The Thirty-Nine Steps

The Thirty-Nine Steps is an adventure novel by John Buchan, first published in 1915. It is one of a number of Buchan's works to feature Richard Hannay, an all-action hero with a stiff upper lip and a miraculous habit of getting himself out of sticky situations.

Related Topics:
Novel - John Buchan - 1915 - Richard Hannay

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There have been three major film versions of the book. All three departed substantially from the text, and introduced a love interest which was not in the original novel. For the films the title is often abbreviated to The 39 Steps, but the full title is more commonly used for the book. An interesting feature of the phrase "the 39 steps" is that its meaning in each of the film versions is essentially different not only from the book, but also between the various films. In the 1935 film, the phrase refers to the clandestine organization itself; in the book and in the other film versions, it does refer to physical steps, but located in different places and with different significance to the plot.

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The 1935 black and white version was directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and starred Robert Donat as Hannay and Madeleine Carroll as the woman he meets on the train. It is still regarded as the superior version. In addition to The 39 Steps, Hitchcock directed a number of movies based upon the idea of an "innocent man on the run," including Saboteur and North by Northwest. Scholars of his movies regard this film as one of his best variations upon this particular theme. In 1999 it came 4th in a BFI poll of British films, while in 2004 Total Film named it the 21st greatest British movie of all time.

Related Topics:
1935 - Alfred Hitchcock - Robert Donat - Madeleine Carroll - Saboteur - North by Northwest - 1999 - BFI poll - 2004 - Total Film

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The 1959 version was directed by Ralph Thomas, starred Kenneth More as Hannay, and was the first colour version.

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1959 - Ralph Thomas - Kenneth More

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The 1978 version was directed by Don Sharp and starred Robert Powell as Hannay, Karen Dotrice as Alex, John Mills as Colonel Scudder and a host of other well-known British actors in smaller parts. It is generally regarded as the closest to the book, but still bears little resemblance to Buchan's original story.

Related Topics:
1978 - Don Sharp - Robert Powell - Karen Dotrice - John Mills

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