The 39 Steps (1935)
A man in London tries to help a counterespionage agent, and is soon finding himself in one jam after another. (imdb)
Cast and Information
Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock
Written By: Charles Bennett, John Buchan
Starring: John Laurie, Madeleine Carroll, Robert Donat, Godfrey Tearle, Peggy Ashcroft, Lucie Mannheim
Genres: Romance, Drama, Suspense/Thriller, Mystery
Country: UK
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The 39 Steps belongs to 78 collections
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Browse the full list of collections
| Stars | User | Rating | |
| 5 |  |
Paxton | 81 89th |
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I saw one of these memory guys in Las Vegas, and I asked him what the 39 steps were but what he started reciting was actually a recipe for stroganoff. I realize how silly this is, but, man, you gotta try this stroganoff!
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| 4 |  |
Alex Watkins | 3 38th |
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Though it lacks some of the flair and dramatic punch of later Hitchcock efforts, this has many of the hallmarks of his best films - an innocent man on the run, foreign intrigue, layered with light romantic comedy. It's essentially the prototype for North by Northwest. Hitch's skills as a director haven't quite matured to greatness at this point, but it's a very worthy film in his ouevre.
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| 3 |  |
TimeCapsule | 75 75th |
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"Classic thriller, suspenseful film called "The 39 Stairs," ...made by some guy named 'Alfred'" - Alistair Cookie, Monsterpiece Theater
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| 2 |  |
MartinTeller | 89 92nd |
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Some of the plotting is ridiculous, but it's still a wicked good time... lots of tight situations and great gags. Robert Donat make a terrific leading man, and Madeline Carroll plays off him beautifully.
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| 2 |  |
Magb | 80 61st |
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Ah, the first "wrong man" film. There's something that's just so damn exciting about watching an innocent dude running away from both the police and the bad guys. Still, easily the best part of The 39 Steps is the section where Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll are handcuffed together. It's hilarious. It could've been a movie all by itself, actually.
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| 2 |  |
Actionberg | 60 28th |
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For the most part, these early Hitchcocks aren't really doing it for me. Things like this and The Lady Vanishes are kind of fun and dumb, but I don't think they're particularly thrilling, suspenseful, or humorous. I guess it passed the time OK, but I can't give it much more praise than that.
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| 2 |  |
Nathan S | 5 93rd |
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Probably the greatest film Hitchcock created during his time in Britain. A host of memorable set pieces and an absolutely delightful rapport between the two leads. This movie is just a whole lot of fun.
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| 2 |  |
frederic_g54 | 6 35th |
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More like the 39 missteps. Almost ruined by an underwhelming plot, a total lack of suspense and a death scene so hammy, it will make you want to kill yourself. But the last segment, in which Donat and Carroll are handcuffed together, was so goddamn fun and sexy, it barely makes up for the awfulness that preceded it. Barely!
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| 2 |  |
eCitizen | 30 18th |
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Noticing that Alfred Hitchcock directed this, I fully expecting to enjoy this. However despite my efforts to do so, the plot, dialog and acting was entirely unconvincing. Few moments felt genuine. The initial death scene was one of the worst of this movies moments. I liked how they kept putting him into predicaments, but despite some clever plot ideas, the result is often pretentious. Old time sensibilities aside it frequently felt like an amateur production.
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| 1 |  |
Moribunny | 70 75th |
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Ordinary people get swept into dangerous adventures in espionage and it's still fresh. Hitchcock would then regurgitate this premise ad nauseam, and everyone else would scavenge ideas from this, but here you get to see stuff like a fugitive blending into a parade, or mutually handcuffed escapees, before they're cliches. Surprisingly, it hasn't aged too badly and the humor really helps.
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| 1 |  |
Pickpocket | 9 93rd |
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Another great Hitchcock film. It is genuinely suspenseful with great cinematography and some good acting - especially by Robert Donat who totally owned the lead role. Very engaging and the time flies by while watching. Very good.
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| 1 |  |
tinythedogg | 70 67th |
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Decent enough of a movie, but not as great as a lot of Hitchcock's other films. Even though his thirties films were just the begining for the master of suspense, you can see where he was really getting everything together quite well. The acting was pretty good and the whole political assembley with the police surrounding Donat was very well done and enjoyable.
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| 1 |  |
auritech | 87 86th |
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Ever wonder where most of the action/suspense films got their cliches? This is it, and it's probably better than most of its progeny. The performances are all compelling, and it's just a fun movie that holds up even seventy+ years later.
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| 1 |  |
joseywales | 85 93rd |
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A lot funnier than most comedies made today.
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| 1 |  |
twincinema | 70 53rd |
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"39 Steps, eh? 37, 38...hey! What's the big idea?" Is this the first film where two people who dislike one another are chained up while running from the law? In 1935, you could introduce a character named "Mr. Memory", and it feels like someone people would pay money to see. The Depression hit entertainment hard, folks.
