The 39 Steps - Criterion Collection

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Hitchcock's first great romantic thriller is a prime example of the MacGuffin principle in action. Robert Donat is Richard Hannay, an affable Canadian tourist in London who becomes embroiled in a deadly conspiracy when a mysterious spy winds up murdered in Hannay's rented flat--and both the police and a secret organization wind up hot on his trail. With only a seemingly meaningless phrase ("the 39 steps"), a small Scottish town circled on a map, and a criminal mastermind identified by a missing finger as clues, quick-witted Hannay eludes police and spies alike as he works his way across the countryside to reveal the mystery and clear his name. At one point he finds himself making his escape manacled to blonde beauty Pamela (Madeleine Carroll), whose initial antagonism is smoothed by Hannay's charm and the sheer rush of her thrilling chase. It's classic Hitchcock all the way, a seemingly effortless balance of romance and adventure set against a picturesque landscape populated by eccentrics and social-register smoothies, none of whom is what he or she appears to be. Hitchcock would play similar games of innocents plunged into deadly conspiracies, most delightfully in North by Northwest, but in this breezy 1935 classic, Hitch proves that, as in any quest, the object of the search isn't nearly as satisfying as the journey. --Sean Axmaker

Description

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.

Customer Reviews:

Hitchcock's Version - No Slavish Adaptation by the Master.......2007-09-03

Alfred Hitchcock's movie version of John Buchan's "39 Steps" is a good example of how a movie director can take as his source material a novel and radically alter it to make it into a completely different kettle of fish. He added two important female characters, love interest, comic touches, a good musical score, and a denouement that is better than his source material. What do you do if you are Richard Hannay, and you bring a woman home to your apartment, and she turns out to be spy who ends up with a dagger in her back? After all, before bringing her home, he had warned her, "It's your funeral."
Robert Donat is Richard Hannay, and Madeleine Carroll is the romantic interest. The movie was made while Hitchcock was still in Britain. Even then he was a playful witty moviemaker. The British music hall performer, Mr. Memory, a key player in the film was a Hitchcock addition to the Buchan story.
The black and white movie is suspenseful with its spies, chase scenes in the Scottish highlands, and its very resourceful hero. Later Hitchcock movies used the isolated and hunted hero, the ingenious amateur, who has to win over doubters (in this case, Carroll). The film doesn't seem dated and is well worth seeing.
Nine Lives Too Many
The Daemon in Our Dreams
The Rice Queen Spy

Hitchcock at his finest.......2007-09-03

This is one of my favorite old films. The story is still relevant, absent cell phones, computers and GPS electronics. I also think the acting is good, especially that of Madeleine Carrol. I have read reviews critical of Robert Donat in this part, but I think he's great. The real star is Alfred Hitchcock. His directing and angles of shots is superb. The DVD copy is good and I'll watch it often.

It's All in the Lighting.......2007-06-05

This film is one of my favorites, to my mind ranking just below "Vertigo" (which I consider Hitchcock's masterpiece) and above "North By Northwest", which although spellbinding at times doesn't sustain the unbroken suspense of this 1935 work. The faces of both the major and minor characters, from the cleaning woman who discovers a body in Richard Hannay's flat to the wary farmer and his pitying wife to the innocent, handcuffed blonde, are all perfect. But what makes this film soar is the impeccable use of light and shadows - on the moors, in the farmhouse, in the bedroom of the inn. "Vertigo" is Hitchcock's best psychological study; the original "39 Steps" his best action-suspense yarn. This early work by the Master is coming upon its 75th Anniversary and it holds up remarkably well - in plotline, in dialogue, in acting, but most of all in texture. It's can't-miss filmmaking at its finest.

More Thrilling Than James Bond........2007-04-24

While vacationing in London, Canadian Richard Hannay (Robert Donat) attends a theatre and watches the amazing memory man recollect extraordinary facts and pass on information on a wide and eclectic range of subjects. The performance is chaotically interrupted. Hannay makes the acquaintance of a beautiful woman named Annabella Smith (Lucie Mannheim). Smith accompanies Hannay to his current residence and reveals to him that she is a secret agent that is trying to escape from a band of foreign agents that want her dead. She tells Smith about a secret organization known as The 39 Steps, that she is traveling to Scotland, and to be on guard for a man who is missing half of one of his fingers. That night, Annabella is murdered. Hannay fears for his life and sets out on a journey to prove his innocence by discovering the secret of the 39 Steps and breaking up the spy ring. A random series of encounters brings Hannay in contact with a beautiful, young woman named Pamela (Madeleine Carroll) who finds herself first unwittingly and then unwilling joining Hannay on his quest.

