Hitchcock's First Cliffhanger: The 39 Steps

The 39 Steps (1935)

Alfred Hitchcock started his career in London making films for companies like British International Pictures, first in silent, and then in talkie formats. His visual knack that worked well in the silent films carried over and made him one of the strongest visual directors of the talkie era. You often see Hitchcock giving point of view shots and reveals as a sort of visual shorthand that serves to advance the story without taking a lot of time.

The 39 Steps is a cliffhanger film and it is the one that got Hitchcock noticed in the USA. The favorable reviews were not lost on film mogul David O. Selznick who immediately worked to sign the British director before some one else did.

The 39 Steps starred Robert Donat, one of the premier stars of the era whose greatest acclaim was won in Goodbye, Mr. Chips, for which he won the 1939 best actor Oscar against such formidable competition as Clark Gable as Rhett Butler in Gone With the Wind. Donat stayed in England and his mellifluous voice - his calling card - was caused by the boyhood repiratory illnesses that continued to plague him until he died at the tender age of 53 years. His shy boyish features also played well against the surprises Hitchcock sprung on him, our hero, in The 39 Steps.

The story is from a novel by John Buchan, adapted by Charles Bennett and is shot as one of Hitchcock's "wrong man" plots that he did countless times, often with Cary Grant or Robert Cummings starring.

Donat stars as Richard Hannay, a Canadian in England who get s mixed up in a plot when he attends a vaudeville show at the Music Hall. A row breaks out and a shot is fired and in the press of the crowd Hannay is latched onto by a blond named Annabell who comes home with him - risque for 1935 - and acts very skittish about being seen. She gulps down a whole drink when he fixes her one and tells him she'll tell him what the 39 steps are in the morning. She also mentions Scotland, and her upcoming trip.

Well, tomorrow never comes for her, as a knife in the back from a foreign agent conveniently silences her just after she gives Hannay a map of Scotland and warns him to be careful, and dies. In the morning, Hannay must sneak out of his flat past the waiting killers by borrowing the coat and hat of the milkman. Just why they didn't stab him along with Annabelle is never mentioned.

The rest of the film is a chase where Hannay, not involved at first gets very involved in eluding the police pursuit and also that of hidden agents who seem to be connected in high places. Hannay keeps going from one impossible situation to another and in one of the first he briefly meets leading lady Madeleine Carroll, who tries to turn him into the police aboard a train bound for Scotland. He escapes by stopping the train and - no, I'll let you see it.

Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll do meet up later in the film to do the famous handcuffed together chase scene.

Suffice it to say there are very few dull spots in The 39 Steps. It is a textbook cliffhanger and showcases some of Hitchcock's brilliant camera work including some very advanced shots for the time. There are a couple of places you will rub your eyes the camera work is so slick.

Along with the brilliant cinematography coexists Hitchcock's disdain for having a logical progression of events so long as he keeps the story moving. He does keep you interested but there are plot holes and some cheesy special effects including a very crude helicopter. He also makes use of sound as he did in other films to poke humor at stuffed shirts where he has a political speaker speak unintelligibly which was probably the point - Hitchcock thought he didn't have anything worth listening to.

The 39 Steps is now available on DVD in several bargain basement pressings from public domain publishers like Delta and on the horrendously expensive Criterion label. The old VHS copies are also out there but the cheap DVD from Delta that I have has an acceptable copy of the 86 minute black and white film.

The 39 Steps has a lot of appeal but it is showing its age. I think it is a milestone in film technique and should be seen by all film buffs and fans of director Alfred Hitchcock.