The 39 Steps (1935)

Second viewing; first seen on October 19, 1992.

Based on the novel by John Buchan, first published in 1915.

A Canadian man visiting London is wrongly accused of murdering a woman. She was a secret agent, and was murdered by members of a secret spy organization who is trying to smuggle military secrets out of the country.

Entertaining thriller with overtly comic touches, and subtly dramatic ones as well. The ultimate meaning of the plot is not so easy to fathom; I vaguely suspect it to be a commentary about the Commonwealth, since you have a Canadian hero who tries to save England from an organization which operates out of Scotland. The thesis might be that Canada, although separated by an entire ocean, and not a part of the United Kingdom, may be a valuable ally against treacherous forces encroached in a neighboring nation who is a part of that Kingdom. Now that Scotland has decided to remain joined with England, instead of going its own way as an independent member of the (Afro-Asian-)European Union, this film may prove healthy food for meditation. Or not. Anyway, I had a jolly good time reading every single line of dialogue of it from a transcription in the internet, as I went along watching it. Thanks to the transcriber for a job well done, although I still think that the farmer's coat was not "his son's" but instead "his sunday best". TV Guide has a well-written review of this film. That reviewer is considerably more enthusiastic than I am, but that is just as well, maybe on my next viewing of The 39 Steps I will come to his senses.

Rating: 58 (up from 50)