Alfred Hitchcock was one of the greatest film directors of all time. His influence upon the medium is even greater than that of Orson Welles. Hitchcock started making films in the 1920s and a person can learn a great deal about the medium of film and how to tell a story by just studying his early pictures.

THE 39 STEPS isn't the best of Hitchcock's films, but it is a great example of how good a director he was. While watching the movie I was reminded of the pacing from an Agatha Christie story (though in fact, the movie is based on the novel by Scottish author John Buchan). The film is set in the era of Pre-WWI U.K., but other than the obvious changes in props and backgrounds could just as easily take place in the early 21st Century.

I really enjoyed THE 39 STEPS. The film is kind of an action-spy-thriller piece, but it's full of delightful humor (such as when Hannay and Pamela are handcuffed together). The movie is noted as being the film that got Robert Donat recognized as a serious actor by the Hollywood establishment. It's also known as a great example of Hitchcock's penchant for realism: Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll actually were handcuffed together for several hours because Hitchcock claimed to have lost the key (in actuality he had given it to a security guard for "safekeeping").

Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys watching good spy films and for anyone who is a fan of Hitchcock. Also, if you're picking up this film to own, buy the Criterion Collection version. Other versions are much less expensive but Criterion has the best version of the movie available on DVD.

"The 39 steps" presents a classic 'Hitchcockian' situation..........2006-12-16

He is wanted simultaneously by the police, for a murder of a young woman he had befriended, and by the agents of an international espionage ring because the woman, a government agent, has told him about their activities...

All the Hitchcock trademarks are present: suspense (will the hero find the head of the spy ring--an unknown villain with a missing finger--before he is himself apprehended?); romance (at one point the hero, Robert Donat, finds himself handcuffed to Madeline Carroll, one of those beautiful, cool blonds who appear so often in Hitchcock films); irony (the archfiend is a respectable British squire who entertains the local clergy on Sundays); humor (rushing into a Salvation Army meeting while eluding the police, the hero is mistaken for the awaited speaker and is forced to improvise an address); violence (a music-hall mentalist, the spy ring's conduit for smuggling military secrets, is shot during his act); and constant cinematic inventiveness...

Wrong Men & Notorious Women - Five Hitchcock Thrillers 1935-1946 (The 39 Steps / The Lady Vanishes / Rebecca / Spellbound / Notorious) - Criterion Collection

Average customer rating:

Great Collection, but don't pay these outrageous prices...
Fabulous Noir...Classic Films...One Short Of Perfect
Early Hitchcock classics
Correction
IMMACULATE(AND STILL AVAILABLE)

Wrong Men & Notorious Women - Five Hitchcock Thrillers 1935-1946 (The 39 Steps / The Lady Vanishes / Rebecca / Spellbound / Notorious) - Criterion Collection
Starring: Alfred Hitchcock
Manufacturer: Criterion
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ASIN: B00008OM70
Release Date: 2003-05-13

Amazon.com

Wrong Men & Notorious Women is an irresistible set: five early Alfred Hitchcock thrillers--The 39 Steps, The Lady Vanishes, Rebecca, Spellbound, and Notorious--in sumptuous Criterion Collection editions that offer pristine transfers, commentary tracks by film scholars, and other bonus features such as screen tests, essays, rare photos, and radio broadcasts.

The 39 Steps (1935) is a prime example of the MacGuffin principle in action. Robert Donat is Richard Hannay, an affable Canadian tourist in London who becomes embroiled in a deadly conspiracy when a mysterious spy winds up murdered in Hannay's rented flat--and both the police and a secret organization wind up hot on his trail. It's classic Hitchcock all the way, a seemingly effortless balance of romance and adventure set against a picturesque landscape populated by eccentrics and social-register smoothies, none of whom is what he or she appears to be.

