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Visitors Review

Geoff 2012-05-23 22:21:40

Pale Poor Imitation of Hitchcock's Classic

This is a dated and rather corny remake of one of Alfred Hitchcock'sfinest films. The plot is preposterous, Hannay for example jumps theLondon to Scotland train to avoid the police somewhere across theborder and is within minutes tracked by his enemies, this despite beingset in the 1st world war period when transport was severely limited.The music soundtrack is bombastic and over-egged ( I thought I waswatching a 70's ITV drama serial,) but typical of British films in the70's.The characterisation is either stereotyped or totally lacking inemotion. David the fiancé of the female lead is murdered and she showsno sign of mouning or trauma smiling at her new love Hannay over a "cupof breakfast tea" Robert Powell was a matinée idol and this vehicle wasall abhout showcasing him and taking advantage of his then UKpopularity.End scene at Big Ben is the signature moment and is spectacular. Thebest past of this below par work.

balmoral590-1 2012-05-23 20:05:33

not to be taken serious!

Finally got to watch "39 Steps" with John Mills, David Warner etc! Whata "Hoot". The entire production staff must have spent time in NorthernManitoba on a Reserve that was oversupplied with "Aeroplane Glue" and"Plastic Bags". I sure would like to talk with any one that wasinvolved with this production. Those still alive must either cringe orbreak out in voluminous laughter every time the "39 Steps" ismentioned. The acting? Well let's be kind. We haven't seen this much"Ham" since Michael Flatley slapped all that bacon fat on his torso,greased his way into a pair of "Rubber Tights",donned a strange Bolerojacket with matching Head band,had his eyeliner permanetly tattoed anddid a 100 yard step dance across a Las Vegas Show Stage. This is aclassic tongue in cheeker! Sit back with your "Twinkies",pass the"Bong" and be prepared to "Piss Your Pants" A Definite "10"!! Theperiod costumes especially the use of such a wide variety of "HATS" arewell worth the price of admission! The steam locomotive trains,theMoors,the woods and "Harold Lloyd hanging from "Big Ben:" Go out, sellthe farm and buy this "Great Video".

Martin Bradley 2012-05-16 17:41:08

A Ripping Yarn

This is about as far removed from the Hitchcock version as you couldimagine. For starters, instead of a beautiful female spy you get JohnMills, (though his demise with a knife in his back in the arms of thehero in a public place might be taken as a tribute to "North byNorthwest"; it's even got Hannay menaced by a plane on a lonely moor).It is, in fact, a reasonably faithful rendition of the book whereHitchcock's was a fanciful re-imagining, (and a good deal more fun),but it's no disgrace. Indeed as a Boy's Own Adventure it's thoroughlyenjoyable; a Ripping Yarn in fact, with a splendid cast of Britishcharacter actors, good use of locations and a spiffing climax involvingBig Ben.Robert Powell's Hannay is considerably more po-faced than RobertDonat's, (he's too stiff to be a proper action hero), and comes over asa bit of a boor. Still, you wish him well and are happy to perch closeto the edge of your seat as he dodges both the police and the dastardlyHuns as he attempts to clear his name. Love interest, for what it'sworth, is provided by Karen Dotrice, and whose character is an amalgamof Peggy Ashcroft's and Madeline Carrol's, but this is a film in whichsoppy girls needn't bother us; the heroes and villains keep it tickingalong nicely.

lspollock 2012-05-16 11:55:51

Hannay must figure out who and what are being threatened while trying to save his own life and that of a lovely young lady.

This is much better than the Hitchcock version - which is saying a lot.There is much more to the story and more twists and turns. Wish I couldfind a copy! The story is also much truer to the written version andshould be shown more often and made available on DVD. If you have onlyseen the Hitchcock version, you are missing out. Hanny's character iswell presented - not arrogant but self-assured. There are enough twiststoo keep the viewer guessing. I would rank it up there with Hitchcock's"The Lady Vanishes", an all time wonderful suspense movie. It has beena long time since I have seen this version and would love to see itagain. Enjoy if you ever get the chance.

