The Thirty-Nine Steps

Plot synopsis:
In 1914, German spies are everywhere in London. After a spate of assassinations of important British politicians, a retired British intelligence officer, Colonel Scudder, realises his life and his mysterious black notebook are in danger. He turns to Richard Hannay, a mining engineer who is visiting Britain for a short time before returning to South Africa, who happens to be staying in a flat in the same building. Scudder tells Hannay of a plot by Prussian 'sleeper' agents, who are planning to pre-empt a war against the Triple Entente powers by assassinating a foreign minister of state visiting the UK.
Hannay reluctantly gives Scudder shelter in his flat, despite his initial distrust of him. In the morning, Hannay leaves to purchase a train ticket to his family hometown, the village of Strathallan in Scotland, while Scudder remains at work on his notes in the flat. When the Prussian agents attempt to enter the flat, Scudder flees down the fire escape but he is spotted. Posting a package containing his secret notebook in a pillar box, Scudder flees to the St Pancras railway station, where he knows Hannay will be, to give him a second black book.
At the railway station, just seconds before he can reach Hannay, Scudder is murdered by the agents. Hannay is mistaken by witnesses at the railway station as being the assailant. Hannay is arrested but is soon captured by the Prussians when transferred to jail. He then is allowed to escape from the Prussians in the hope that he can lead them to the secret notebook. Hannay manages to get Scudder's second notebook back at St Pancras, but this turns out to be a dummy, with only a three-word riddle in it that only Hannay could possibly understand to find his real book, which sends Hannay to Scotland. Hannay flees to Scotland on a train, but he is forced to make a daredevil escape on a bridge when police board.
Hannay attempts to solve the mystery whilst on the run from the police, led by Chief Supt Lomas (Eric Porter), and the Prussian agents, led by Edmund Appleton, a Prussian sympathiser highly placed in the British government.
With the aid of Alex Mackenzie and her fiance, David Hamilton, whom Hannay meets on the Scottish moors, claiming to be taking part in a wager, Scudder's book is found, the coded information partly deciphered and the true plans of the Prussian agents are revealed. The agents intend to murder the visiting Greek Prime Minister, leading to unrest in the Balkans and thus causing a world war, by planting a bomb in parliament. The "Thirty Nine Steps" refers to the number of stairs in the clock tower of Big Ben (from "Lauderdale Door to the clock itself") and Hannay realises that the bomb is to be set off by the clock at 11.45am.
When he reaches the top of the clock tower, the agents have already planted the bomb and have locked the clock room. To give the Police more time, Hannay breaks the glass of the clock-face, climbs out onto the face of the clock and physically stops the clock hands just as the big hand moves just below the nine. By hanging from the big hand, Hannay manages to jam the clock at 11.44am long enough for the Police to break into the clock room where they kill the remaining spies and deactivate the bomb. The clock mechanism stops working and the clock's big hand falls into a vertical position, but Hannay hangs on and one of the officers saves him with a looped rope. Sir Edmund Appleton is convicted of treason and Hannay is declared a hero for helping Britain gain valuable time to prepare for the Great War.

Tags: violence, murder

Review:
This 1978 version of "The 39 Steps" is an excellent film, well worth one's time.
The film follows the John Buchan novel closely, except for its climax which, according to Halliwell, is taken from Will Hay's "My Learned Friend"; thus, there is little similarity in plot and characters between this film and the Hitchcock version.
There are no handcuffed characters racing about (Thank God!) nor villains with truncated digits.This film is well cast and performed throughout, with special mention of Robert Powell, John Mills, and David Warner.
And it has a lush, romantic score that swept me right along into the film.The film does reference Hitchcock in a number of ways, most obviously in the plane search for Hannay, which recalls the plane attacking Cary Grant in "North by Northwest."  And the climax that takes place on the face of Big Ben is exactly the sort of thing Hitchcock might have done, what with his fondness for using famous landmarks in his films.The suspenseful climax is as good as anything Hitchcock ever did.
I think the Hitchcock film is the better as a film, although there are a few stodgy moments (with the crofter, for instance), but lots of lovely visual ideas to compensate (the Bridge scene, the missing digit, and the ending).
With this version, we were told it would be faithful to the original, but, yes, the ending is stolen from an old Will Hay film (which was very much before its time, with its black humour).
