The Thirty Nine Steps (1978)
Directed by Don Sharp

Film Review

This third screen adaptation of John Buchan's thriller novel The Thirty-Nine Steps may be the one that is most faithful to the original story, but it is by far the weakest and appears hopelessly pedestrian compared with Hitchcock's The 39 Steps (1935) and the subsequent 1959 version by Ralph Thomas.  The glossy production values and distinguished cast are merely window dressing for what is pretty well an aimless run-around which is singularly lacking in charm and tension.  The film is most memorable for its fantastic climax, in which Richard Hannay ends up suspended from the minute hand of Big Ben, a sequence that was inspired by the Will Hay comedy My Learned Friend (1943) and looks as ridiculous as it sounds.  Heaven alone knows what prompted Thames Television to allow Robert Powell to reprise his role in a spin-off series, Hannay - the actor is painfully miscast and looks as if he is slowly dying of boredom throughout the film (and you can see why).  The flaws in a lacklustre script are magnified by the totally uninspired direction, and no amount of acting talent can prevent this from being a lumbering misfire.

Film Synopsis

England, 1914.  With Europe on the brink of war, several prominent British politicians are assassinated.  Former intelligence officer Colonel Scudder uncovers a plot to murder the Greek Prime Minister in an attempt to plunge Europe into war.  Pursued by enemy agents, Scudder appeals to mining engineer Richard Hannay to hide him in his London apartment.  Whilst Hannay is buying tickets for a railway journey to Scotland, Scudder is killed, in a way that makes Hannay appear to be his assassin.  Adopting various disguises to avoid capture by the police, Hannay makes his way up to Scotland, to recover a notebook which Scudder posted to a village there before his death.  The notebook contains details of the imminent assassination plot and is desperately sought after by Scudder's killers...