The Lady Vanishes (1938) begins innocently enough, as a contingent of eccentric tourists spend the night in a picture-postcard village inn nestled in the Swiss Alps before setting off on the train the next morning. Attractive young Iris (Margaret Lockwood) clashes with brash music student Gilbert (Michael Redgrave) when his nocturnal concerts give her no peace. True love is inevitable, but not before they are both plunged into an international conspiracy. Hitchcock effortlessly navigates this vivid thriller from light comedy to high tension and back again, creating one of his most enchanting and entertaining mysteries.

Rebecca (1940) is an ageless, timeless adult movie about a woman who marries a widower but fears she lives in the shadow of her predecessor. This was Hitchcock's first American feature, and it garnered the Best Picture statuette at the 1941 Academy Awards. In today's films, most twists and surprises are ridiculous or just gratuitous, so it's sobering to look back on this film where every revelation not only shocks, but makes organic sense with the story line. Laurence Olivier is dashing and weak, fierce and cowed. Joan Fontaine is strong yet submissive, defiant yet accommodating. Brilliant stuff.

Hitchcock takes on Sigmund Freud in Spellbound (1945), in which psychologist Ingrid Bergman tries to solve a murder by unlocking the clues hidden in the mind of amnesiac suspect Gregory Peck. Among the highlights is a bizarre dream sequence seemingly designed by Salvador Dali--complete with huge eyeballs and pointy scissors. Spellbound is one of Hitchcock's strangest and most atmospheric films, providing the director with plenty of opportunities to explore what he called "pure cinema"--i.e., the power of pure visual associations.

Notorious (1946) features a cast to kill for: Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant, and Claude Rains. Bergman plays the daughter of a disgraced father who is recruited by American agents to infiltrate a post-World War II spy ring in Brazil. Her control agent is Grant, who treats her with disdain while developing a deep romantic bond with her. Her assignment: to marry the suspected head of the ring (Rains) and get the goods on everyone involved. Danger, deceit, betrayal--and, yes, romance--all come together in a nearly perfect blend as the film builds to a terrific (and surprising) climax. Grant and Bergman rarely have been better.

Description

A supreme technician and innovative stylist, Alfred Hitchcock always left his indelible stamp on his productions. From the wit, romance, and fast-paced action of 1935's British-made The 39 Steps to the bittersweet blend of lush romance and spy- thriller in the 1946 Hollywood production Notorious, Hitchcock continually flaunted a peerless formal mastery as he capitalized on a wide variety of genres. In the 1940 Academy Award™ -winning Rebecca and 1945 psychoanalytic thriller Spellbound, Hitchcock also proved himself a keen surveyor of the human mind, incisively exploring the psychology of fear and sexual repression within the context of films that both entertained audiences of the day and ensured that his career would be one of the most illustrious in the history of cinema.

Starring Robert Donat, Joan Fontaine, Laurence Olivier, Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Claude Rains, and Cary Grant, these five acclaimed films bridge Hitchcock's early British masterworks with his triumphant American collaborations with producer David O. Selznick, and present the legendary director at his unparalleled best, creating films that are exemplars of suspense and cinematic virtuosity.

Oscar™ , Academy Award™ , and Academy Awards™ are the registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Customer Reviews:

Great Collection, but don't pay these outrageous prices..........2007-03-09

MGM dvd is set to to release these same titles later sometime this year (2007). So be on the look out. I already own this Chriterion collection and it is great, but it lacks any documentaries on the films. I'm sure the new MGM dvd releases will more than likely put this on them and hopefully more features too, like Warner dvd did with the rights they own of Hitchcock now.

Fabulous Noir...Classic Films...One Short Of Perfect.......2006-05-13

Hitch, Cary, Ingrid, Olivier, Whitty, Du Maurier,Fontaine. The list goes on. All these great talents combined to make a great package for Hitch fans.A selection of fabulous noir, that is definitive of all things Hitch. The suspense, the shadows and light, the camera angles, the sly humor, his trademark sequences, all here, for one great Hitch film-fest. A mix of his vintage British films, and the great classics of Hollywood.
Here are the "wrong men" and "notorious women" that make up this great collection.

