Not part of a collection.
The 39 Steps
The Most Suspenseful Manhunt in History!
In London, a diplomat accidentally becomes involved in the death of a British agent who's after a spy ring that covets British military secrets.
- Original title
- The 39 Steps
- Language
- EN
- Country
- GB
- Budget
- —
- Revenue
- —
CinemaSerf
Apr 4, 2022 · via TMDB
Although it could never be anywhere near as good as the 1935 version, Kenneth More does a reasonable job as John Buchan's "Hannay" here. On leaving the theatre one evening, he finds himself with a new friend (Betty Henderson) whom he invites back to his flat. When he returns from the kitchen to tell her he has no sugar for the tea, he finds that isn't her top priority any more and he is soon embroiled in a murder and espionage mystery that could strike at the very heart of the kingdom. Armed only with a clue about a village in Scotland and a man with a missing finger, he sets off to get to the bottom of it all. Colour photography can be the enemy of films like this. The sense of peril and menace is frequently compromised by the brightness of the light. More tries hard, but he just hasn't the weight (nor the wit) to carry of this character - and the arrival of Taina Elg ("Fisher") once he gets to Scotland adds very little to the gravitas of the culmination to the story. It's fine to watch, a decent supporting cast - Brenda de Banzie, Reginald Beckwith and James Hayter all add a little, but in the end it isn't so much a thriller as a light-weight adventure film.
John Chard
Aug 30, 2015 · via TMDB
Here's to you Mrs. Robinson. The 39 Steps is directed by Ralph Thomas and adapted to screenplay by Frank Harvey from the novel of the same name written by John Buchan. It stars Kenneth More, Taina Elg, Brenda De Banzie, Barry Jones, Reginald Beckwith and Faith Brook. Music is by Clifton Parker and cinematography by Ernest Steward. Some found it hard to differentiate this interpretation of the classic novel from the superb Alfred Hitchcock version made in 1935. Which is a shame because on its own terms this is a fun packed mystery boosted by More's effervescent charm. Story is a cracker, Richard Hannay (More) finds himself up to his neck in espionage after a mysterious lady is stabbed to death in is flat. Trying to get to the bottom of the mystery puts him in grave danger and takes him North to Scotland, where he hopes he can clear himself of the suspected murderer rap - and unravel the words he heard - The 39 Steps. No! It isn't as good as Hitch's film, choosing to replace out and out suspense with a more humoristic approach, but the chase yarn aspects are briskly directed by Thomas, and the Scottish locations provided a wonderful backdrop to the fun drama. This same year Hammer Films put a different spin on The Hound of the Baskervilles, with fine results. So it be with the Rank Organisation and this take on the Buchan story. Good fun and well worth a look if you haven't seen it before. 7/10
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Shout! Factory Amazon Channel
Kenneth More
Richard Hannay
Taina Elg
Miss Fisher
Brenda De Banzie
Nellie Lumsden
Barry Jones
Professor Arthur Logan
Reginald Beckwith
Lumdsen
Faith Brook
Mandy Robinson ("Nannie")
Michael Goodliffe
Brown
James Hayter
Mr Memory
Duncan Lamont
—
Jameson Clark
MacDougal
Andrew Cruickshank
Sheriff
Leslie Dwyer
Milkman
Joan Hickson
Miss Dobson
Sidney James
Perce Baker
Brian Oulton
—
Barbara Steele
Extra
Marianne Stone
Hospital Administrator (uncredited)
Jill Haworth
Schoolgirl on Train (uncredited)
Peter Vaughan
2nd Police Constable on Train (uncredited)
Carol White
Schoolgirl in Assembly Hall (uncredited)
Sam Kydd
Train restaurant staff (uncredited)
Michael Brennan
Detective on Train (uncredited)
Bruce Seton
Policeman on Train (uncredited)
Ralph Thomas
Director
Nero Wolfe
The Shining
Double Indemnity
The Thing
2001: A Space Odyssey
Misery
Mississippi Burning
Jaws
Primal Fear
Twelve Monkeys
The Man Who Knew Too Much
The Experiment
The Long Goodbye
American Psycho
Scarface
A Time to Kill
The Hunt for Red October
Murder She Said
Blow-Up
The Glembays
Cape Fear
The Talented Mr. Ripley
The Lost Boys
Straw Dogs
Starship Troopers
From Russia with Love
The Thirteenth Floor
Frenzy
Arlington Road
Inland Empire
Ferocious Wolf
Heart Blackened
The Da Vinci Code
The Ring
Street Kings
Happy Death Day
Hart to Hart: Home Is Where the Hart Is
Secret Window
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Lemming
Clean, Shaven
Crash
Next Door
Tomato Red
Live by Night
Hannibal Rising
Moonraker
The Vanishing
Angel
Marlowe
The Net
Maggie Moore(s)
The Saviour
Seven Years of Night
No Code of Conduct
Candles at Nine
Dead in 3 Days
Escape from Uganda
D Company
Muž v osidlech
North by Northwest
The Man Who Knew Too Much
Miss Marple: They Do It with Mirrors
Evil Under the Sun
The Thirty Nine Steps
LaRoy, Texas
The Assault
The Glass Key
T-Men
Indemnity
They Made Me a Fugitive
No Name on the Bullet
The Living Daylights
The Blue Gardenia
Force of Nature: The Dry 2
Chief of Station
The Deadly Affair
The Mean Season
Black Widow
Islands
The MacKintosh Man
The Mirror Crack'd
The Dark Past
Murder!
The Hunter
The Quiller Memorandum
Murder in Three Acts
Perfect Sisters
Oct 10, 1960