Gerald French 2012-05-10 00:02:32

Lacking in charm

I still look upon the Robert Donat performance as the measure of thisstory,the essence of his Hannay being his naivity and innocence when catapultedinto the situation. Robert Powell was far too wordly wise andknowing.And so much of the story has been perverted and changed. A grave mistake.Neverthless, I have scored it 7 as I would have thought better of it if Ihad not had experience of the "genuine" article!

Petkovski 2012-05-09 21:39:14

By far the best version and a must-see movie

This version, is by far the best version. Ofcourse Hitchcock as a master of suspense, never fails to deliver a goodmovie, or a great movie, so be it.But this version (1978) is so much better, because the setting of themovieis so great. You instantly get the cold feeling of England, London in thePruises-time. The images are good and the actors are great, because thelooklike humans and not perfectly casted actors who are paid to pretend to beacharacter.These actors are living in their role. The movie is somewhat of an actionSherlock Holmes thriller. However, do not expect any fance effects. Thebiggest effect is the fact that you will sit down, watch the movie andrealize that it has ended before you thought about taking adrink.This is the kind of movie that proves still to be capable of beinginteresting and standing upright in the newest moviedatabase.Too bad that almost nobody has seen this movie.Just for the record, I am 23-years-old so this has not been a comment fromsomebody that hates modern movies and only likes old ones!Not even close.By the way, the plot of the movie, connected to London, is reallyenjoyablywell thought of.Good luck finding the movie!Ilija

Jonathon Dabell 2012-05-06 19:56:39

Remake of a story filmed in 1935 and 1959, closer in plot to the source than either of its predecessors.

I'm not a big fan of remakes. In particular, the act of remaking a filmthat is already considered a classic seems pointless. If the originalis so good that everyone speaks highly of it, what's the point intrying to retell the story again? Surely a better idea would be for theremake brigade to pick films that had good potential first time roundbut didn't quite come off as well as they might. This 1978 adaptationof The Thirty Nine Steps is one of the few films, I think, that hasvalid justification for revisiting a story that had already foundcritical and commercial success in an earlier version. AlfredHitchcock's 1935 version of the story was a truly outstanding filmcinematically-speaking, but it was not a very faithful rendition ofJohn Buchan's source book. The 1959 remake, with Kenneth More, merelycopied the Hitchcock version. This third stab at the story, directed byDon Sharp and scripted by Michael Robson, is the first to go back tothe novel and attempt to use the original plot closely and faithfully.For once, we have a remake that exists for a purpose:- to tell thestory as envisioned by Buchan.Mining engineer Richard Hannay (Robert Powell) befriends a man namedScudder (John Mills) who is on the run from enemy agents in 1914London. Scudder is murdered for his troubles, but not before passing anotebook on to Hannay and giving him a few clues as to the nature ofthe enemy. Hannay finds himself suspected of the murder and is forcedto flee by train to the north, eventually eluding his pursuers byhiding from them in the rolling slopes of the Scottish wilderness.After various adventures, Hannay discovers that his enemies areactually German spies plotting a terrible atrocity in London. Aided bya lady he has picked up during his escapades, Alex Mackenzie (KarenDotrice), Hannay attempts to foil the sinister plot, culminating in aterrifying fight on the face of Big Ben as the clock ticks towards acatastrophic disaster.Powell is excellent as the hero, and isn't upstaged (as one mightexpect) by the stellar supporting cast. (In fact, Powell went on toportray the character in a successful series on British TV a few yearslater). Good character work is provided by the likes of Eric Porter,David Warner, George Baker and John Mills, while Dotrice makes anagreeable leading lady. The period detail is evoked reasonably wellthroughout. The climax on the face of Big Ben has been frequentlycriticised - it is one of the only parts of the film that differssignificantly from the events in the book, which is perhaps why puristshave been quick to "knock" the sequence. However, I find the Big Bensequence to be both exciting and memorable. If anything, the film'sweakness is a lack of urgency during the opening half-hour or so. Forthose who make it past the slightly stodgy opening act, this emerges avery enjoyable and worthwhile retelling of Buchan's celebrated novel.

