History
Mystery thriller
The 39 Steps (1935): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
The 39 Steps is a 1935 mystery thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Robert Donat, Wylie Watson and Lucie Mannheim. It is partly based on The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan. It runs 1 hour 26 minutes and earned $54,096 worldwide. Critics gave it 93 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.6/10.
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- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 26m (86 min)
- Director
- Alfred Hitchcock
- Original language
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English - Studio
- Gaumont British Distributors
- Based on
- The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
The story
What Is The 39 Steps About?
The premise of The 39 Steps without spoilers, adapted from The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
After returning to London, Richard Hannay's quiet life is disrupted when a mysterious neighbor, a British Secret Service agent, reveals a dangerous plot. Following the agent’s sudden death, Hannay is wrongly accused and thrust into a desperate chase across the countryside. Pursued by both the police and ruthless spies, he must decipher cryptic clues and evade capture to uncover the truth behind a conspiracy threatening national security and complete a vital mission.
The 39 Steps Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- on the run
- macguffin
- female spy
- military secret
- british noir
- escape
- handcuffs
- speech
- spy
- foreign agent
- memorization
- chase
+38 more Show fewer
- title spoken by character
- abusive husband
- police officer
- scream
- song stuck in head
- england
- pursuit
- three word title
- journey
- assassin
- suspicion of adultery
- salvation army
- professor
- theater
- jumping out of a window
- stockings
- train station
- apartment
- reading a newspaper
- stocking leg
- reference to bob fitzsimmons
- reference to nero
- reference to henry viii
- reference to mae west
- may december marriage
- reference to florence nightingale
- reference to jim corbett
- canadian abroad
- fountain
- deception
- double cross
- reprisal
- retribution
- desperation
- ruse
- new scotland yard
- gunfire
- footbridge
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Cast & crew
The 39 Steps Cast
Robert Donat leads the cast, with Wylie Watson and Lucie Mannheim. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock; 10 actors are credited in all.
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Director Alfred Hitchcock
Also Starring in The 39 Steps
· 6 more Ratings
The 39 Steps Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave The 39 Steps 93 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.6/10.
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IMDb 7.6 /10
See on IMDb -
Metacritic 93 Metascore
User score 8.0
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 74% User score
See on TMDB
Plot
The 39 Steps Plot Summary
What happens in The 39 Steps from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Canadian Richard Hannay, portrayed by Robert Donat, finds himself at a bustling London music hall. While experiencing an extraordinary demonstration of recall by “Mr. Memory,” played by Wylie Watson, chaos erupts when gunshots ring out. Amidst the frenzy, a terrified Annabella Smith, acted by Lucie Mannheim, clings to Hannay and convinces him to escort her back to his apartment. Once there, she confesses that she is a counterspy, having fired the shots to create a diversion as dangerous assassins pursue her. Annabella reveals that she is aware of a sinister plot to steal critical British military secrets, orchestrated by a man who is missing the top joint of his little finger. To thwart this conspiracy, she must travel to a secluded house in a small Scottish village.
Full summary
The whole story of The 39 Steps, scene by scene
Box office
The 39 Steps Box Office
The 39 Steps grossed $54,096 worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$54.1K
- International
- $52K
Videos
The 39 Steps Trailers & Videos
2 videos: 1 trailer and 1 teaser.
- Teaser The 39 Steps (1935) - Alfred Hitchcock - Trailer
Quiz
How Well Do You Know The 39 Steps?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who is the main character in The 39 Steps?
Cars
Cars in The 39 Steps
9 cars on screen, including the 1932 AEC Renown LT and the 1930 Austin 12/4 Taxi.
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1932 AEC Renown LT Minor role -
1930 Austin 12/4 Taxi Minor role -
1928 Austin 20/4 Ranelagh Minor role -
Rolls-Royce unknown Minor role
Details
The 39 Steps Also Known As
34 alternative titles, including “I 39 scalini” and “Il club dei trentanove”.
- Also known as
-
- I 39 scalini
- Il club dei trentanove
- I trentanove scalini
- 39 Stufen
- L'homme au doigt coupé
- 39 Degraus
- The Thirty-Nine Steps
- Тридцять дев'ять сходинок
- Thirty Nine Steps
- 39-те стъпки
- Die 39 Schritte
- Die 39 Stufen
+22 more Show fewer
- Les 39 Marches
- Il club dei 39
- 39 escalones
- 三十九级台阶
- 39 ступеней
- Os 39 Degraus
- 39 lépcsőfok
- 39 계단
- De 39 Voetstappen
- Τα 39 σκαλοπάτια
- 39 המדרגות
- 39 Basamak
- De 39 trin
- De 39 stegen
- 39 kroków
- 39 сходинок
- 國防大機密
- 39 de trepte
- 三十九夜
- 39 stopnic
- 39 askelta
- Els trenta-nou graons
Seen The 39 Steps?
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Movies Like The 39 Steps
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The 39 Steps, The 39 Steps and The Thirty Nine Steps.
From the blog
Articles About The 39 Steps
2 articles about The 39 Steps. The latest: “The Evolution of the Spy Genre in Cinema”.
FAQ
The 39 Steps FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, the book behind it and post-credit scenes of The 39 Steps, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The 39 Steps?
The 39 Steps runs 1 hour 26 minutes (86 minutes).
When was The 39 Steps released?
The 39 Steps was released on August 1, 1935.
Who directed The 39 Steps?
The 39 Steps was directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
More films by Alfred Hitchcock Who is in the cast of The 39 Steps?
The 39 Steps stars Robert Donat, Wylie Watson and Lucie Mannheim, among 10 credited actors.
How much did The 39 Steps make at the box office?
The 39 Steps grossed $54,096 worldwide.
How is The 39 Steps rated?
The 39 Steps has 7.6/10 on IMDb, 93 on Metacritic and 74% on TMDB.
Is The 39 Steps based on a book?
Yes. The 39 Steps is partly adapted from The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan.
Does The 39 Steps have a post-credit scene?
No. The 39 Steps has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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