeleine Carroll as the woman he meets on the train. It is regarded by critics as the superior version. In addition to The 39 Steps, Hitchcock directed a number of movies based upon the idea of an "innocent man on the run," including Saboteur and North by Northwest. Scholars of his movies regard this film as one of his best variations upon this particular theme. In 1999 it came 4th in a BFI poll of British films, while in 2004 Total Film named it the 21st greatest British movie of all time. 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock KBE (August 13, 1899 – April 29, 1980) was a British-born (later American as well) film director and producer, closely associated with the suspense thriller genre. ... Friedrich Robert Donath (March 18, 1905 – June 9, 1958) was a distinguished English film and stage actor of English, Polish and German descent. ... Madeleine Carroll - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Saboteur DVD cover Saboteur is a 1942 Universal film directed by Alfred Hitchcock with screenplay written by Peter Viertel and Joan Harrison. ... North by Northwest is a 1959 MGM thriller by Alfred Hitchcock and is generally considered one of his best works. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) is a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... In 1999 the British Film Institute surveyed 1000 people from the world of UK film and television to produce the BFI 100 list of the greatest British films of the 20th century. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Total Film, published by Future Publishing, is the United Kingdoms second best-selling film magazine, after the longer-established Empire from Emap. ...

The 1959 version, directed by Michael Scott starred Kenneth More as Hannay and Tania Elg as Miss Fisher. It was the first colour version. Kenneth More is more charismatic as Hannay than Donat, although some claim this is not how the part should be played. It has much higher production values than the Hitchcock version, with several large setpieces such as Hannay's escape on the Forth Rail Bridge and the music hall finale. 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kenneth Gilbert More CBE, (20 September 1914 - 12 July 1982) was a successful British cinema, television and theatre actor. ... For other uses: see Forth Bridge (disambiguation) Forth Bridge, Edinburgh. ...

The 1978 version was directed by Don Sharp and starred Robert Powell as Hannay, Karen Dotrice as Alex, John Mills as Colonel Scudder and a host of other well-known British actors in smaller parts. It is generally regarded as the closest to the book, but still bears little resemblance to Buchan's original story. It is well remembered for the famous Big Ben sequence. 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... Don Sharp is a British film director, born in Australia in 1922. ... Robert Powell (born June 1, 1944), is a highly successful British actor with many film and television roles to his credit. ... Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber in a publicity photo for Mary Poppins Karen Dotrice (born 9 November 1955 in Guernsey, Channel Islands, England) is an English actress known primarily for her roles as a child in three Walt Disney films of the 1960s. ... John Mills as Professor Bernard Quatermass in the Thames Television science-fiction serial Quatermass (1979). ... The Clock Tower, colloquially known as Big Ben Big Ben is the colloquial name of the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster in London, and an informal name for the Great Bell of Westminster, the largest bell in the tower and part of the Great Clock of Westminster. ...

A remake of the Hitchcock version is planned for 2006.

Plot Synopsis

Richard Hannay, the protagonist and narrator, an expatriated Scot, returns from a long stay in South Africa to his new home, a flat in London. One night he is buttonholed by a stranger, a well-travelled American, who claims to be in fear for his life. The man appears to know of an anarchist plot to destabilise Europe, beginning with a plan to assassinate the Greek Premier, Karolides, during his forthcoming visit to London. He reveals his name to be Franklin P. Scudder. Hannay lets Scudder hide in his flat, and returns later the next day to find that another man has been found shot dead in the same building, apparently a suicide. Four days later Hannay returns to find Scudder stabbed to death in his flat. Travel guide to Scotland from Wikitravel Transport in Scotland Timeline of Scottish history Caledonia List of not fully sovereign nations Subdivisions of Scotland National parks (Scotland) Traditional music of Scotland Flower of Scotland Wars of Scottish Independence National Trust for Scotland Historic houses in Scotland Castles in Scotland Museums in... Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7,500,000 and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million. ... Definitions of anarchism on Wikiquote Anarchism derives from the Greek αναρχία (without archons (rulers)). Thus anarchism, in its most general meaning, is the belief that rulers are unnecessary and should be abolished. ... A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is the worlds second-smallest continent in terms of area, covering around 10,790,000 km² (4,170,000 sq mi) or 2. ...

Hannay fears that the murderers will come for him next, but cannot ask the police for help because he is most likely suspect for the murders. Not only does he want to avoid imprisonment, but he also feels a duty to take up Scudder's cause and save Karolides from the assassination, planned in three weeks' time. He decides to go into hiding in Scotland and then to contact the authorities at the last minute. In order to escape from his flat unseen, he bribes the milkman to lend him his uniform and exits wearing it. Carrying Scudder's pocket-book, he catches a train to Scotland.

