Review of The 39 Steps (1935) by Cal ( — 29 Jul 2007

Although one of Hitchcock's earliest films, The 39 Steps is an original, impressive British film. Sure, it shows its age and it's obvious that it's been filmed on stages, but it's Hitchcock's fantastic direction and the great performances that carry the film.

There's some great, inventive cinematography as well! The transfer quality available to me was completely abysmal, so it's a shame the film hasn't been preserved well. Basically, Richard Hannay (Donat) meets a girl and brings her back to his apartment for the night.

But she is murdered by a spy ring, and Richard becomes the prime suspect. He flees the scene and travels across the country to break the spy ring and prove his innocence. One of Hitchcock's earliest efforts scores as a very entertaining film! Definitely a film worth seeing, but only if you can find it in decent quality.