David Warner is appropriately evil as the head of the Nazi's moles, Robert Powell is a convincing reluctant hero who has been thrust into mystery & danger, Sir John Mills is great as the voice of warning and reason against the pending threat of war, and Karen Dotrice is very sweet as the romantic interest now that she is all grown up.
If any of you will have a chance to see it, don't miss it as this version is story closer to John Buchan's book than Mr. Hitchcock's film.Unfortunately, the 1978 version wasn't released on video in Europe (I believe it was released only in the US).Robert Powell          - stunning; David Warner           - excellent; Prussian Agents        - villains at their best.b.t.w. very good music by Ed Welch..
The best-known film version of John Buchan's famous novel was made by Alfred Hitchcock in 1935 but, although an excellent film in his typically playful style, it actually had little to do with the book.
Robert Powell is an agile and likeable hero, supported by a strong cast and the climax, cleverly borrowed from the Will Hay classic "My Learned Friend", has Hannay attempting (literally) to turn back time.It was reported that, when this film premiered at a West London cinema, the audience burst into spontaneous applause at the end!.
Indeed as a Boy's Own Adventure it's thoroughly enjoyable; a Ripping Yarn in fact, with a splendid cast of British character actors, good use of locations and a spiffing climax involving Big Ben.Robert Powell's Hannay is considerably more po-faced than Robert Donat's, (he's too stiff to be a proper action hero), and comes over as a bit of a boor.
The script is intelligent and does feel as though it's flowing naturally, and the story is securely paced and the suspense is in equal measure with Hitchcock's like with Hannay's escape from the train.
To note only three departures, the thirty-nine steps of the original text do not refer to the steps leading up to Beg Ben, but to a staircase leading from a house in Bradgate down to the sea; in the original text, Scudder is knifed in Hannay's flat; and the scene of Hannay clinging to the hands of the clock appears nowhere in Buchan's novel.But all that said, this production is a fine piece of work in its own right, having great pace, style and atmosphere, and with some first-class acting from Robert Powell..
Hitchcock would agree that Don Sharp did him one better in the 1978 remake of "The 39 Steps."  Sharp's camera technique may not be as spare and precise as Hitchcock's but the overall blend of script, acting, character and plot development make this a truly delightful and fun film.
Robert Powell sparkled in his role as a Richard Hannay from "down under."  Great film meant to be viewed again and again.
It is pure cinema and pure genius as is the rest of that film.The Hitchcock version is light years better than this as a film (near perfect actually) but is only loosely based on a few ideas from the Buchan novel.
The finale on Big Ben is thrilling, but in the main, this version of John Buchan's classic adventure 'The 39 Steps' only suggests that little has been learnt since Hitchcock made his celebrated version over 40 years earlier.
David the fiancé of the female lead is murdered and she shows no sign of mouning or trauma smiling at her new love Hannay over a "cup of breakfast tea" Robert Powell was a matinée idol and this vehicle was all abhout showcasing him and taking advantage of his then UK popularity.End scene at Big Ben is the signature moment and is spectacular.
Of course Hitchcock as a master of suspense, never fails to deliver a good movie, or a great movie, so be it.But this version (1978) is so much better, because the setting of the movie is so great.
The biggest effect is the fact that you will sit down, watch the movie and realize that it has ended before you thought about taking a drink.This is the kind of movie that proves still to be capable of being interesting and standing upright in the newest moviedatabase.Too bad that almost nobody has seen this movie.Just for the record, I am 23-years-old so this has not been a comment from somebody that hates modern movies and only likes old ones!Not even close.By the way, the plot of the movie, connected to London, is really enjoyably well thought of.Good luck finding the movie!Ilija.
The plot is different enough from Hitchcock's version and closer to the book so that in parts it does feel like a different story, even if much is recognisable.
The plot moves forward with a great deal of energy even if it does feel at times like Hannay is just being pushed from one set piece to another.
The film has great sets and costumes that really give a great sense of time and place  better than the 30's version but that's the main selling point.
It does feel a little like a big budget BBC drama and some of the action scenes lack real tension or drama.Powell is good but he doesn't convince me as the hunted everyman that I imagine in this lead role  he is too assured and adaptive for the role.
The acting is very good - especially Robert Powell as the 30s gentlemen, and it's always a great pleasure to see John Mills.
