| Actors: Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll, Lucie Mannheim, Godfrey Tearle, Peggy Ashcroft Director: Alfred Hitchcock Creators: Bernard Knowles, Derek N. Twist, Ivor Montagu, Michael Balcon, Charles Bennett, Ian Hay, John Buchan Genres: Mystery & Suspense Sub-Genres: Mystery & Suspense Studio: Platinum Disc Corportation Format: DVD DVD Release Date: 11/09/2000 Original Release Date: 08/01/1935 Theatrical Release Date: 08/01/1935 Release Year: 2000 Run Time: 1hr 26min Number of Discs: 1 SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Total Copies: 1 Members Wishing: 0 MPAA Rating: Unrated See Also: |
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Search - The 39 Steps on DVD
  | The 39 Steps Actors: Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll, Lucie Mannheim, Godfrey Tearle, Peggy Ashcroft Director: Alfred Hitchcock Genres: Mystery & Suspense UR 2000 1hr 26min Hitchcock's first great romantic thriller is a prime example of the MacGuffin principle in action. Robert Donat is Richard Hannay, an affable Canadian tourist in London who becomes embroiled in a deadly conspiracy when a m... more » |
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Member Movie Reviews B.J. W. (analogkid01) from CHICAGO, IL Reviewed on 7/5/2025... How do you define "old movie"?
Today I watched Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 film "The 39 Steps" starring Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll who spend a good chunk of the movie handcuffed together. Hitchcock made a *lot* of movies between 1925 and 1976, so you can consider this an "early" Hitchcock but it still shows surprising maturity for an "old movie." It's got all the classic elements - spies, murder, cops, sexual tension, one or two pretty good chase sequences, a healthy dose of comedy, and a happy ending for our protagonist. I won't go into the details of the plot - they're largely incidental anyway - the real point of the movie is the interplay between Donat and Carroll. They're no Nick & Nora Charles, but they're enjoyable enough to watch. I define an "old movie" as anything made from the dawn of cinema through the end of the Hays Code (1934-1968). The limitations placed on filmmakers forced them to approach certain aspects of real life from artificial angles, but I appreciate the creativity this required. I would imagine 39 Steps was somewhat shocking to audiences of the day - in the opening sequence, a woman straight-up asks a man she does not know if she can go home with him. I'm not sure how common that was in those days (in reel life or real life), but I'm curious how the Hays Code enforcers responded to that scene. (The fact that the film was produced in Scotland may have been a factor.) The only real downside to old movies, for me, is the sound. I'll watch a movie that's grainy or out of focus, but if the sound is bad I'll bail out. Some of these old movies...oof, they're hard on the ears. I wonder if there's a way to clean up the audio tracks, but I'm not holding my breath. Grade: straight B. |
