39 Steps - Early Hitchcock!

Intrigue 1935
The 39 Steps is my 39th epinion review ... and now the mystery starts, of course with a killing and spies -- oh my!

Though Hitchcock liked his film Young and Innocent the best of his early British films, I can't see why this did not take the early prize.

It must have been IN during this era for screen plays to revolve around good looking characters being thrown a body to defend themselves from the murder of said body! Hitchcock's Young and Innocent was quite similar, though this one is a bit International in flavor.

Miss Annabella Smith, played by Lucie Mannheim fires off shots in a cheesy entertainment hall where Mr. Memory is showing his amazing ability to KNOW EVERYTHING that he hears and has heard ... definite Jeopardy Contestant material She does this because spies lurk, and they pursue her for knowing about the 39 Steps.

The steps prove not to be for climbing ... read on!

You are Framed!
Young Canadian Richard Hannay, played by Robert Donat is an Errol Flynn and Don Ameche look alike and a fair actor, until later in the film when he unexpectedly starts whistling --- even though gaggles of police are chasing him and spies are lurking. Odd, but Hitchcock knows why!

And You Are Stabbed!
Well, the quirky and pursued Annabella is pursued and killed in Richard's apartment, and low and behold all of the UK is now chasing him, instead of clearly seeing this is SPY work! Ahh...the spies are not all that clever, they leave the body holding a map that leads right to the leader of the clandestine nest!

The Chaser
In the 1930's you did not film movies about astute crime labs figuring out details under microscopes and arm chair debates of the scenario of the crime, you filmed inept looking cops running, literally, after the prey, hopping on and off trains, up and down rail cars, and through hill and vale to --- That's right Scotland!

New Babe on Block
Madeleine Carroll playing Pamela does not buy that this handsome and wonderfully polite Canadian is innocent. She must have had a paranoid childhood. She instead tries to turn him in multiple times. But fate has the spies playing that they are policemen hand cuff them together. Everyone knows that when you are cuffed to someone your fate becomes inter-linked! Why, you can't go anywhere without them ... they escape the spies, but Pamela is still calling out for help --- from these villains!

Do beds make a difference
The chained duo make it to a small inn, where Robert now has to pretend to have a gun to keep babbling Pamela quiet, and they check in. One wonders if either of them has to go to the bathroom! Oh well ... Pam hears talking, and over hears the spies down stairs, and now FINALLY knows the man she is bound to is really nice, even though he is nice to everyone anyway! Her thick head now believes it!

Missing Fingers and Memory
The map leads to a spy with missing pinky, the chase goes on, and Mr. Memory comes into the scene again. It seems the 39 steps are not something to climb, but a espionage ring trying to steal secret military technology via the master memory mind of Mr. Memory! No paper trail, just let the freak memory man manage the moving of complex manuscripts!

Shots in the Theater
The couple and the memory man are again in a concert hall and Mr. Memory is a guest star, but the man with no pinky is in the box seats. Robert figures it all out and calls out to Mr. Memory. "Tell me about the 39 Steps" ... pow pow pow, his Memory Man collapses! Now the pinky man is now the pursued by the gaggle of police, camera shows the couple holding hands, and now uncuffed, THE END!

Overview
Films of the 30's are unique, and it is difficult to see any genius in Hitchcock, unless you imagine it. It was nice that there were no toy trains, or boats and the action seemed real, though comprising mostly of runs along countryside, and car chases. The acting while dated severely and all the men had greased up hair and highly waxed mustaches, was pretty nice and this was a mystery.

Oh, Robert started oddly whistling ... why? When he first saw Mr. Memory they played a tune...darn those tunes, you can't shake them, and it came back to him when he saw Mr. Memory --- there was a KEY HERE! What sleuthy thinking and the uncontrollable whistling had a point, and you just thought it was goofy acting!



CAST
DIRECTOR -- Alfred Hitchcock

Robert Donat -- Richard Hannay/Mr. Hammond/Capt. Fraser/Henry Hopkinson
Madeleine Carroll -- Pamela/Mrs. Henry Hopkinson
Lucie Mannheim -- Miss Annabella Smith
Godfrey Tearle -- Professor Jordan
John Laurie -- John, crofter
Peggy Ashcroft -- Margaret, crofter's wife
Helen Haye -- Mrs. Louisa Jordan
Frank Cellier -- Sheriff Watson
Wylie Watson -- Mr. Memory
Gus McNaughton -- Commercial Traveller on Flying Scotsman (as Gus MacNaughton)
Peggy Simpson -- Maid
Jerry Verno -- Commercial Traveller on Flying Scotsman