"The 39 Steps"
One of Hitch's masterpieces! From 1935.. "The Thirty Nine Steps" has Hitch's trademark style all through it. An innocent man gets involved with spies and counter spies. He is at the music hall, watching a "Memory Act"(which is quite a scene in itself),there's a gun shot, panic erupts and everyone runs out. A mysterious woman attaches herself to him and comes home with him. She reveals she is a spy and others are after her. She mentions the mysterious "Thirty Nine Steps", and the next morning he finds her dead. He goes on the run for fear he will be implicated in the murder and in order to prove his innocence he must uncover this spy ring on his own. His path is fraught with danger, suspense and of course a beautiful woman. It stars Robert Donat,Madeline Carroll(you know how Hitch loved those beautiful cool blondes!), and Lucie Mannheim(as Annabela the spy).Also look for his trademark staircase scene.

Looking for Hitch: Less than 10 minutes in, you'll spy him. What a litter bug!

"The Lady Vanishes"
Of all Hitch's early British made film's(mostly made during the late 1920's and 1930's), "The Lady Vanishes" is by far the most captivating one for me.
A train trip is the setting for this mystery. A woman's traveling companion has disappeared. Where could she be? The train is only so big. She tries desperately to find her friend, but is alone in her quest. No one seems to believe that she even had a companion to start with.All seem to have their own mysterious reasons for denying her any help.
Finally one man is convinced to help, and together they try to solve this possible crime. There are lots of tense sequences to keep you in suspense, and your heart pounding. Hitch mixes up the thrills with his marvelous sense of humor and his wonderful trademark style.Wonderful performances by the likes of Dame Mae Whitty, Margaret Lockwood and Michael Redgrave add to the enjoyment of this one.

Looking for Hitch:....You must be patient. Check Victoria Station almost at the end of the film.

"Rebecca"
What do you get when you have a great work of literature by Daphne Du Maurier, combined with the cinematic skill of Director Alfred Hitchcock,combined with the extraordinary acting talents of Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders and Judith Anderson? You get pure perfection on film. Movie heaven!

The story begins in the South of France where a young, introverted woman(Joan Fontaine) meets wealthy widower Maxim de Winter(Olivier) His wife,Rebecca, had recently died in a drowning accident and often he seems to be pensive and far off. They fall in love, marry, and go back to his home, an estate called Manderly. She is overwhelmed by the palacial grandeur, the huge staff of servants but mainly by the very prim but chilling head housekeeper Mrs. Danvers(Judith Andersson). The first Mrs. De Winter still seems to have a presence in the household that Mrs. Danvers keeps alive.
To say anymore will be giving away too much of this hauntingly chilling love story/mystery.

Looking for Hitch: Nice day for a stroll...check the phone booth scene towards the end.

"Spellbound"
Here's a little of this riveting story.....
The beautiful Ingrid Bergman plays the distant psychiatrist Dr. Constance Petersen. She treats a number of troubled patients at the Green Manors Mental Asylum, but her toughest case is yet to come. With Dr. Murchison(Leo G Carroll) being forced into retirement a new chief of staff will be arriving. It is the esteemed Dr Edwards(Gregory Peck)who takes over. It is not long before Edwards and Constance find themselves attracted to one another, and it is not long before Constance figures out that Edwards is not really who he says he is. He displays signs of paranoia and amnesia and it is possible that he murdered the real Dr. Edwards.They are on the run to try to solve the case but as the original theatrical poster says,"Will he Kiss me or Kill me?"

You'll be awed Hitch's definitive style of camera angles, shadow and lights, romance and a unique dream sequence designed by Salavdor Dali. Not to mention all the wonderful talent that graces this film. Bergman and Peck make screen magic together, Carroll is a legend and this film shows us why.Also starring is Rhonda Flemming,Michael Chekhov, and Wallace Ford. The music by Miklos Rozsa also adds greatly to the building tension, and romantic scenes in the story.
So don't worry about trying to over anaylze this one....As Hitch himself said "It's just a movie." But a GREAT one!

Looking for Hitch: About :40 minutes in, you may see him if you're quick!

"Notorious"
The master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, gives us another edge of your seat thriller. He combines, mystery,romance, and the evil's of Nazism in this chilling story.It takes place shortly after WWII. Alicia(Ingrid Bergman) is a woman with a past. Her father has just been convicted of spying. American agent Devlin(Cary Grant), enlists Alicia to infiltrate a Nazi spy ring.After her father's conviction, Alicia can prove her own patriotism by cooperating in this manner. She finds herself right in the thick of things and her own life in danger after she goes as far as to marry Alex(Claude Rains), one of the very powerful, rich and dangerous ring leaders of the group. Alex is on to her and tries to methodically get rid of his beautiful wife.Can the handsome "Dev" rescue the woman he has come to love so much before tragedy strikes.?

