Running Time
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1 hr 46
Certificate
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Universal
Number of Discs
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1
Subtitles
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Yes
Region
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2
Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll, Lucie Mannheim, Godfry Tearle, Peggy Ashcroft
Alfred Hitchcock
An innocent man on the run. A beautiful icy blonde. A fast-moving cross-country pursuit. A chaotic world where no one is ever what they seem. The 39 Steps set the template for Hitchcock's classic suspense thrillers.
John Buchan's very loosely adapted story begins when Richard Hannay (Robert Donat) picks up the exotic 'Annabella Smith' (Lucie Mannheim) at a music hall. The next morning he discovers she's been killed and finds himself in the frame for her murder.
Way ahead of its time in terms of its pace, black comedy and the sexual chemistry between the charismatic leads (particularly when Carroll removes her stockings while handcuffed to Donat). The 39 Steps is among Hitch's finest and has been voted into the BFl's Top Five Favourite British Films.
"It's not only Hitchcock's fastest and funniest film, but one of his most erotic and touching.” Time Out