Ken Roberts 2012-05-05 23:15:53

A truly great film--better than Hitchcock's

This version of The Thirty Nine Steps is the best of the lot. It istruly a pity that it has been totally overshadowed by the earlierHitchcock version, which comes across somewhat stark and dingy incomparison.The Rank Productions version with Robert Powell keeps the suspensemoving throughout, and the ending is a cliffhanger in the besttradition of the genre.I have looked for a copy of this for years, and have yet to find itreleased here. I am saddened that this version has never been releasedon DVD (at least not in the USA) and wish it was given its due,especially considering all the drivel that is released on a dailybasis. This is one older movie that deserves better exposure, andcredit, than it has.

Beastify 2012-05-03 01:44:19

Awesome

POSSSIBLE Spoilers This movie is awesome. Although I have not seen theoriginal I have heard this one is better. This movie is veryenthralling throughout. The best part is the cat & mouse which occupiesmost of the film. Another good part of the movie is when he comes downthe stair drugged up on a wheelchair. I also liked setting of themovie. Seeing Powell ramble through the our countryside was awesome andadds quality to the movie.The acting was very good. I thought Robert Powell was amazing and isone of the most underrated actors ever (cant believe hes down gradedhimself to Holby City). He was great in the detective's too with JasperCarrot which is one of my fave shows ever.Very good film and I recommend this for anyone.

thefribbler 2012-05-02 15:50:49

Missing Bike

Hannay's bike disappears. When Hannay leaves the political rally, hesteals a bike. Later he is seen running across the moors and his bikereappears. All in all a very good film for a Sunday Snooze. The loveinterest scenes tend to drag on a little bit for my taste, but thescenes where he is drugged are funny.It is a remake of the KennethMoore film and Robert Powell put his own stamp on it the payoff whereHannay escapes from the room whilst paralysed is excellent. thelocations are rather twee and typical of the major b films of theseventies. Obviously the final scene at the Palace of Westminster are afitting climax to the film

hgregor-991-286108 2012-04-30 07:40:00

Not the story as written

R Houghton's review claims that "...with this version, we finally getthe story as it was written." This is a very long way from true. To note only three departures, thethirty-nine steps of the original text do not refer to the stepsleading up to Beg Ben, but to a staircase leading from a house inBradgate down to the sea; in the original text, Scudder is knifed inHannay's flat; and the scene of Hannay clinging to the hands of theclock appears nowhere in Buchan's novel.But all that said, this production is a fine piece of work in its ownright, having great pace, style and atmosphere, and with somefirst-class acting from Robert Powell.

jotix100 2012-04-29 17:55:41

The Big Ben

"The Thirty Nine Steps", the spy novel by John Buchan, has been adaptedfor the screen three times. The most famous one being the 1935 versionby Alfred Hitchcock which still remains an old favorite by mostviewers. The 1959 remake directed by Ralph Thomas was a vehicle for itsstar, Kenneth Moore. We were intrigued when the Don Sharp 1978 filmversion when it showed up on a classic channel not long ago.Not having read the novel, we cannot, in all honesty, make an objectiveassessment of how close to the written page the latest remake is, butwe were pleasantly surprised by what Mr. Sharp was able to accomplish.The adaptation was written by Michael Robson. The action used a lot ofwell known backgrounds. The best of these is the one that takes placein the last sequence of the film in which we are taken inside Big Benwhere Hannay, having solved the mystery, goes after the Prussian spies.Robert Powell was effective in his characterization of Hannay, theSouth African engineer that is drawn, against his will, to be at thecenter of a manhunt for something he never did. The cast was excellent.John Mills, Eric Porter, David Warner, Donald Pickering, Ronald Pickup,and Karen Dotrice, among them. John Coquillon was the cinematographer and the musical score wascreated by Ed Welch. Don Sharp's entertaining take on this classic isworth a look.

