The 39 Steps

Richard Hannay (Robed Donat) unwittingly becomes involved in preventing a national secret from falling into the wrong hands. A murder takes place in his flat and to prove his innocence Hannay must find a ring of spies called "the thirty-nine steps". In this task he is at first hindered, then helped, by Pamela (Madeleine Carroll). The secret itself- plans for a new fighter plane - is of little importance and is what Hitchcock called a "MacGuffin" - a gimmick which is seemingly of vital importance to the characters, but which does not concern the viewer greatly.

Hitchcock's The Thirty-Nine Steps shows a simple, pure, and economic cinematic technique which is unparalleled. Above all it is a comedy thriller, but as with much of Hitchcock's work the humour has a hint of blackness to it - by making the audience laugh he encourages them to reflect more deeply on an issue than if it were treated with the utmost seriousness.

The Thirty-Nine Steps shares many similarities with North-by-Northwest, not least in the simple plot revolving around a "MacGuffin". Both also involve the flight from something not fully understood to something less well understood, and a transference from security to insecurity. But most significantly both are brilliantly paced films, in which not a moment is squandered. The Thirty-Nine Steps is a fun, engaging, and witty piece of classic cinema.

Review by Matthew Bull
Taken from EUFS Programme 1994-95