4/5 These steps are worth taking...
  by Andrew Ellington (Mulholland Drive)
One of Hitchcock's major breakout films, `The 39 Steps' certainly feels like a Hitchcock movie. It is briskly paced, thrilling and contains his signature `dark humor'. In fact, there is a lot of salivate over here, but in the end this film leaves me wanting just a little more. I completely expected to be blown away, but instead I was merely entertained, and so I'm left wondering just why this movie didn't take it that extra mile so-to-speak.

The film revolves around a Canadian tourist in London who happens to come in contact with a beautiful spy who just so happens to get murdered in his flat. Before she expires she hands him a map and utters three magic words; "the 39 steps." Being pursued by policemen for her murder, Richard (that is his name) takes it upon himself to do this young woman's job in order to clear his name. Before long he is being pursued, not only by police but also by some very dangerous men intent of killing him.

The big gimmick here is that whole `handcuffed' bit, which is what was mainly advertised about the film. Yes, Richard meets Pamela, and they don't get along, and they wind up handcuffed together, but to be honest they are only handcuffed for about five minutes.

For me, the film opens very strong, if not a tad confusing and very improbable (but what Hitchcock film doesn't skirt around the improbable). It continues at a decent pace for a bit and then lags considerably for a while until the handcuffing starts and then my interest was peaked again (brilliantly played) and the film steamrolls from there at an intense and stirring pace until it ends, rather anticlimactically.

I think I actually muttered, "that's it?" to myself.

The best thing, by far, about this movie is Robert Donat. He is just completely engrossing as Richard Hannay. Even the scenes that seem to run stagnant are elevated by his beautifully fleshed out performance. You can feel the unease and confusion racing through him, but he never loses his conviction. It's an expertly realized performance. Madeleine Carroll is also very well used in her scenes. She does not have the amount of screen time one might think, for she is really only used in the films final stretch, but her chemistry with Donat is perfection. She shifts from volatile to amenable to wholeheartedly supportive effortlessly.

I'd recommend this one, because it is rewarding, but just realize that this is not the best Hitchcock has to offer. He played a similar deck in 1959's `North by Northwest' with a much grander and fully realized result, but this 1935 gem is still well worth your time.

1/5 The 39 Steps
  by Billie (Phoenix)
The VHS tape was inpossible to watch. I tried it on 2 different playback machines that were in perfect working condition and played other tapes just to see if the problem was in the machine or the tapes. I found that the problem was only with the 39 Steps, the tape I had just purchased.

The speed of the tape was intermittant, that is is started out running too fast, changed back to a normal speed and then would speed up again. It was not possible to adjust the tracking ( on either of the two players I tried). I had hoped to send the tape as a present to a friend who is interested in old Alfred Hitchcock movies, but had to junk it instead. I ended up purchasing another version of the movies in DVD format from Amazon ( that was was perfect) to send to my friend.

This was the first item that I have purchased through Amazon with which I was not pleased.The 39 Steps [VHS]

5/5 Classic Spy vs Spy set in England
  by Seen Them All (SoCal Desert)
This is a Classic Spy vs Spy drama set in Scotland and England at the beginning of WW2 (1935). Based on the book by John Buchan and directed by Alfred Hitchcock this is the story of a man falsely accused of murder who escapes and tries to find the real murderer. Full of action, suspense, spys, and plot twists this is Hitchcock at his best. Stars Robert Donat as the accused and Madeleine Carrol as the woman who helps him. Great story and plot. Well worth watching. Criterion is the best when it comes to restoring old films.

5/5 Great Film, Great DVD
  by H. M. Neely (Culver City, CA)
Finally, a beautiful DVD transfer of this wonderful early Hitchcock masterpiece. All the usual Criterion extras are there, but the most important thing is the film itself, which has previously been released in very inferior versions. If you love Hitchcock, this is the one to get.

4/5 A witty murder and spy movie
  by C. B Collins Jr. (Atlanta, GA United States)
This older film by Alfred Hitchcock is certainly a treat. The plot is unpredictable with many twists and turns, many of which are unexpected.

Whereas there is suspense, the premise behind the spies always seems a bit goofy. The spies often are as far from real spies as could be possible. In this film everyone admits they are a spy within minutes of having a conversation.

But it really isn't the plasibility of the plot that matters in these older suspense films by Hitchcock. It is the combination of humor and romance that usually surrounds the leading actor and actress as they fight the villians and grow to fall in love with each other. All of this leads to some witty entertainment as unexpected consequences act as plot twists and characters have to keep up.

There is an old saying that the director must stay one step ahead of the audience and if the audience ever gets ahead of the director, the film is lost. The nice thing about Hitchcock is despite the predicatability around the hero and heroine, who usually hate each other and then love each other, the circumstances they encounter are usually surprises that keep the viewer fully engaged.

This film in entertaining, with the scenes where the leading man and a possible romantic interest are handcuffed together and engage in one silly encounter after another as they run from the bad guys. You will like it.