Customer Reviews

39 Steps [Special Edition]

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Alfred Hitchcock's British film making period hints at the brilliant foray of creative genius that was to follow during his Hollywood tenure. In "The 39 Steps" Hitch' perfectly captures the aura of swinging London and its music halls - except that this time they have become the scenes for murder, mayhem and, one of Hitchcock's classic touches, the wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time. Robert Donat stars as that wrong man, playing out a series of parts as Richard Hannay, Mr. Hammond, Capt. Frazer and Henry Hopkins. A Canadian tourist, Hannay is forced to flee police across the countryside and Scottish moors after he is suspected as part of a deadly conspiracy that resulted in the murder of a mysterious spy in his London flat. Hannay is accompanied, for the most part, by the abstinent Pamela (Madeleine Carroll). Determined to prove his own innocence and find the criminal mastermind with the missing fingers, Hannay eventually winds up in a showdown and a race against time. Hitchcock populates his landscape with a series of eccentrics, villains and downright kooks in an effortless blend or romance and adventure.

"The 39 Steps" is made available in a slew of bootlegged DVD transfers - none of which are satisfactory, including the legitimate and expensive Criterion Edition. Granted "The 39 Steps" was a film in genuinely bad shape, before Criterion came along. But this DVD is not "pristine" or "sparkling" as Criterion's packaging suggests. Contrast levels are still too low. There's an incredible amount of camera flicker in almost all of the scenes. Fine details are lost in darker scenes and only marginally visible during the brighter ones. There's also a limited amount of edge enhancement and shimmering of fine detail. This is not an outstanding restoration or even a mediocre one. When I think of "pristine" and "sparkling" Warner Brothers' "Mildred Pierce" comes to mind. "The 39 Steps" is no Millie!!!
Extras include the usual fluff stuff - a bunch of written essays that are really, really boring. Honestly, how many DVD's have you read lately?!? A documentary on Hitchcock's British period is also included but is not comprehensive and appears as though the source material being used were found under a hay stack in Sussex. And this is what Criterion wants consumers to pay upwards of $40-$60 bucks for? FORGET IT!

1935's The 39 Steps is the film that really put Alfred Hitchcock on the map as a world-class movie director. With its mixture of classic Hitchcockian wit, dark (and light) humor, and suspense, it brought to the fore the man's genius and set the stage for many a classic thriller to come. Robert Donat is excellent in the role of Richard Hannay, a young Canadian who finds himself in between a rock and a hard place after his encounter with a young female spy in London, while Madeleine Carroll brings beauty, grace, and a sense of romance to Hannay's increasingly harrowing quest to not only prove himself innocent of murder but to safeguard the defense of Great Britain from foreign agents. All he has to go on are a cryptic reference to something called "the 39 steps," a name of a town in Scotland, and a warning to stay away from any man missing the upper digit on his right pinkie finger.

When the mysterious Annabella Smith (Lucie Mannheim) invites herself home with him and tells him her fantastic story of intrigue and danger, Hannay doesn't quite believe her - until, that is, she turns up in the night with a knife in her back. Knowing that the killers are waiting for him outside (and also knowing how likely the police would be to find him guilty of the murder up in his flat), he quickly adopts the classic mantle of the innocent man on the run, desperate to ultimately prove his innocence. The journey he makes from London to a little town in Scotland is not an easy one, as Hannay finds himself running from the bad guys who want to kill him as well as the cops pursuing him for murder. Deceit and double-crossing as well as assistance from unexpected quarters keep things very interesting - particularly after he finds himself on the run yet again (after one of several narrow escapes), now handcuffed to the lovely and initially unsympathetic Pamela (Madeleine Carroll). The romantic element thus introduced into the film deviates from the original novel on which the screenplay was based, but it clearly strengthens the film, setting the stage for a most climactic conclusion.

One of Hitchcock's best-known British films, The 39 Steps doesn't prove as gripping or dramatic as many of the master's later movies, but the exquisite dialogue and direction do make for some memorable moments (none more so than Hannay's improvised speech at a political meeting, which definitely qualifies as a classic in my book), and the twists and turns along the way continuously ratchet up the suspense, with everything working in concert toward a finish that does not disappoint.

