The 39 Steps

This is commonly regarded as the poor relation of Hitchcock's 1935 version with Robert Donat.  I am going to commit film blasphemy here by saying I prefer this version.

True, it stars Robert Powell with flarey nostrils and Leo Sayer hair.  But he plays the film with good humour throughout and even if he isn't quite how I imagine Richard Hannay he is at least very very very very English.  Which is what the role calls for.

The story concerns said Hannay, a decent cove and adventurer recently returned from South Africa who is drawn into a deadly game of international intrigue and spying by virtue of the fact that he happens to live near Scudder (John Mills) a top secret agent who has discovered a diabolical Prussian plot to plunge Europe into WAR!  Bigod!  

The Prussians are lead by the very sinister David Warner who manages to murder Scudder and frame Hannay for the crime.  Hannay is pursued by Prussians and policemen alike.  He must hotfoot it across Scotland in order to reach the vital clue to unlock the secret of.... The 39 Steps!!!

I apologise for the tone.  This film is like that.  All the way through.  I loved it.  Hannay has close encounters and deadly scrapes involving planes, trains and a wheelchair and ends up dangling off the minute hand of Big Ben.  It really is top stuff.

It looks a bit like an episode of Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes at times - but I forgive it that for its exuberance, its good-natured sense of humour and the ridiculous facial hair that nearly every actor sports.

I am told that this is the most faithful of all adaptations of John Buchan's novel, but as far as I know his Hannay didn't dangle off anything.  8/10