The 39 Steps

Alfred Hitchcock's first great romantic thriller smoothly plays the “wrong man” gambit with light, black-humored grace in a delightful confection that sports all of the classic Hitch touches: the quick-witted innocent plunged into a conspiracy (Robert Donat as affable Canadian tourist Richard Hanay); the icy blonde (Madeleine Carroll as Pamela), who's literally handcuffed to the man and thaws in the warmth of his charm and resourcefulness; the ingenious set pieces and brilliant use of locations; and, of course, a world where no one is who they seem. The MacGuffin of the story doesn't really make sense, as least as it's scripted, but it sets in motion an effortless balance of romance and adventure set against a picaresque landscape populated by eccentrics and social-register smoothies. Hitchcock would play similar games with the same pieces in later works—reaching his pinnacle in North by Northwest—but in this breezy 1935 classic the director proves early on that, as in any worthwhile quest, the object isn't nearly as satisfying as the journey. Criterion's remastering for DVD and Blu-ray offers the finest version released by far, with extras including audio commentary by Hitchcock scholar Marian Keane, a 1937 radio adaptation with Ida Lupino and Robert Montgomery, the 2000 British documentary “Hitchcock: The Early Years,” archival interviews, and a booklet. Highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)