You'll delight to find Hitch's trademarks all through the film. The camera angles are definitive,the trademark staircase scene, the passion between Grant and Bergman electrifying,Claude Rains is terrifying, and the story a rollercoaster of suspense filled moments. There isn't a more perfect film I can think of.

Looking for Hitch: A little over an hour in you can have a little drink with him.(Not too much though, the Champagne needs to last the night at this party).

Hitch was "notorious" for stories where the "wrong" guy was accused of the crime. There are others that could fit into this collection. But I truly think there is one glaring omission.Shouldn't "The Wrong Man" with Henry Fonda, be included in "Wrong Men and Notorious Women"?.It's a dark wonderful piece of filmmaking, based on a true story of a man who happened to look like the criminal.

One other note. I notice that Amazon is out of stock. The outside sellers seem to be taking advantage of that fact, and have raised the cost sky high. If this set is the absolute way you want to go, put it in your cart or wish list, and keep an eye out for a reasonably listed price. In the meantime, you may want to surf around and see what it would cost to buy these films separately. A couple of them are on the expensive side, but others are averaging the usual cost of a DVD. One more route, would be to go to you local video store, they may have it, or may even be able to order it for you at the suggested retail price.

Five 5 star films, but missing one to make the package perfect.
Enjoy....Laurie

Early Hitchcock classics.......2005-06-28

This impressive DVD box set showcases some of Alfred Hitchcock's earliest work in the 1930s and 40s, where the young director was not only breathing new life into Hollywood, but also displaying his enthusiasm for macabre tales of murder and mystery. By 1935 Hitch already had 19 films under his belt, however for the most part, his earlier work (The 1920s films THE LODGER, THE RING, BLACKMAIL and MURDER in 1930) was more experimentation that art, but THE 39 STEPS was the landmark film that put Hitch on the map. Watching it on TV late one night, I was enthralled at how expertly-crafted this little thriller was, and its great to see this classic on DVD. Boasting powerhouse performances form Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll and some fantastic cinematography, 39 STEPS says: "I respect you and here's a great movie worthy of your time". Made when movie studios like RKO, 20th Century Fox and Universal had uncertain futures, this was one of the movies that assured cinema-goers that this was not only worth money, but showcased some fantastic thrills, chills, and wonderful escapism. THE LADY VANISHES (1938) is not the directors' best film however, with a slow-paced first 20 minutes and the writing isn't as strongly composed as 39 STEPS. Some impressive action at the finale and a strident score almost make up for it's casual style.

Derived from Daphne Du Maurier's excellent novel by Philip MacDonald, REBECCA (1940) is possibly one of the most expertly crafted films ever made in the history of cinema, a rare perfect film that deserves 6 stars for its incredible style, music, and some gripping acting from veteran Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine. SPELLBOUND and NOTORIOUS are equal in style and achievement, and the DVD extras are fantastic, including The Art of Film: Vintage Hitchcock, a Janus Films documentary, rare deleted scenes, restored image and sound, and some amazing screen, hair, makeup and costume tests with Vivien Leigh, Anne Baxter, Loretta Young and Joan Fontaine. Commentaries by film scholar Leonard J. Leff, author of Hitchcock and Selznick, Hitchcock on Rebecca, excerpts from his conversations with Francois Truffaut, phone interviews with Joan Fontaine and Judith Anderson from 1986 and exclusive behind the scenes footage of the making of these classic masterpieces. If you don't have this already, buy it now and be thrilled by the master of suspense!

Correction.......2004-06-15

Amazon lists this as a five-disc set. Actually it includes six discs since Rebecca comes on two.

IMMACULATE(AND STILL AVAILABLE).......2004-04-28

When I read the reviews and saw that Amazon no longer carried this, I was disappointed. Only disappointed until I purchased this item new from a different vendor. I don't know why Amazon does not carry it.

In any event, when you get your opportunity pounce! The quality of these movies is amazing, the extras extraordinary and the price a steal. These movies are a feast for the eyes and ears. The images are beyond crisp and the sound is beyond clear. What more can be said. This set is a must have.

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