The 39 Steps (2008): Cast & Plot
The 39 Steps is a 2008 adventure thriller directed by James Hawes, starring Rupert Penry-Jones as Richard Hannay, Del Synnott and Eddie Marsan. It runs 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 30m (90 min)
- Director
- James Hawes
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- BBC
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The 39 Steps About?
The premise of The 39 Steps without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Mining engineer Richard Hannay, on a dull holiday in London, is thrust into intrigue when a secret agent bursts in, handing him a coded notebook about the looming outbreak of World I. Pursued by German spies and British authorities alike, Hannay races to decipher the mysterious Roman‑numeral cipher before it falls into the wrong hands.
The 39 Steps Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- 1910s
- on the run
- mistaken identity
- apartment
- castle
- inn
- suffragette
- photographic memory
- spy
- traitor
- manhunt
- dynamite
+38 more Show fewer
- sexist
- chauvinist
- speech
- race against time
- uncle niece relationship
- world war one
- notebook
- london england
- scotland
- ventriloquist
- train
- u boat
- based on novel
- title spoken by character
- surprise ending
- policeman
- breakfast
- shotgun
- kiss
- bicycle
- shot in the back
- car theft
- political candidate
- fight in water
- lantern
- chapel
- political meeting
- secret passageway
- invisible ink
- shootout
- car chase
- shot to death
- telephone booth
- capture
- train compartment
- rowboat
- captive
- jumping into water
The 39 Steps Cast & Characters
Rupert Penry-Jones leads the cast as Richard Hannay, with Del Synnott as London Constable and Eddie Marsan as Scudder. Directed by James Hawes; 20 actors are credited in all.
- Director James Hawes
- Rupert Penry-Jones as Richard Hannay
- Del Synnott as London Constable
-
Eddie Marsan as Scudder -
Alex Jennings as Captain Kell
Also Starring in The 39 Steps
· 16 more- Patrick Kennedy Hellory Sinclair
- Lydia Leonard Victoria Sinclair
- David Haig Sir George Sinclair
- Patrick Malahide Professor Fisher
- Steven Elder Vicar / Wakeam
- Werner Daehn Ackerman
- Kathryn Howden Landlady
- James Bryce Concierge
- David Gallacher Professor's Butler
- Stewart Preston Waiter
- Peter Stark Engel
- Sandy Neilson Old Man in Club
- Roger De Courcey Ventriloquist
- Barbara Downie Woman on Stairs
- Anna Guthrie Maid
- George Docherty Train Policeman
More from James Hawes
More films directed by James Hawes, best-rated first: One Life, The Amateur, The Challenger Disaster and The Murder at Road Hill House.
The 39 Steps Plot Summary
What happens in The 39 Steps from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Richard Hannay, Rupert Penry-Jones, a mining engineer and a former intelligence officer who has just returned from Africa, finds London after the Boer War prickly, insular, and increasingly dull. The city’s social niceties feel stifling as he tries to navigate a life that seems to be built on “clique” and class boundaries, and he longs for purpose beyond quiet routine.
Full summary
The whole story of The 39 Steps, scene by scene
How Well Do You Know The 39 Steps?
9 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 9
- 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
What is Richard Hannay's profession before the events of the film begin?
Cars in The 39 Steps
6 cars on screen, including the 1926 Darracq 20/98 Type TL and the 1924 Humber 8/18.
-
1926 Darracq 20/98 Type TL Important role -
1924 Humber 8/18 Important role -
1924 Morris Oxford Important role -
1927 Wolseley 11/22 Important role
Seen The 39 Steps?
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.
The 39 Steps FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast 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 30 minutes (90 minutes).
When was The 39 Steps released?
The 39 Steps was released on December 28, 2008.
Who directed The 39 Steps?
The 39 Steps was directed by James Hawes.
More films by James Hawes Who is in the cast of The 39 Steps?
The 39 Steps stars Rupert Penry-Jones as Richard Hannay, Del Synnott as London Constable and Eddie Marsan as Scudder, among 20 credited actors.
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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