The 39 Steps

The 39 Steps

Released Date: August 1, 1935

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Actors: Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll, Lucie Mannheim, Godfrey Tearle, Peggy Ashcroft, John Laurie, and Helen Haye

     Alfred Hitchcock loved to play jokes on his cast and crew members. It was something he always loved to do, he was a fun director to work with and was not very strict. Whenever someone got upset or frustrated, he would usually say "it's just a movie" or "pretend" when something was too tough. Anyway, one joke he played was with the actors Robert Donat, and Madeleine Carroll. There is a scene where the two actors are handcuffed together. Alfred Hitchcock handcuffed them and then he pretended to have lost the key. He played this off for several hours. This movie is very well done, and since it came out which was in 1935, it has been dubbed as a top English film. This is still a top movie and I would recommend it to anyone. 

     We start the film off at the music hall in London, England. Mr. Memory (Wylie Watson) is performing, when all of a sudden there is a gun shot. Mayhem breaks loose and we then meet Annabella Smith (Lucie Mannheim) as she asks Richard Hannay (Robert Donat) if she can go home with him to his flat. He is from Canada and is new in town but he says okay. We then discover that she is very skittish and does not even want to be near an open window, as she is afraid to be seen. The reason? She shot the gun to cause confusion to assassins that are chasing her. She is a secret agent spy and is looking for a man that plans on stealing vital British Military Secrets, that he plans on revealing. After getting stabbed, Annabella tells Richard to go to Scotland and to find a large house in a small village. Also, the man he is going to look for has his top joint to his little finger missing. He flees and is of course being chased by police since a maid found Annabella dead in his flat, therefore he is the murderer. Will he get caught? If he does, does that mean the information will get spilled? Find out by buying this movie. Yes, I say buy because you will want this movie in your film collection. 

     (Actually, I would recommend any black and white movie... I would recommend any James Stewart film.... I would recommend any Alfred Hitchcock movie :))