The 39 Steps

Alone in his Portland Place flat, Richard Hannay wonders what to do to make life worthwhile—or at least interesting.

At a West End music hall, Hannay watches Mr. Memory and his friend, Compere, perform . . .

. . . when he is joined in his box by a mysterious woman who asks him to take her home.

While sinister men lurk in the street, Annabella Schmidt warns Hannay of a plot called “The 39 Steps” that threatens England's national safety, and tells him she must travel to Scotland to meet a man in a big house named “Alt-na-shellach.”

In the middle of the night, Annabella staggers into the living room with a knife in her back.

Fleeing the scene, Hannay swaps cap and coat with a milkman.

Mrs. Higgins, the charlady, discovers Annabella's body.

Hannay shares a train compartment with two underwear salesmen.

When policemen search the train, Hannay tries to persuade a young woman in a nearby compartment to help him. When she refuses, a chase across the top of the railroad car ensues—and when the communication cord is pulled to stop the train, it throws him onto the Forth Bridge.

Hanging perilously from the bridge, the policemen inch closer to Hannay, until he loses his grip and falls into the Firth of Forth.

Hannay seeks directions to Alt-na-shellach from a Scottish crofter . . .

. . . who offers Hannay a night's lodging with him and his lovely young wife, Margaret.

The jealous crofter admits two policemen to the cottage, but Hannay escapes through the rear window.

At Alt-na-shellach, Professor Jordan admits to being the inventor of “The 39 Steps,” and invites Hannay to join in defeating the United Kingdon. When Hannay refuses, Professor Jordan shoots him.

Hannay tells the Sheriff of the County that his life was saved from Professor Jordan's bullet by the Bible in the Crofter's coat pocket. The Sheriff appears friendly at first, but then orders his Chief Inspector to handcuff Hannay and calls Professor Jordan to inform him. Hannay, however, once more manages to escape.

No matter which way Hannay turns, policemen seem to be waiting for him.

In an assembly hall set up for a political speech, two elderly gentlemen mistake Hannay for their evening's guest speaker. He improvises a speech, but unfortunately Pamela, the young woman from the train, shows up and reveals his true identify.

Two constables take Hannay into custody, and inform Pamela that she needs to accompany them to the police station to formally identify the prisoner.

When their car journey is interrupted by a flock of sheep blocking the road, one constable handcuffs Hannay and Pamela together until the sheep can be driven off.

When they discover their prisoners have escaped, the frantic constables clear the car off the stage .

A stile blocks Hannay and Pamela's flight across the foggy, wet moor, and the two get tangled up.

Hannay persuades the reluctant Pamela to move faster by threatening to “shoot you stone dead” with his pistol—his trusty smoking pipe.

At the MacGarrigle Hotel, Pamela signs the register as “Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hopkinson, Hollyhocks– Hammersmith– Hampshire.”

Still handcuffed to Hannay, Pamela removes her wet shoes and stockings.

After managing to remove her handcuff, Pamela tiptoes down to the lobby—where the two “constables” are reporting to Mrs. Jordan that they have lost the trail, and hear that the Professor has gone to the London Palladium to pick someone up.

Pamela returns to the bedroom intending to apologize, but her inability to recall all of the overheard conversation causes the discussion to disintegrate into a shouting match.

In the opening act at the Palladium, Karjami the Magician pulls a rabbit from a hat.

Mr. Memory is next on the bill. Hannay realizes that the information Professor Jordan will carry out of the country is in Mr. Memory's head, and demands to know: “What are the Thirty-Nine Steps?”

Professor Jordan shoots Mr. Memory, but with his dying breaths he gasps out the secret information.

Back in his flat, Hannay and Pamela, beside a lighted Christmas tree, are ready to live happily ever after.

Bows.