The 39 Steps

"Handcuffed to the girl who double-crossed him"

1935 1h 26m EN

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 1,097

MysteryThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Richard Hanney has a rude awakening when a glamorous female spy falls into his bed - with a knife in her back. Having a bit of trouble explaining it all to Scotland Yard, he heads for the hills of Scotland to try to clear his name by locating the spy ring known as The 39 Steps.

“Handcuffed to the girl who double-crossed him”

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Cast

Robert Donat
Richard Hannay
Madeleine Carroll
Pamela
Lucie Mannheim
Annabella Smith
Godfrey Tearle
Professor Jordan
Peggy Ashcroft
The Crofter's Wife Margaret
John Laurie
John the Crofter
Helen Haye
Louisa Jordan
Frank Cellier
Sheriff Watson

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

86 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.1M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

91 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, shot by Bernard Knowles. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Jack Beaver. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Derek N. Twist shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll and Lucie Mannheim carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Handcuffed to the girl who double-crossed him".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Alfred Hitchcock directs. Bernard Knowles behind the camera. Jack Beaver scores. Derek N. Twist cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

186 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Shot for just $0.1M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
391 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
4Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, shot by Bernard Knowles. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Jack Beaver. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Derek N. Twist shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll and Lucie Mannheim carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Handcuffed to the girl who double-crossed him".
9IMDB entry: tt0026029 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 23 themes, including "london, england", "based on novel or book", "scotland", "falsely accused".
11Released under 12 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Bernard Knowles
Original score: Jack Beaver
Editing: Derek N. Twist
Makeup / hair: Bob Clark
Runtime: 86 min · 1h 26m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $75,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The 39 Steps (1935)

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Alfred Hitchcock

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-06-19
★ 8/10
A simply wonderful, sophisticated, adaptation of John Buchan's book of wartime espionage and murder. Robert Donat ("Hannay") goes to the theatre to see a man with an incredible memory; but instead becomes embroiled in a tale of cloak-and-dagger antics that see him accused of murder and forced to flee to the highlands of Scotland. It is here that he encounters a sceptical Madeleine Carroll and together they try to get to the bottom of this clever mystery. The dark and eerie Scottish scenery adds to the suspense and there are two good cameos from Peggy Ashcroft and John Laurie too. I found the ending let this down a little - but it is still a gripping hour and half to watch under the expert hand of Alfred Hitchcock.

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