Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Screenwriters: Charles Bennett, Ian Hay

Produced/Distributed by: Gaumont-British Picture Corporation

Starring: Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll, Lucie Mannheim, Godfrey Tearle

Why Now? Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, a science-fiction political thriller, was set to finally be released in August 2020. Unfortunately, while that is no longer the case in the US due to the virus (now it’s coming September 3rd), the film will still be released worldwide on August 26th. So in honor of this much anticipated thriller, I will be watching films from that genre, which I suspect will still feel pertinent in this cultural climate.

Why This Film? In looking at classic thrillers, I had to check out at least one from the master of suspense himself. I love North by Northwest (1959), and I’ve heard that The 39 Steps (1935) shares some plot points and themes.

What Did I Know About the Film? From what I’ve heard (which may not be correct), this film follows an ordinary man getting swept up in a large secretive plot, much like in North by Northwest. Unlike the latter film, this one is an entirely British production. It’s going to be interesting to see how they compare.

Post-Screening Synopsis:

A Canadian man (Robert Donat) on vacation in London finds himself at the center of an international spy ring related to the “39 Steps”, hunted by the police for a murder he didn’t commit.

Praise:

“Beautiful, mysterious woman pursued by gunmen. Sounds like a spy story.”

-Richard Hannay

The plot of this film is smartly written, with multiple unforeseen twists and interesting set pieces and cool reveals that don’t come until the very last minute of the picture. It’s a tight story, very brisk, and just like for the main character, Richard Hannay (Robert Donat), doesn’t leave much time to breath. It’s as close it could be to a non-stop thriller in 1935. Leave it to Alfred Hitchcock to be the one to accomplish it.

Richard Hannay is a great protagonist to follow as Donat plays him to be an average man who is also resourceful and quick on his feet. He’s charismatic and sly, likable but determined, coming off like a mix of Clark Gable, Tyrone Powers, and a little bit of Humphrey Bogart.

The cinematography is amazing in this film, with creative use of dutch angles and panning/tilting shots. The chiaroscuro lighting within the film, both on the sets and on-location really played up the claustrophobic atmosphere as the world “closes in” on Richard Hannay.  And the effects and editing were really clever, like pairing a scream with the sound of an oncoming train–which is very much in line with Hitchcock’s style (I wonder if he served as a big inspiration for other thriller directors like Orson Welles and Christopher Nolan). There are some inventive action sequences, especially one that was probably considered the centerpiece, a chase sequence that took place inside and out of that moving train.

Speaking of on-location, it’s a nice change from Hollywood films that were all filmed on sound stages to see the actual Scotland country and parts of London, especially at night, which created a cool effect on film. It felt authentic.

I was excited to see that even this early in Hitchcock’s career, he was already a master of playing with what he called the MacGuffin. It’s central to the plot but never seen or explained to the audience. Perfect for a mystery thriller.

Comments:

The only issue I had was involved the murder at the beginning of the film, as the death itself was badly acted and very over-the-top. And I am lenient with death scenes in other classic films because they can be “over-acted”, but this one was almost funny to me.

I also noticed that the film featured a minimal score, with much of the film taking place with no accompaniment. That did not bother me, but as someone who is so used to films have a lot of the score playing in the background (even in later Hitchcock films), this one lack of it was noticeable. Though, when it was featured, those atmospheric, tense strings associated with Hitchcock did make me smile.

Verdict:

I liked it! It’s a good film with a suspenseful, twisty story and a charismatic lead. Unfortunately, since I am already a big fan of North by Northwest (1959), which has a very similar story, this film was not as memorable to me as that one. But it’s still one I will re-watch for fun and share with others (especially before showing them the ’59 film).