Tones 2012-04-28 21:01:21

Charming Movie, a Timeless Classic

I really enjoyed 39 Steps. I think the chemistry between Madeleine Carroll and the main character, the man set up for committing a crime he was innocent of was cute, pretty.Madeleine Carroll is so charming in this great mystery/suspense movie. I recommend watching this movie late at night with popcorn and cognac.It's truly a charming movie.

2012-04-28 08:19:05

This film is far superior to Hitchcock's 1939 Classic in every way

The original Hitchcock classic has our hero running from his pursuers with a women. When he is in a theater a man known as Mister Memory begins to spill what he has memorized when the phrase "what are the 39 steps" is asked of him. Mister Memory is shot by the German spies. The plot is to blow up a new ship that is being christened.I've seen that version and several other versions of this movie. This version is most true to the book. For those that love Hitchcock, they only care about his version and all others since are considered inferior to it.This movie stands out for its acting, the musical score and settings. The 1939 version is black and white.The villian in this 1979 version is David Warner. Who comes off very well as a German spy embedded in pre world war one England as an important businessman with ties to prominent politicans and British royalty. He in turn sends two secret sleeper agents to kill a retired English spy mister Scutter, portrayed by John Mills who has uncovered their spy ring. He also sends his agents to kill a politican that Scutter has told about the German spy ring and their plot to assasinate a foreign digitary who will be speaking in England to the British Parliment. Warner kills another politican himself that has spoken to Scutter.Scutter enlists his neighbor mister Hannay when he has no escape from his apartment building. Scutter must flee the building when Hannay's apartment is entered by the spies searching for him but Scutter is chased and killed at the train station where Hannay is buying a ticket to Scotland. Scutter dies in Hannay's arms and attempts to tell him where the notebook is that has all of his research. Mister Hannay is blamed for Scutter's murder and arrested and questioned and charged as a spy. He is freed by the real German spies who want to know what he knows about their plans. He escapes his captors and attempts to find Mister Scutter's notebook which will prove his innocense. He can't find the notebook but a clue. He heads to Scotland to find the notebook that Scutter mailed to himself at a small Scottish Post Office. Hannay is being pursued by the spies. He outwits them for part of his journey and then is caught. He is given a drug that creates paralysis. Gradually he regains control of his body and with the help of a noble Scottish arisocrat and his fiancee he is once again safe for the time being.The cat and mouse game continues and the spies continue to pursue him until they think he is dead. The final scenes of the movie are great. With Hannay, the reluctant hero, once again attempting to stop their plan by preventing the hands of Big Ben from reaching 11:45.This is one of my all time favorite films. I highly recommend it to any serious movie goer who appreciates a well done spy action film.

ultron77 2012-04-22 19:28:48

The Better Version

It is said that it is hard for a remake to reach the level of itsoriginal counterpart, but this film is the rare exception. It reachesthe level of the 1935 Hitchcock film and vastly surpasses it. Insteadof the restricting in-studio black and white shots, this film offersthe realm of colour and the expansive location shooting of the Scotlandhills.Set in 1914 before World War 1, Thirty Nine Steps follows the story ofRichard Hannay (Richard Powell) on the run from London after beingframed for the murder of a spy (Sir John Mills), and being pursuedacross the Scottish landscape by both the police and the realmurderers, led by the scheming villain, Edmund Appleton (David Warner).Appleton plans to assassinate someone of great importance at a certaintime back in London,and it is up to Hannay to interpret the clues themurdered spy has left behind, evade his hunters, and return to England.This leads to one of the most fantastic climaxes the cinema has everseen.

