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39 Steps, The (Criterion) (1935)
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Rating:
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| Starring: |
Peggy Ashcroft,
Madeleine Carroll,
Frank Cellier,
Robert Donat,
Helen Haye,
John Laurie,
Lucie Mannheim,
Godfrey Tearle,
Wylie Watson
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| Director:
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Alfred Hitchcock
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| Category: |
Classic,
Suspense / Thriller,
Independent
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| Studio: |
Criterion
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Subtitles: |
English
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Length: |
86 mins
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The best known of Hitchcock's British films, this civilized thriller follows the escapades of Richard Hannay (Robert Donat), who stumbles into a conspiracy that involves him in a hectic chase across the Scottish moors – a chase in which he is both the pursuer and the pursued. This classic Hitchcock “wrong man” thriller includes a stop in John Laurie’s crofter’s cottage, a political meeting where Hannay improvises a speech without knowing who or what he’s supporting, and a period where he’s handcuffed to the resentful heroine (Madeleine Carroll). Adapted from John Buchan’s novel, The 39 Steps encapsulates themes that anticipate Hitchcock’s biggest American thrillers (especially Nor | | |
