The 39 Steps
By November 23, 1999
The occasion of the 100th anniversary of Alfred Hitchcock’s birth rewards us with a new release of one of his greatest films, The 39 Steps (1935). This DVD provides a newly restored Read more »
- United Kingdom
- 1935
- 86 minutes
- 1.33:1
- English
- Spine #56
SYNOPSIS: The best known of Hitchcock’s British films, this civilized spy yarn 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. Adapted from John Buchan’s novel, this classic Hitchcock “wrong man” thriller encapsulates themes that anticipate the director’s biggest American films (especially North by Northwest), and is a standout among his early works.
Cast & CreditsOpen
Cast
| Richard Hannay | Robert Donat |
| Pamela | Madeleine Carroll |
| Annabella Smith | Lucie Mannheim |
| Professor Jordan | Godfrey Tearle |
| Margaret, the crofter's wife | Peggy Ashcroft |
| John, the crofter | John Laurie |
Credits
| Director | Alfred Hitchcock |
| Cinematography | Bernard Knowles |
| Producer | Michael Balcon |
| From the novel by | John Buchan |
| Screenplay | Charles Bennett |
| Dialogue | Ian Hay |
| Continuity | Alma Reville |
| Art director | O. Werndoff |
| Editing | D.N. Twist |
| Recordist | A. Birch |
| Musical director | Louis Levy |
Disc Features
- Gorgeous new transfer, with digitally restored image and sound
- Audio essay by Hitchcock scholar Marian Keane
- The complete 1937 broadcast of the Lux Radio Theatre adaptation, performed by Robert Montgomery and Ida Lupino
- The Art of Film: Vintage Hitchcock, a Janus Films documentary detailing the director’s British period
- Excerpts from the original 1935 press book
- Original production design drawings
- English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired
- Optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer edition
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