Period spy thriller based on John Buchan's novel, starring Robert Powell. As Europe stands on the brink of the First World War, engineer Richard Hannay is inadvertently embroiled in a deadly conspiracy. Becoming a fugitive from enemy agents and the police, he must struggle to solve the mystery of "the thirty-nine steps" before time runs out.
This third film version of John Buchan's novel goes back to the story's original era (the eve of the First World War), but lays on a little too much period colour along the way. Robert Powell has the bearing but not the charm as hero Richard Hannay, on the run in the Scottish Highlands from foreign agents. The sinister mystery at the beginning and the famous climax, involving a Harold Lloyd-style stunt on Big Ben, are good, exciting fun in the best daredevil tradition. Unfortunately, the middle sags, allowing time to spot some glaring anachronisms in the 1914 settings.
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Richard Hannay | Robert Powell |
| Appleton | David Warner |
| Chief Supt Lomas | Eric Porter |
| Alex Mackenzie | Karen Dotrice |
| Scudder | John Mills |
| Sir Walter Bullivant | George Baker |
| Bayliss | Ronald Pickup |
| Marshall | Donald Pickering |
| Porton | Timothy West |
| David Hamilton | Miles Anderson |
| Lord Rohan | Andrew Keir |
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Director | Don Sharp |
