The Thirty Nine Steps

"Every second counts in the adventure of a lifetime!"

1978 1h 42m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 44

MysteryThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The year is 1914 and Richard Hannay, Mining Engineer who is visiting Britain for a short time before returning to South Africa, is shocked when one of his neighbours, Colonel Scudder, bursts into his rooms one night and tells him a story that Prussian 'sleeper' agents are planning to pre-start World War I by murdering a visiting foreign minister. However, Scudder is murdered and Hannay is framed for the death by the 'sleepers'. Fleeing to Scotland Hannay attempts to clear his name and to stop the agents with the aid of Alex Mackenzie but not only is he is chased by Chief Supt Lomas for Scudder's death but by the agents who are headed by Appleton who has managed to hide himself in a high-placed position in the British Government...

“Every second counts in the adventure of a lifetime!”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Robert Powell
Richard Hannay
David Warner
Sir Edmund Appleton
Eric Porter
Chief Superintendent Lomas
Karen Dotrice
Alex Mackenzie
John Mills
Scudder
George Baker
Sir Walter Bullivant
Ronald Pickup
Bayliss
Donald Pickering
Marshall

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Don Sharp
Writers: Michael Robson
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 / 7

ERA

Did you know

48 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Don Sharp, shot by John Coquillon. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Eric Boyd-Perkins shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Robert Powell and David Warner and Eric Porter carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Every second counts in the adventure of a lifetime!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0078389 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 44 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Don Sharp directs. John Coquillon behind the camera. Eric Boyd-Perkins cuts. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

148 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Don Sharp, shot by John Coquillon. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Editor Eric Boyd-Perkins shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
4Robert Powell and David Warner and Eric Porter carry the top of the cast.
5Marketing tagline: "Every second counts in the adventure of a lifetime!".
6IMDB entry: tt0078389 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 44 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: John Coquillon
Editing: Eric Boyd-Perkins
Stunt coordinator: Colin Skeaping
Runtime: 102 min · 1h 42m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: The Thirty Nine Steps (1978)

Also by

Don Sharp

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

r96sk2024-04-13
★ 9/10
I had a fun time with this one! <em>'The Thirty Nine Steps'</em> gave me a lot of entertainment. Robert Powell puts in a top performance, as does John Mills; the whole cast are good, in fairness. Pacing is on point and the music is stellar. There are some nice set pieces too, namely on the railway and at Big Ben. I also really enjoyed the adventure feel. One of many adaptations of John Buchan's novel, I see. This is my first experience of it in any form, I evidently chose a good one to start with. I ought to check out the other three (!) pictures at some point, especially the first that was directed by Alfred Hitchcock; I am still yet watch a movie of his, poor from me!
CinemaSerf2025-12-31
★ 7/10
“Hannay” (Robert Powell) might have wished he hadn’t answered his front door when he encounters the fleeing “Scudder” (Sir John Mills) who seeks shelter in his flat. Quickly, he has regaled his host with tales of international espionage, murder and duplicity and before he knows it, “Hannay” is on a train heading for the highlands with the police and some murderous spies in hot pursuit. Luckily, he is quite a quick-witted sort of a gent, and so when he stumbles upon a grouse shoot at a grand country estate, he manages to befriend “Alex” (Karen Dotrice) and “David” (Miles Anderson) and with a bout of divertion at the local Liberal election hustings finds he must race back to London to alert “Insp. Lomas” (Eric Porter) to the dangers of the “39 Steps”, “Ariadne’s Thread” and a threat to plunge the Balkans into all out war. Though I still think Robert Donat’s was the best "Hannay” (1935), I think Powell holds this together quite well as he races up and down the country trying to stay alive and get to the bottom of things. Porter and David Warner also contribute quite effectively as this iteration of John Buchan’s story builds to quite a conclusion dangling from the arms of Big Ben. It does have more of a made for television look to it, and that does compromise some of the sense of menace as we proceed, but it’s a strong story well presented, and I enjoyed it.