"39 Steps" is the last of Hitchcock's British nail biters. He took his style to Hollywood after this one. All the elements of a Hitchcock thriller are here. We have the mistaken man plot. Our hero has stumbled on a den of spies. He must prove his innocence and thwart the theft of military secrets and escape Scotland Yard from London Music halls to Scottish moors. The Hitchcock blonde is Madeline Carroll and her stocking scene must have been tough for American censors. Hitchcock learned his craft from the German expressionists and you can see the darkness of that genre in this gem. In the top twenty of best movies ever made, I recommend 39 Steps.

I just ordered the Criterion Hitchcock "set" which includes "The 39 Steps", a movie I've watched many times over the last 20 years, but NEVER in a form this crisp and well-transfered; it's been restored beautifully, and as with all the films("My Man Godfrey" and "The Lady Vanishes", to name two)that have been kicking around with duped, grainy, fuzzy prints for the last 60-some years that were FINALLY restored-it's almost like watching a new movie-even if you'd thought you'd memorized all the dialogue and action! There's just so much that's missed in a bad print. Here, we have Hitch at his finest....there just isn't a dull second in this film. It's really as sure-fire as any movie ever made, in terms of entertainment. I believe this too was Hitchcock's first huge breakout international hit, although happily for us, he didn't "go Hollywood" for another 3 years or so(and gave us the later "Lady Vanishes"-another Criterion must-have).

One caveat: if you're like me(hopeless film buff), you often get these Criterions for not only the fantastic quality of the print but for the often illuminating audio tracks, usually provided by experts of one type or another; I've never quibbled with any of them before, but I have to say, don't expect Marion Keane's wall-to-wall droning to be worth it. There's generally two kinds of film "discussion"(not counting the sort where the actual director or actors gab, which we get with new films): the sort that's superb, like Rudy Behlmer's on "Adventures of Robin Hood"-an amalgam of film history, film technique, on-the-fly biographies of the actors you're watching, tidbits about the production locations, etc.etc.-nd then there's the OTHER kind:
film "semiotics". In other words, a commentator turns a smashing, hugely exciting and entertaining movie into a dull excercise in psychoanalysis. Virtually NOTHING is said about any of the particulars of "The 39 Steps" that isn't a parsing of the symbolism, the framing, that sort of thing. That stuff's there, of course, and I'll hand it to her that the speaker *does* mention Robert Donat's acting several times(it's excellent, of course!)-but you know, for all her blather about the poignancy of the scene of the Crofter's wife, you'd think that she might bother to tell us the actress' name(Peggy Ashcroft), the fact that this was one of her few films, that she was a huge stage star eventually, etc. The sort of thing that other audio tracks do so well.

I found the ending to this film to be disappointing, I might even say lame or contrived, and that ruined my enjoyment of most of the movie. I strongly recommend the 1978 remake with William Powell, John Mills, and David Warner. This is one of those rare times when a remake was better than the original, and that's even rarer when the original was a Hitchcock film. The climax in this one is action-filled, and will appeal to any fan of mystery/suspense/action classics. I give the '78 remake 5 stars. I've been unable to find the 1978 version here in the US, maybe because it was a British production, but I just visited Amazon in the UK, and it is available there. Just remember , if you're buying a foreign DVD, verify that it will play in Region 1 (US & Canada).

"The 39 Steps" will never be called anyone's favorite Hitchcock film. He had not yet hit his stride, and many of the Hitchcock hallmarks had not yet been developed. Most famous in this film is the use of the "MacGuffin Principle," seen in movies such as "Pulp Fiction" and "The Maltese Falcon." There is something everyone wants, but what it is isn't really important. Still, it is an enjoyable movie and worth the time to watch it.

The film starts very slow, with an extremely contrived beginning catapulting our wayward protagonist into adventure and mystery. Robert Donat is very charming as the Canadian Richard Hannay, and he accepts the call to adventure readily. The trail leads him from England to Scotland, and there the story finally begins to come together.

Once in Scotland, Donat schemes and charms his way through an entertaining cast of characters, from the brusque Scotsman and his young bride, willing to sell Donat out for a few pounds, to the classical 4-fingered man, each moves the hero a few more steps along his dangerous path. Along the way, he ends up handcuffed to the lovely Madeleine Carroll, and then drags her along for the ride. How the movie ends...well, you certainly don't expect me to tell you!