2012-04-22 09:26:25

Capable remake

This is not the best movie version of the classic novel by John Buchan -that title is still held by Hitchcock's masterly 1930' s version -but it easily bests the 1959 Kenneth More picture and can claim one distinction at least.It is easily the most faithful to the source novel and the only version to be set at the same time as the book -1914.Robert Powell plays Richard Hannay who unwittingly becomes involved in matters of grave political importance when he comes into possessioon of vital information ,information foreign agents will kill to get heir hands on .Cur lots of lovely action with a chase across the highlands of Scotland and a climax on Big Ben being especailly memorable .The whole picture is essentially one long chase and it is well handled by director Don SharpIt does sag a bit in the middle bit it starts and ends well and there are good performances from such British luminaries as Eric Porter ,David Warner and John Mills The Hitchcock remains unsurpassed but this is an enjoyable enough version and will not disappoint too many people

paul2001sw-1 2012-04-22 10:24:16

Nothing learnt

The finale on Big Ben is thrilling, but in the main, this version of JohnBuchan's classic adventure 'The 39 Steps' only suggests that little hasbeenlearnt since Hitchcock made his celebrated version over 40 years earlier.There's minimal atmosphere, and plot, characterisation and acting are allpoor. At one point, the heroine's fiance is murdered and she barely batsaneyelid (it's also quite funny watching her attempt to run away from theevilPrussian agents). Ridiculous and dull.

Rob Falconer 2012-04-22 02:05:25

Not really a remake

It's hardly fair to compare this to the Hitchcock version (which wasmade when Buchan was not yet a well-known author). I think theHitchcock film is the better as a film, although there are a few stodgymoments (with the crofter, for instance), but lots of lovely visualideas to compensate (the Bridge scene, the missing digit, and theending). But Hitchcock's is not a filming of Buchan's novel. It'ssomething quite different. The first remake (with Kenneth More) was aremake of the Hitchcock film, not the book. With this version, we weretold it would be faithful to the original, but, yes, the ending isstolen from an old Will Hay film (which was very much before its time,with its black humour). So this is not really a remake of the Hitchcockfilm, but neither is it faithful to Buchan (which I must re-read). Butit is enjoyable, the period feel is good, and I personally like EdWelch's concerto score.

kenharris8 2012-04-18 02:43:54

Excellent "man on the run" movie

Much like "North by Northwest" but without a name star like Cary Grantattached to it. Great performances turned in by Robert Powell and,albeit briefly, Sir John Mills. David Warner gives a very good turn asthe ringleader of a group of spies in 1914 Britain, before the start ofWWI. Powell becomes the center of their attention when he comes to theaid of Colonel Scudder played by John Mills. Powell escapes from thespies clutches and the chase across England is on as Powell tries todecipher the mystery of the thirty-nine steps. Karen Dotrice turns upnear the end to help our man Powell stop the spy ring. The only badthing about this movie is the absence of any feel of the historic timeperiod. While England's presumed entry into WWI is mentioned it isn'treally relevant to the story. The same story could have been told usingany time period.

roger-763 2012-04-17 18:43:19

A good yarn

A great film and underrated because of its predecessors over inflatedsignificance. Robert Powell's finest hour and a great cast of actorsand actresses. The period setting of very late Edwardian and early1900's feel is very accurate and pleasing to the eye. The steam trainand Big Ben scenes are magnificent. The characterization is superb andthe acting first class. Making any other version very unlikely to reachthe zenith of the performances in this dramatization.The Late Sir John Mills adds urgency and class to the film, and thescene where Scudder's identity is revealed to the Prussian agentsoutside in the street, outside his apartment, is brilliantly played,and draws us into the film and the musical score adds excitement,urgency, verve and great atmosphere and grace.The film's warning of impending war with Germany only adds to thefascination with the film, and through retrospect we know that theFirst World happens, but the film's message of British agents andanyone caught up in espionage, during these tense years. Only goes toshow how Britain was buying time, and trying to hold off the advancesof its rapidly catching up super-power neighbour, that was becomingGermany.The Grand finale at Big Ben at Westminster was a treat to watch.Thefilm cannot be faulted, because everything is flowing in pure visualdelight.