The 39 Steps
The thirties was a decade of great movies and one of the directors who making name for himself during that time was Alfred Hitchcock.
In 1935, he brought the thriller The 39 Steps to the big screen, which came before he broke into America with Rebecca.
The 39 Steps was based on the novel of the same name by John Buchan, and was adapted for the big screen by Charles Bennett.
A man in London tries to help a counterespionage agent. However, when the agent is killed and the man stands accused, he must go on the run to both save himself and also stop a spy ring, which is trying to steal top-secret information.
There are very few poor Hitchcock movies, and The 39 Steps really is the director at his very best. This movie is packed with the classic Hitchcock suspense and is a fast paced and witty adaptation of Buchan's novel.
The 39 Steps is a movie that is packed with twists and turns and will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Hitchcock also manages to mix thriller elements with moments of comedy incredibly well, which elevates the film even more.
Hitchcock was very much finding his way as a filmmaker during the thirties, and it is movies like The 39 Steps that really helped establish him as a great thriller director.
Into the forties, fifties, and sixties, Hitchcock would go on to become a master in this genre, and The 39 Steps remains a great amongst his body of work.
However, it is not all about Hitchcock as Madeleine Carroll and Robert Donat both give terrific central performances as Pamela and Hannay.
Together they make a cracking team and they really do bring to life some fantastic and lively dialogue.
The 39 Steps is one of Hitchcock's first masterpieces and really did kick off a truly wonderful career and is as great a film today as it was when it was released nearly eighty years ago.
The Wizard of Oz is out in 3D now.