The 39 Steps
Hitchcock spy classic
A 1915 adventure novel by John Buchan, following a man who stumbles into an espionage plot and must evade both spies and police across the Scottish moors.
The title refers to a mysterious staircase central to the conspiracy.
Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 film adaptation established many thriller conventions and remains more famous than the source novel.
The story has been adapted repeatedly for stage, film, and television.
- British cinemaEngland's film industry
- spyCovert information gatherer
- thrillerSuspense-driven narrative genre
- wrong manOne falsely blamed
- fugitiveOne fleeing authorities
Hitchcock · chase · cross country · Scotland · train · moors · handcuffs · innocent · pursuit · espionage · mystery · MacGuffin · stairs · secret · spy ring · agent · blonde · silhouette
- 1930s filmsGone with the Wind, King Kong, Frankenstein, Dracula, Snow White
- HitchcockVertigo, The Birds, Rear Window, North by Northwest, Rebecca
The 39 Stepsdomestic drama
Stories of household strife
kitchen sink realism · Brief Encounter · family saga · tearjerker · weepie