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Movies & TV

The 39 Steps

THE 39 STEPS (Criterion, 1935) D: Alfred Hitchcock, w/ Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll. Rating: NNNN DVD package: NNNNN Rating: NNNN


The 39 Steps is a must-see for Hitchcock fans. It had a huge influence on his later work and the thriller genre in general, and it’s loaded with his signature techniques, themes and motifs, all dissected in the extras. It’s also enjoyable entertainment, short on gunfights, punch-ups and explosions but long on tense moments and surprising turns.

Canadian bachelor Richard Hannay (Robert Donat) meets a woman who’s being hunted by spies. She gets a knife in the back, and Hannay goes on the run from the cops and the spies. His one clue leads to Scotland. Along the way, he’s handcuffed to beautiful young Pamela (Madeleine Carroll), who detests him.

Donat and Carroll were top stars of their day and very good at mixing the banter and tension. The supporting cast is splendid, and Hitchcock gives them all strong moments without ever slowing the pace.

The highlight of the solid extras package is the 40 minutes of unedited interview footage from 1966. Hitchcock provides thoughtful extended answers to questions about his early life and work and his philosophy of filmmaking. This is a far better interview than the one with François Truffaut that’s also included, where translation slows the tempo and Hitchcock is more inclined to make jokes than to answer Truffaut’s wordy questions.

EXTRAS Commentary, 1966 Hitchcock TV interview footage, Hitchcock-Truffaut audio interview segment, Hitchcock’s British career doc, 39 Steps visual essay, 1937 radio adaptation, print essay. B&w. English audio and subtitles.

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