The Thirty Nine Steps Film Review

This is the third adaptation of the John Buchan novel of the same name. Buchan was to write five novels with Richard Hannay as the protagonist. The only other one to receive a film version is The Three Hostages in 1977. The book of that is nuts, so would love to see the film. All of the 39 Steps including the 2008 version take liberties with the book. The producers of this one at Rank said that the Hitchcock film was 20% the book and 80% made up. He says this one is the reverse. I think not really. There are plenty of changes from the book. Hitchcock is always looking over their shoulder and it is difficult to ignore that film. How faithful to the book this is, may be up for debate, but in either case this is a very sold suspenseful film. Perhaps more so than the Hitchcock film, but that one had Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll which will always give it an advantage over any adaption. This has Robert Powell and Karen Dotrice. Judge for yourselves. Powell is fine and he went on to appear in a 13-episode Hannay TV series which isn't bad at all.

Scudder who is an upstairs neighbor of Hanny's comes knocking on his door one night with a request. Can I stay here for the night. German agents are looking to kill me. The year is 1914 before the war has begun. He tells Hannay a fantastical tale. On the 15th German spies plan to kill the Prime Minister of Greece when he appears at Parliament throwing Europe into war. Hannay doesn't really believe him and actually unloads Scutter's revolver when he is asleep. He never really seems to recognize that this act leads to Scudder's murder the next day. Scudder played by the great John Mills is killed practically in Hannay's arms and he is accused of killing him and is captured by the police.

He escapes of course and soon has the police and the Germans after him as he heads for Scotland. Lots of escapes and jams to get out of. Two things they keep from the Hitchcock film is his having to give a political speech and having the romantic angle. The producer said, what is a movie without a woman. The book has none. It is easily the weakest part of the film. The film ends on a thrilling note with Hannay having to hang on to the giant hands of Big Ben to stop it from reaching 11:45 and blowing up Parliament. David Warner plays the main villain - who else can emanate evil and always be polite like he does. Other British actors in smallish parts are George Baker, Timothy West, Robert Flemyng, Eric Porter and Andrew Kier. It is directed Don Sharp who helmed a few Hammer films and keeps this one lean and moving.