Ian Hay (1)Critiques

2022 movie #202. 1935. A man (Donat) accidentally involves himself with trying to stop spies from stealing gov't secrets. Good suspense with some humor, as when he's fleeing across the Scottish countryside handcuffed to a woman (Carroll). Early Hitchcock.

Magical adventure novel

Far-fetched and with that 1930s sort of unreality that no modern film can get away with, The 39 Steps is enormously enjoyable, especially the scenes where Donat and Carroll are handcuffed together. For all the serious nature of the situation Donat finds himself in--an accused murderer on the run--with its brisk running time of just 87 minutes, it is played almost for laughs. Ashcroft is great as a woman who helps Donat on his journey to find the bad guy.½

A novel following the lives of an assorted cast, both civilian and military, during WWI. The tone is positive and light-hearted, avoiding the full horrors of the conflict. Perhaps the most sympathetic character is 'rebellious' Marjorie, a young lady determined to do her bit and more for the war effort. The author identifies two classes as "those who had taken up war work, and the people who were doing it." Marjorie is very much of the latter sort, ready to give he all - a true "willing horse". Hay is capable of a deft turn of phrase and coined coined "funny peculiar or funny ha-ha?", used in his play 'Housemaster'.½

A man goes on the run when a secret agent is murdered in his home.

A nice balance of humor and suspense. The plot's not exactly air tight, but the holes don't seem to matter.

Concept: B
Story: B
Characters: B
Dialog: A
Pacing: A
Cinematography: B
Special effects/design: B
Acting: B
Music: D

Enjoyment: B

GPA: 3.0/4½

Delightful and sweet. More of a short story, really. Sort of Terhune-ish, with a nice romance.

A classic British spy mystery, and one of Hitchcock's best, THE 39 STEPS is the story of an innocent man who struggles to prove his innocence. Robert Donat gets more than he bargained for when he brings home a mysterious woman (Lucie Mannheim) who confesses to be a British agent on the hot trail of a dangerous spy ring. The woman is killed in Donat's apartment and he immediately finds himself on the run, burdened with the charge for her murder and the dangerous knowledge of her mission. The film is distinguished by its pioneering use of contrapuntal sound effects, as well as the dynamism between Donat and his costar Madeleine Carroll.

Ian Hay (Major John Hay Beith, MC, CBE) was a novelist and playwright with a humourous and eccentric outlook. He was a friend and collaborator of P G Woodhouse.
During WW1 he served with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, going to France in 1915 as part of Kitchener's New Army - the First Hundred Thousand.
His eponymous book was based on his experiences at that period. Whilst undoubtedly a piece of propaganda, it bears his trademark humour and wry observation, as such it goes beyond mere propaganda. Published in English, American and Canadian editions in several printings, it was a tremendous success.
The author writes from first hand experience and captures the mood and humour of the times - the latter being a much needed defence mechanism required to survive in the horror of the trenches. It is worth revisiting in today's cynical age for the view it provides of how the war was seen by its willing (they were all volunteers at that stage) participants. But it is also a damned good read.

It's hard not to feel this was a nice piece of propaganda, given that it was published in 1916 and is essentially about what marvellous chaps the men who volunteered in 1914 were. I'm not sure that, that was its original intent, although the author went on to become a general, at the time he wrote the novel he was a captain.½