The Thirty Nine Steps – 1959 | 94 mins | Thriller | Colour

Plot Synopsis

This is the first of two remakes of Alfred Hitchcock‘s 1935 masterpiece: the second being Don Sharp‘s 1978 The Thirty-Nine Steps starring Robert Powell. Director Ralph Thomas‘ colour production is somewhat altered from Hitchcock’s original plot, and whilst entertaining its ultimately uninspired and lacking in suspense as the yarn unfolds. The action moves along at a brisk pace making good use of some stunning Scottish scenery, and whilst More and Elg have fun with their roles they are unable to recreate the dynamism of original pairing Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll.

Richard Hannay (Kenneth More) meets up with a young nanny (Faith Brook) he’d come across earlier during the day. At the theatre that evening they attend a vaudeville performance by Mr. Memory (James Hayter), and afterwards Hannay takes her back to his London flat. There he discovers that she is not all that she appears, and when she is murdered in his flat, Hannay is plunged into a world of intrigue and espionage – with himself as the quarry. Before dying, she confesses to being a secret agent and imparts to Hannay some clues referring to a secret organisation run by a man in Scotland who are trying to smuggle some important plans out of the country. Hannay has only two days to find the head of the organisation with the victims dying words ingrained on his mind – the intriguing ’39 Steps.’. He catches the train for Scotland but encounters the police who suspect him of murder. After being exposed to the police by a female passenger, Miss Fisher (Taina Elg), Hannay leaps from the train at the Forth Bridge and sets-off to complete his journey to Glenkirk on foot.

Along the way Hannay is aided by lorry driver Percy Baker (Sid James), who drops him off at the roadside café of a friend, fake spiritualist Nellie (Brenda de Banzie). Dodging the police and enemy agents, Hannay finally gets to Glenkirk and meets sinister Professor Logan (Barry Jones) – only to discover the top of his finger is missing and he is in fact the enemy ringleader. Armed with this information, Hannay heads back to London only to become literally chained to an old acquaintance; attractive schoolteacher Miss Fisher. Once back in London, they go to watch Mr. Memory’s show at the Palace Music Hall after overhearing the two spies, and knowing he’s a tool of the gang; Hannay asks him the meaning of the 39 Steps. Mr. Memory feels compelled to answer.