The Thirty Nine Steps (1978)

Simply Perfect

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

One of my all time favorites.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

THE THIRTY NINE STEPS is the third adaptation of John Buchan's famous spy novel, following the Hitchcock film and the 1950s-era remake with Kenneth More. The 1950s version remade the Hitchcock film and copied a lot of the elements like the villain with a missing digit and the hero being handcuffed for an extended time. This fresh-faced '70s outing ignores the Hitchcock film totally and goes back to basis to provide a more authentic version of the original novel.And it's a great little movie! Okay, Don Sharp was no Hitchcock, but he always knew how to shoot fine-looking films and THE THIRTY NINE STEPS is no exception. It has bags of atmosphere to boot, and out of the three adaptations it's the one that has the best spy genre feel to it. It moves along at a cracking pace, slipping in humour and suspense and providing a great time for the viewer along the way.Robert Powell had a decent decade of playing leading man roles before he disappeared off cinema screens in the mid '80s and this is one of his best productions. His Richard Hannay is more realistic and less cinematic than most, more ordinary and a bit stand-offish to begin with. His character grows on you as the story progresses thanks to his sheer determination so that by the halfway mark the viewer is fully behind him.The supporting cast is a cracker too: John Mills as the ally, David Warner as the villain, plus a meaty turn from Ronald Pickup as a heavy. The only weak spot is Karen Dotrice, whose bland love interest threatens to drag things down; thankfully she doesn't, and the thrills and spills carry on right until the climax as set-piece builds on set-piece. It sounds strange to say it, but I find THE THIRTY NINE STEPS to be the definitive version of the story and a film that narrowly outdoes Hitchcock at his own game.

It is said that it is hard for a remake to reach the level of its original counterpart, but this film is the rare exception. It reaches the level of the 1935 Hitchcock film and vastly surpasses it. Instead of the restricting in-studio black and white shots, this film offers the realm of colour and the expansive location shooting of the Scotland hills.Set in 1914 before World War 1, Thirty Nine Steps follows the story of Richard Hannay (Richard Powell) on the run from London after being framed for the murder of a spy (Sir John Mills), and being pursued across the Scottish landscape by both the police and the real murderers, led by the scheming villain, Edmund Appleton (David Warner).Appleton plans to assassinate someone of great importance at a certain time back in London,and it is up to Hannay to interpret the clues the murdered spy has left behind, evade his hunters, and return to England. This leads to one of the most fantastic climaxes the cinema has ever seen.

Finally got to watch "39 Steps" with John Mills, David Warner etc! What a "Hoot". The entire production staff must have spent time in Northern Manitoba on a Reserve that was oversupplied with "Aeroplane Glue" and "Plastic Bags". I sure would like to talk with any one that was involved with this production. Those still alive must either cringe or break out in voluminous laughter every time the "39 Steps" is mentioned. The acting? Well let's be kind. We haven't seen this much "Ham" since Michael Flatley slapped all that bacon fat on his torso, greased his way into a pair of "Rubber Tights",donned a strange Bolero jacket with matching Head band,had his eyeliner permanetly tattoed and did a 100 yard step dance across a Las Vegas Show Stage. This is a classic tongue in cheeker! Sit back with your "Twinkies",pass the "Bong" and be prepared to "Piss Your Pants" A Definite "10"!! The period costumes especially the use of such a wide variety of "HATS" are well worth the price of admission! The steam locomotive trains,the Moors,the woods and "Harold Lloyd hanging from "Big Ben:" Go out, sell the farm and buy this "Great Video".

I'm not a big fan of remakes. In particular, the act of remaking a film that is already considered a classic seems pointless. If the original is so good that everyone speaks highly of it, what's the point in trying to retell the story again? Surely a better idea would be for the remake brigade to pick films that had good potential first time round but didn't quite come off as well as they might. This 1978 adaptation of The Thirty Nine Steps is one of the few films, I think, that has valid justification for revisiting a story that had already found critical and commercial success in an earlier version. Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 version of the story was a truly outstanding film cinematically-speaking, but it was not a very faithful rendition of John Buchan's source book. The 1959 remake, with Kenneth More, merely copied the Hitchcock version. This third stab at the story, directed by Don Sharp and scripted by Michael Robson, is the first to go back to the novel and attempt to use the original plot closely and faithfully. For once, we have a remake that exists for a purpose:- to tell the story as envisioned by Buchan.Mining engineer Richard Hannay (Robert Powell) befriends a man named Scudder (John Mills) who is on the run from enemy agents in 1914 London. Scudder is murdered for his troubles, but not before passing a notebook on to Hannay and giving him a few clues as to the nature of the enemy. Hannay finds himself suspected of the murder and is forced to flee by train to the north, eventually eluding his pursuers by hiding from them in the rolling slopes of the Scottish wilderness. After various adventures, Hannay discovers that his enemies are actually German spies plotting a terrible atrocity in London. Aided by a lady he has picked up during his escapades, Alex Mackenzie (Karen Dotrice), Hannay attempts to foil the sinister plot, culminating in a terrifying fight on the face of Big Ben as the clock ticks towards a catastrophic disaster.Powell is excellent as the hero, and isn't upstaged (as one might expect) by the stellar supporting cast. (In fact, Powell went on to portray the character in a successful series on British TV a few years later). Good character work is provided by the likes of Eric Porter, David Warner, George Baker and John Mills, while Dotrice makes an agreeable leading lady. The period detail is evoked reasonably well throughout. The climax on the face of Big Ben has been frequently criticised - it is one of the only parts of the film that differs significantly from the events in the book, which is perhaps why purists have been quick to "knock" the sequence. However, I find the Big Ben sequence to be both exciting and memorable. If anything, the film's weakness is a lack of urgency during the opening half-hour or so. For those who make it past the slightly stodgy opening act, this emerges a very enjoyable and worthwhile retelling of Buchan's celebrated novel.