Robert Donat plays a Canadian holidaying in London. One night at a music hall, he meets a mysterious woman who invites herself back to his place. Very forward for the times! Turns out she is a counterespionage agent trying to stop a secret document leaving the country. Before our dapper hero finds out more, the enigmatic Miss Smith is murdered in the night and thus begins a great chase to avoid capture, clear his name and to discover what this secret is and what are the 39 steps.
This is Hitchcock's first breakthrough feature and it displays a number of themes to show up in his later films. A mysterious woman, an innocent man on the run and the introduction of the MacGuffin: a plot device used to carry the story on, but ambiguous in nature, sometimes never even revealed. Here the MacGuffin IS The 39 Steps. It's not important what they are and it's the quest for the knowledge that is the interesting part.
The whole spy plot takes a back seat really and it's the interplay between the 2 main leads that drives the film along. What starts out as a spy mystery turns into a bit of a comic caper with a spot of romance. Donat ends up being handcuffed to Madeline Carroll and their relationship is played out in a mock marriage at an isolated inn. This sparking relationship is the essence of the film and once they leave the inn, Hitchcock wastes no time in drawing the film to a neat ending.
Charles Bennett's screenplay is full of sharp witty dialogue and is perfectly paced. The film is beautifully shot with many a lingering end-scene frame.
This is an excellent movie that has certainly stood the test of time and stands shoulder to shoulder with the best of Hitchcock's oeuvre.
WHERE'S ALFRED?!
making his usual cameo
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