If you do buy "The 39 Steps," definitely pick up the Criterion Collection version. The extras are deluxe, and well worth the extra cost. The Lux Radio presentation is a real gem. One of my favorite extras on the Criterion disks. "The Art of Film: Vintage Hitchcock" is an excellent documentary on Hitchcock's British films. As always, the commentary is also excellent.

This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

The 39 steps, one of Hitchcock's most well known British films, is surely a great one bansed on the "wrong man" theme.

A woman claiming to be an intelligence agent trying to stop two men from taking a vital secret out England is killed in a young man's flat. She is holding a map and telling the man to go there. He finds himself falsely accused of her murder and now being chased by the killers and the police, while at the same time trying to stop the spies from leaving the country.

This is all I will divulge bevause I don't want to give any spoilers.

The acting is very good and the camera angles are some of Hitchcock's most famous. Look for Hitchcock's cameo appearance 7 minutes into the film. When a you see a bus, Hitchcock is the 'litterbug' in that scene.

The Criterion collection add some great special features to the DVD.

The complete Lux radio Theater broadcast of the story Scene-specific audio commentary by Hitchcock expert Marian Keane
Production design sketches
Parts of the original press book
A Janus films documentary on Hitchcock's British films

and of course a theatrical trailer.

I was of the belief that helicopters wern't invented until WW2 or later, but after seeing this excellent movie, and the moors scene where one is chasing our hero, I realise that I was mistaken. What an excellent film, and the best thing about it was that there were lots more to come from Hitchcock. Robert Donat's character is very likable, completley unflappable. He never seemed to take his situation seriously at all, no matter how dire things seemed. Reminded me of Simon Templar of the SAINT. A BIG BIG reccomendation from me. See it, and see it again.

I like this movie, the characters are believable and sympathetic, the action is riveting, and there is enough suspense . . . but . . . why is the plot so convoluted. Why involve Big Ben and why don't the bad guys just take out the good guys in a more conventional manner. But it is a good movie anyway, even if the basic premise doesn't make sense to me, and I would recommend it.

There are those who will agrue forever and a day about which Hitchcock was better. The American Hitchcock ("Rear Window", "Psycho", & "Rebecca") or the British Hitchcock ("The Lady Vanishes", "The Man Who Knew Too Much") and this film "The 39 Steps", often thought of as the best of Hitchcock's British films. In my personal opinion I like the American Hitchcock. His Britsh films, while very entertaining always seem to have smug characters. Maybe it's just because of who is playing the parts, but, I never find myself opening up to them. And his dry wit sometimes gets in the way of the over-all story. The entire set-up with Donat and Carroll handcuffed together would have fit perfectly in a screwball comedy. In fact if I remember correctly wasn't there a scene in "I Was A Male War Bride" that is quite similiar?

Anyway, Hitchcock's "The 39 Steps" is one of his best early films, my favorite of the British movies is "The Lady Vanishes". It has his favorite theme, the innocent man wrongfully accussed, as Robert Donat trys to prove his inncence when a woman is found dead in his apartment. She was a secret agent who brought Donat into her confidence regarding information concerning "the 39 steps". That same night two villians murder her, and now Donat, who knows what her next move would be must go find her contact and prevent the enemy from taking secret documents out of the country. Or as it is known throughout the film as "the thing".

"The 39 Steps" based on a novel by John Buchan and written by Charles Bennett and Ian Hay does contain those moments of wit Hitchcock's films were known to have, and as I said before the handcuff scene could have been taken from a screwball comedy. Hitchcock directs the film with confidence as he keeps the story moving along nicely. It never has a boring moment. And the movie is just shy of ninety minutes. I also like the performances given by the two leads, Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll, who plays a woman who somehow gets mixed up in this whole affair on accident.

Alfred Hitchcock is one of my favorite directors, and while I admit I don't think this is his best movie, it is still one that proves to entertain its audience. If your interested in seeing some of Hitchcock's early British films, "The 39 Steps" will prove to be a treat. And if you enjoy it please check out his other films such as "The Lady Vanishes" and "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (which is slightly better then the James Stewart remake).

Bottom-line: One of Hitchcock's early British films has moments of dry wit and excitement. Perhaps not his best film, it is still entertaining. Worth a look if your a Hitchcock fan.