It's not about the definition of the scenery- it's about how it's shown, and I think this presentation of the Scottish highlands is beautiful.Don Sharp's (the director's) camera-work may not be as epic as Hitchcock's, but it's a solid style and presents this whole 1930s world beautifully.All I can ask is that you give this film a chance - if you don't like it, fine.
THE THIRTY NINE STEPS is the third adaptation of John Buchan's famous spy novel, following the Hitchcock film and the 1950s-era remake with Kenneth More.
The 1950s version remade the Hitchcock film and copied a lot of the elements like the villain with a missing digit and the hero being handcuffed for an extended time.
This fresh-faced '70s outing ignores the Hitchcock film totally and goes back to basis to provide a more authentic version of the original novel.And it's a great little movie!
It moves along at a cracking pace, slipping in humour and suspense and providing a great time for the viewer along the way.Robert Powell had a decent decade of playing leading man roles before he disappeared off cinema screens in the mid '80s and this is one of his best productions.
It sounds strange to say it, but I find THE THIRTY NINE STEPS to be the definitive version of the story and a film that narrowly outdoes Hitchcock at his own game..
It is truly a pity that it has been totally overshadowed by the earlier Hitchcock version, which comes across somewhat stark and dingy in comparison.The Rank Productions version with Robert Powell keeps the suspense moving throughout, and the ending is a cliffhanger in the best tradition of the genre.I have looked for a copy of this for years, and have yet to find it released here.
In the seventies I was offered a job in the Rank Films legal department,but luckily I turned it down,as their proposed programme of film production was short lived.After all you can only sustain production programme so long by making remakes.Whilst a competent film in itself it is not a patch on the Hitchcock classic.The Big Ben finale looks so phoney with the process workGive me Mr Memory anytime.
Making any other version very unlikely to reach the zenith of the performances in this dramatization.The Late Sir John Mills adds urgency and class to the film, and the scene where Scudder's identity is revealed to the Prussian agents outside in the street, outside his apartment, is brilliantly played, and draws us into the film and the musical score adds excitement, urgency, verve and great atmosphere and grace.The film's warning of impending war with Germany only adds to the fascination with the film, and through retrospect we know that the First World happens, but the film's message of British agents and anyone caught up in espionage, during these tense years.
John Buchan's novel is tweaked a bit to bring the plot to a more contemporary milieu as opposed to a prior to the Great War time, but the excitement of the chase and the quick witted competence of the Renaissance man Richard Hannay (as played by Richard Powell) stands up well to the many action heroes of present day cinema (Bruce Willis, Matt Damon, the new James Bond, etc.).
The love interest scenes tend to drag on a little bit for my taste, but the scenes where he is drugged are funny.It is a remake of the Kenneth Moore film and Robert Powell put his own stamp on it the payoff where Hannay escapes from the room whilst paralysed is excellent.
I personally am not a great fan of Robert Powell, and it's this that may hinder this film, but I do believe he has caught the character of Richard Hannay, a cocksure South African mining engineer back in the 'old country' bored and ready to return when he meets a spy (Scudder) who is killed in his apartment.The character of Scudder is excellently played by John Mills, and is a prefect recreation of the character in the book.If you've not done so, read the book.
Despite being a real Hitchcock fan I have to say that this version is much better despite being a reasonably low budget Brit film.
From Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 classic to its less stellar 1959 remake and a more recent BBC television movie, Buchan's thriller has been updated and revised time and again.
There's an exception to every rule and this 1978 adaptation would prove to be that in returning not just to the original time period of the novel but capturing it in spirit (if not in incident) better than its predecessors.It's perhaps best than the film owes less to Hitchcock and more to Buchan, especially given how the 1959 film turned out.
Sir John Mills appears as Scudder, the secret agent who sets invents in motion the events of the film, playing a more likable version of the character than presented in either the original novel or in the subsequent BBC version.
Robert Powell isn't my idea of Richard Hannay - doesn't look right, not the dashing and charismatic adventurer he should be - and the climax at Big Ben is too far-fetched.The film itself, despite good production values and a fairly decent cast (David Warner, Eric Porter, John Mills, Timothy West, Ronald Pickup), is deadly boring.
