578. THE ENDURING GENIUS OF ALFRED HITCHCOCK: THE 39 STEPS

This is Hitchcock’s masterpiece from his first phase of filmmaking, in England and in Germany, before he moved to Hollywood. Nominally based on The Thirty-Nine Steps, a 1915 novel by John Buchan about a man who is chasing an enemy and is, in turn, being chased by the police, Hitchcock’s 1935 film goes its own way and in the process establishes a genre to be imitated for decades to come, including by Hitchcock himself, who called The 39 Steps his British North by Northwest. Starring Robert Donat as Richard Hannay; Madeline Carroll as Pamela, who finds herself handcuffed to, and on the run with, Hannay; and a very young Peggy Ashcroft as a farmer’s wife who can’t resist helping the fugitive, this lively classic by the Master of Suspense was ranked by the British Film Institute as the fourth-greatest British film of the 20th century. A lively discussion will follow the screening.

Details:
The Enduring Genius of Alfred Hitchcock: The 39 Steps
Professor Peter Josyph
1 session: Thursday, July 30
12:30 – 3:00 pm* 
Fee: $50

*Please be aware that this is a time change due to the Museum’s requirement for access to certain galleries for docent-led tours. We do apologize for any inconvenience