Arriving at the countryside somewhere near Galloway, Hannay lodges in a shepherd's cottage. The next morning he reads in a newspaper that the police are looking for him in Scotland. He boards a local train and jumps off between stations. He is seen but escapes, finding an inn where he stays the night. He tells the innkeeper a modified version of his story, and the man is persuaded to shelter him. While staying at the inn, Hannay cracks the substitution cipher used in Scudder's pocket-book. The next day two men arrive at the inn looking for Hannay, but the innkeeper sends them away. When they return later, Hannay steals their car and escapes.

On his way, Hannay reflects on what he has learnt from Scudder's notes. They contradict the story that Scudder first told to him, and mention an enemy group called the 'Black Stone' and the mysterious 'Thirty-Nine Steps'. Britain appears to be in danger of an invasion by Germany and its allies. By this time, Hannay is being pursued by an aeroplane, and a policeman in a remote village has tried to stop him. Trying to avoid an oncoming car, Hannay crashes his own, but the other driver offers to take him home. The man is Sir Harry, a local politician, and when he learns of Hannay's experience of South Africa, he invites him to address a meeting that afternoon. Hannay's speech impresses Sir Harry, and Hannay feels able to trust him with his story. Sir Harry writes an introductory letter about Hannay to a relative in the Foreign Office.

Hannay leaves Sir Harry and tries to hide in the countryside, but is spotted by the aeroplane. Soon he spots a group of men on the ground searching for him. Miraculously, he meets a road mender out on the moor, and swaps places with him, sending the workman home. His disguise fools his pursuers, who pass him by. On the same road he meets a rich motorist, whom he recognises from London, and whom he forces to exchange clothes with him and drive him off the moor.

The next day, Hannay manages to stay ahead of the pursuers, and hides in a cottage occupied by an old man. Unfortunately, the man turns out to be one of the enemy, and with his accomplices he imprisons Hannay. Fortunately, the room in which Hannay is locked is full of bomb-making materials, which he uses to break out of the cottage.

A day later, Hannay retrieves his possessions from the helpful roadmender, and catches a train south to meet Sir Harry's relative at the Foreign Office, Sir Walter, at his home in Berkshire. As they discuss Scudder's notes, Sir Walter receives a phone call to tell him that Karolides has been assassinated. Berkshire (IPA: or  ; sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a county in England and forms part of the South East England region. ...

Sir Walter, now at his house in London, lets Hannay in on some military secrets before releasing him to go home. Hannay is unable to shake off his sense of involvement in important events, and returns to Sir Walter's house. He is just in time to see a man, whom he recognises as one of his former pursuers in Scotland, leaving the house. Hannay warns Sir Walter that the man has been spying, and they realise that he is about to return to Europe with his stolen information. At that point Hannay realises that the phrase "the thirty-nine steps" could refer to the landing-point in England from which the spy is about to set sail. Throughout the night Hannay and Britain's military leaders try to work out the meaning of the mysterious phrase.

After some reasoning worthy of Sherlock Holmes, and with the help of a knowledgeable coastguard, the group decide on a coastal town in Kent. They find a path down from the cliff that has thirty-nine steps. Just offshore they see a yacht. Posing as fishermen, some of the party visit the yacht, the Ariadne, and find that at least one of the crew appears to be German. The only people onshore are playing tennis by a villa and appear to be English, but they match Scudder's description of the conspirators, The Black Stone. Hannay, alone, confronts the men at the villa. After a struggle, two of the men are captured while the third flees to the yacht, which meanwhile has been seized by the British authorities. The plot is thwarted, and Britain enters the First World War having kept its military secrets from the enemy. Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes (1854–1957, according to William S. Baring-Gould) is a fictional detective of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. ... Kent is a county in England, south-east of London. ... World War I was primarily a European conflict with many facets: immense human sacrifice, stalemate trench warfare, and the use of new, devastating weapons - tanks, aircraft, machine guns, and poison gas. ...

At the old Wembley Stadium thirty nine steps needed to be climbed to reach the Royal box and collect a winner's trophy. Old Wembley Stadium (1923-2000) Wembley Stadium is a soccer stadium in Wembley, London, England, which is currently being rebuilt. ...

In the 1978 film version, the phrase "the thirty nine steps" refers to the number of steps from one of the lower levels of the Palace of Westminster to the top of Big Ben. The climax features Hannay hanging from the minute hand of the clock, trying to stop it reaching 11.45 and setting off a bomb that will kill the Greek Premier. The Palace of Westminster, known also as the Houses of Parliament, is where the two Houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (the House of Lords and the House of Commons) conduct their sittings. ... The Clock Tower, colloquially known as Big Ben Big Ben is the colloquial name of the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster in London, and an informal name for the Great Bell of Westminster, the largest bell in the tower and part of the Great Clock of Westminster. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations by or about:

The 39 Steps (1935 film)

• Free eBook of The Thirty-Nine Steps at Project Gutenberg
• The Thirty Nine Steps. Free eBook, Houghton Mifflin Company 1919.
• The 39 Steps at the Internet Movie Database