This third big screen adaptation of the celebrated John Buchan story stars Robert Powell as Hannay, following on from Robert Donat (the Alfred Hitchcock adaptation) and Kenneth More.
Its chief distinction is a denouement involving Big Ben's clocktower which is in itself Hitchcockian.Even if you're already familiar with the frenetically paced plot, the innocent man on the run story is so strong that any of the last three renderings (there was a more recent TV version) are still a good watch.
The plot is a tangled knot of fake identities and a confusion that results in both the police and the scurrilous assassins chasing Robert Powell (as Hannay) around Scotland and London.I'm not sure any of the versions I've seen follow the novel very closely.
Surely a better idea would be for the remake brigade to pick films that had good potential first time round but didn't quite come off as well as they might.
This 1978 adaptation of The Thirty Nine Steps is one of the few films, I think, that has valid justification for revisiting a story that had already found critical and commercial success in an earlier version.
Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 version of the story was a truly outstanding film cinematically-speaking, but it was not a very faithful rendition of John Buchan's source book.
For once, we have a remake that exists for a purpose:- to tell the story as envisioned by Buchan.Mining engineer Richard Hannay (Robert Powell) befriends a man named Scudder (John Mills) who is on the run from enemy agents in 1914 London.
Good character work is provided by the likes of Eric Porter, David Warner, George Baker and John Mills, while Dotrice makes an agreeable leading lady.
Soon after the meeting both Hugh & Harkness are murdered & Scudder know's he is next so he ask's his neighbour Richard Hannay (Robert Powell) for help & to shelter him until he can work out the details of the Prussain's plans, collect proof &prevent the start of a World War. However the Prussain agents find Scudder & murder him, Hannay is blamed for the murder & goes on the run to clear his name, follow up Scudder's leads & try to stop the war himself, but no-one seems to want to believe Hannay & Scudder's notebook is missing...This British production was directed by Don Sharp & was the third time that the novel The 39 Steps by John Buchan had been adapted for the silver screen following Alfred Hitchcock's original The 39 Steps (1935) & the remake The 39 Steps (1959), while I have not read the book nor seen Hictchcock's take on it I have seen the 1959 version before & I have to say I much prefer this one & I think it's superior in just about every way although still not perfect by any means.
While watching this it's clear that while the general feel of the film is similar & many of the same character's appear the basic story is different & the ending also is very different & thankfully ditches the awful idea of Mr. Memory being an agent for evil & instead has a nice, if somewhat short, little set-piece in & outside of London landmark Big Ben. The two killers chasing Hannay, the meeting & murder of a British agent in his flat, the train journey to Scotland, the bridge dangling scene, the hike across the moors, the attractive female Hannay meets, the police Inspector on Hannay's trail & even a scene in which Hannay has to give a speech in a case of mistaken identity.
The production design is great, the costumes, sets & props all look authentic & add character to the visual style of it, the Big Ben ending feels a little silly as Hannay just decides to dangle hundreds of feet in the air without even thinking about it & the sequence doesn't really lead to anything spectacular.
The acting is good from a solid Brisith cast including Powell, David Warner, Sir John Mills & George Baker.The Thirty Nine Steps is a cracking little Saturday afternoon spy adventure film with an attractive period setting & a pretty solid & suspenseful script that goes up & down the country & ends on a lofty set-piece in & outside Big Ben. A good way to pass a couple of hours, you could do a lot worse..
Instead of the restricting in-studio black and white shots, this film offers the realm of colour and the expansive location shooting of the Scotland hills.Set in 1914 before World War 1, Thirty Nine Steps follows the story of Richard Hannay (Richard Powell) on the run from London after being framed for the murder of a spy (Sir John Mills), and being pursued across the Scottish landscape by both the police and the real murderers, led by the scheming villain, Edmund Appleton (David Warner).Appleton plans to assassinate someone of great importance at a certain time back in London,and it is up to Hannay to interpret the clues the murdered spy has left behind, evade his hunters, and return to England.
"The Thirty Nine Steps", the spy novel by John Buchan, has been adapted for the screen three times.
The best of these is the one that takes place in the last sequence of the film in which we are taken inside Big Ben where Hannay, having solved the mystery, goes after the Prussian spies.Robert Powell was effective in his characterization of Hannay, the South African engineer that is drawn, against his will, to be at the center of a manhunt for something he never did.