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| 1 |  |
Stain | 60 47th |
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I want to like anything that Hitchcock did but this is kind of silly
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| 1 |  |
Barthalen | 81 84th |
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Great pacing and a nice mix of suspense and comedy. Sure, it has some weird plot holes, but I was constantly entertained.
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| 1 |  |
purgatos | 81 74th |
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A fun ride, covering a lot of Hitchcock's favourite territory. Fun film to watch even if was later eclipsed by North by Northwest.
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| 1 |  |
Vandelay1 | 75 86th |
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Good Movie
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| 1 | kav | 92 95th |
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Robert Donat is fantastic here, and Hitchcock's liberties with the original story work really well. The whole thing's highly amusing.
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| 1 |  |
spleen | 83 80th |
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Not Hitchcock's best but still better than most other chase/suspense/buddy films. Remade with Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier as the Defiant Ones (ok, that's totally not true, btw)
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| 1 |  |
wetwillies | 85 59th |
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One of the first great Hitchcock pictures, establishing a formula that he would draw from many times in the future - a story of the Wrong Man, replete with espionage, pursuit, risque romance and bawdy humor, all adding up into a lovable seriocomic thriller. Madeleine Carroll is excellent as the first Hitchcock blonde, and Robert Donat is superb in the lead role.
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| 1 |  |
roofs_runner | 93 91st |
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Very good movie. This is the first one I can see clear Hitchcock's style. Good plot, good humor, awesome Robert Donat.
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| 1 |  |
3against4 | 85 57th |
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One of Hitch's fleetest, most entertaining films. Donat -- gently self-deprecating, genuinely unperturbed by even the most dire consequences -- makes for my favorite Hitch hero. Carroll's role brief, but a worthy match for Donat, and it's interesting to see the Hitchcock Blonde in its prototype phase. Stylistically maintains a darkly beautiful moodiness, influenced both by art deco and the Scottish countryside where much of it takes place. Ashcroft fantastic in a very brief early role.
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| 1 |  |
Rufam | 60 29th |
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It's got the old-fashioned wit, the trademark Hitch visual wit and one of his most compelling leading men of all time, Mr. Donat. But the silly espionage plot didn't exactly thrill me -it was moderately engaging alright, but not fleshed-out enough to enter top-tier Hitchcock.
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| 1 |  |
Noblet | 82 76th |
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Great, tightly constructed thriller. Robert Donat plays a great "wrong man" and Madeleine Carroll's character was a good foil as well. This movie has a very nice combination of tension, action and humor. Some of the plot points were ridiculously convenient, but really who cares?
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| 1 |  |
ribcage | 69 55th |
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Like a prototype for what Hitchcock would later do. Perhaps great in its day but not aged too well esp when comparing it to Hitchcocks later work this looks like a rough draft. Plenty of interesting camera choices and visual flair, but the story is crammed into key moments then abruptly and neatly wrapped up for an ending without much mystery, tension or excitement.
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| 1 | PUNQ | 90 99th |
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Not sure what to say that hasn't been said a million times before about Hitchcock's classic. He was miles ahead of his British colleagues. He creates suspense out of every scene. Be it crime related or sexual tension for relief. The way he films takes you there in person. It's that intimate. And The 39 Steps brings you close. Close into the mind of Robert Donat and close to the restless suspense that never lets go. The 39 Steps plain and simple leaves a powerful mark. A phenomenal thriller.
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| 1 | DyanneThorne | 72 68th |
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You're gonna need to concentrate because I lost focus a bit, in the beginning, missed some plot points and they did not do a recap later. After the rather tense and serious beginning of a proper spy thriller, it takes a sharp turn into road movie slash comedy. Pretty good actually.
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| 1 |  |
pyrosexual | 70 29th |
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nothing lulls me to sleep quite like early hitchcock
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| 1 |  |
JSchlansky | 60 42nd |
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Definitely not one of my favorite Hitchcock films. Full of plot convenience and dei ex machina (yes, that's the plural of deus ex machina), and lacking most of what makes so many of Hitch's other films great. It's by no means bad and it even has a couple of good sequences, but it is wholly unremarkable.
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| 1 |  |
joel-w-m | 6 44th |
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It's bookended by a slow beginning (Miss Smith is annoyingly cryptic) and an abrupt, too-easy ending (Hannay figures things out super quickly) but in between them is fun fugitive plot that constantly dishes out unexpected twists: Just when you think he's getting away he gets caught; just when you think he's done for he finds a new way out. Dashes of comedy (see the hilarious impromptu political speech scene; Hannay and Pamela's handcuff experience) mix well with the film's solid suspense.
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| 1 | doyler29 | 90 86th |
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Hitchcock's first real international success is such a well constructed, compelling little thriller that it sets the mold for 60% of his subsequent films. It's very gimmicky, quite implausible, and so quickly and smoothly paced that it never really matters if it makes much sense.
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| Average Percentile 63.72% from 2299 Ratings |  |