Free on IMDb
The following FAQ entries may contain spoilers. Only the biggest ones (if any) will be covered with spoiler tags. Spoiler tags have been used sparingly in order to make the page more readable.
For detailed information about the amounts and types of (a) sex and nudity, (b) violence and gore, (c) profanity, (d) alcohol, drugs, and smoking, and (e) frightening and intense scenes in this movie, consult the IMDb Parents Guide for this movie. The Parents Guide for The 39 Steps can be found here.
Yes. The Thirty-nine Steps is a 1915 novel by Scottish adventure writer John Buchan [1875-1940], the first of six novels featuring action hero Richard Hannay. The other five novels include Greenmantle (1916), Mr Standfast (1919), The Three Hostages (1924), The Courts of the Morning (1929), and The Island of Sheep (1936). The novel was loosely adapted for the movie by English screenwriter Charles Bennett. There have also been two remakes of The 39 Steps -- The 39 Steps (1959) and The Thirty Nine Steps (1978) with two more remakes in the planning stages -- The 39 Steps (2008) and The 39 Steps (2009).
Those who have both read the book and seen the movie say that the movie is quite different from the book. For example, the actual 39 steps of the book are different from the movie. Also in the book, Hannay is never handcuffed to a woman; in fact, the romantic bit between Hannay (Robert Donat and Pamela (Madeleine Carroll) was made up for the movie. Hitchcock's film does follow the novel in one important respect: both stories are highly episodic, unrolling almost like collections of self-contained short stories. The main difference structurally is that Buchan's episodes, enshrined in long discrete chapters, have a clear beginning, middle, and end, whereas Hitchcock hurtles from one episode to the next scarcely more warning of his abrupt changes in time, place, and tone.
Mr Memory (Wylie Watson) answers that question near the end of the movie when he starts to explain, "The Thirty-Nine Steps is an organisation of spies, collecting information on behalf of the foreign office of ...", but he is shot by Professor Jordan (Godfrey Tearle) before he can name the country. Considering the year that this movie was made (1935), many viewers conclude it was the foreign office of Germany, but there is no evidence to show this is the case. The novel, in fact, was set just before WWI and "the 39 steps" is actually a code for a hillside cabin that leads to 39 steps that are part of the secret society of spies.
Mr Memory also answers that after he is shot. In a rather long-winded speech, he describes a cylinder that will allow engines to run without making a sound. Hitchcock considers the secret formula one of his MacGuffins -- a term describing "the plot device, of little intrinsic interest, such as lost or stolen papers, that triggers the action." [Quote from Halliwell's Filmgoers Companion].
Some viewers have noticed that Mr Memory seems to be entranced when answering Hannay's questions and wonder whether the spies may have hypnotized him or otherwise tampered with his mind so that he would be compelled to answer the questions when asked. Other viewers think Mr Memory didn't want to let his audience believe that he didn't have the answer, so he felt compelled to answer the question to maintain his reputation as the man who knows everything. Hitchcock himself has answered that question thusly: "The whole idea is that the man is doomed by his sense of duty. Mr. Memory knows what the thirty-nine steps are, and when he is asked the question, he is compelled to give the answer." [Quote from Hitchcock by Francois Truffaut, Ch. 4]
Some viewers see that as a plothole or a goof on Hitchcock's part, but one likely explanation is that they did it to kill two birds with one stone. By killing Annabelle (Lucie Mannheim) and leaving Hannay, he would be blamed and arrested for her murder, thus closing the investigation.
Most likely because Hannay got away and headed for Scotland. The spies knew that he knew something and, therefore, he needed to be eliminated.
Yes. Hitchcock is a passer-by on the street when Hannay and Annabella come out of the music hall about seven minutes into the movie. They cross the street and get on a bus as Hitchcock walks by and tosses some litter on the ground.
Pip is a disease of a bird's mouth. When the man's wife tells him to be quiet, he then says, "Well, our fowls have it!"
The MC has just boasted of Mr Memory's "prodigious feats", and the person with the irritating voice says "His feet aren't half as big as yours, Cully." "Cully", was the slang equivalent of "mate".
The copper says "Young man having a free meal in there!"
Countless distributors have released The 39 Steps (1935) onto VHS and DVD, often with a bad picture and unintelligible sound. This film would seem to be in the public domain, in which case any distributor could legally sell copies without paying royalties. Beware. Many small distributors market copies of public domain films with poor picture and sound. Others are more reputable and deliver good transfers of the best available prints. Shop around. Try: The Criterion Collection's DVD release. You can find it at Amazon.com here.
No. The US copyright to The 39 Steps was reasserted by Carlton Film Distributors, Ltd in 1997 and the rights subsequently transferred to Granada International. As per the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (1994) signed by President Clinton, The 39 Steps remains under copyright until at least 2050 (being 70 years after the death of the principle director, according to the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988). Details of the copyright restoration notice for The 39 Steps (and other Hitchcock films) can be found on the U.S. Copyright Office website.
"The 39 Steps" (1937) is an episode of Lux Radio Theatre. It stars Robert Montgomery and Ida Lupino. Buy at: Amazon.com here. It is also on the Criterion DVD as a bonus feature."The 39 Steps" (1947) is a CBC Stage Series adaptation of John Buchan's novel, not the Hitchcock film. It stars Budd Knapp, Bernard Braden, Richard Nelson, Lister Sinclair, Sam Payne, Kathleen Kidd, John Drainie, Ruth Springford and Daphne Dyer. Buy at: Stage Series hereCan be listened to free at http://www.otr.net/ Under Lux Radio Theater. Provided you have Real Player.
r73731
