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Line 1: {{work}} ~~[[Category:~~{{Multiple Works Need Separate Pages]]}}▼ ~~[[File:the39steps_9818.jpg\|frame]]~~ {{Infobox book \| title = The Thirty-Nine Steps \| original title = \| image = ThirtyNineSteps.jpg \| caption = First edition cover \| author = John Buchan \| central theme = \| elevator pitch = \| genre = Thriller \| franchise = Richard Hannay \| followed by = Greenmantle \| publication date = 1915 \| source page exists = \| wiki URL = \| wiki name = }} What are the thirty-nine steps? A question that almost every adaptation answers differently. [[John Buchan]] was one of the world's first spy novelists, and did a similar job for the genre as [[J. R. R. ~~Tolkien\|JRR~~ Tolkien]] did for fantasy. '''''The Thirty-Nine Steps''''' is his most famous work, written in the run-up to [[World War I]]. It was a huge popular success and owed much to its 1903 predecessor, Erskine Childers' ''The Riddle Of The Sands'', and the adventure stories of [[H. Rider Haggard]]. Buchan began his writing career as a journalist, but enlisted at the start of the First World War, working away from the front lines producing propaganda for the War Office. His experiences of the war, interwoven with a strong sense of national pride, a love of Africa and a belief in the strength of the British character, are themes in many of his novels. Unfortunately in later years he has not enjoyed similar popularity, though according to [[The Other Wiki]] his works have been seeing a resurgence in more recent times.{{when}} It's May 1914. Richard Hannay has just returned to London from Rhodesia. A man called Scudder meets him and tells him the tall tale of an international conspiracy determined to start a war. The conspirators are on Scudder's track and his only hope is to stage his own suicide and lie low for a while. Hannay agrees to hide Scudder in his London flat, but a few days later Scudder is murdered there by enemy agents and Hannay realizes he will be accused of the crime. Hunted by both policemen and enemy spies, Hannay takes to the Scottish moors in a desperate bid to stay one step ahead of the enemy until he can thwart their evil plans.▼ ~~Unfortunately in later years he has not enjoyed similar popularity, though according to [[The Other Wiki]] his works have been seeing a resurgence in more recent times.~~ In this original version, the 39 steps are {{spoiler\|steps down to the sea which identify a villa along a stretch of the Kent coast where the final confrontation with the German agents takes place}}.▼ ~~Adapted four times for film, once for TV, once for the stage, and at least once for radio.~~ ~~(NB: The book is ''The Thirty-Nine Steps''. The 1978 film is ''The Thirty Nine Steps''. The other adaptations are ''The 39 Steps''.)~~ ~~<big>'''The original novel'''</big><br/>~~ ▲It's May 1914. Richard Hannay has just returned to London from Rhodesia. A man called Scudder meets him and tells him the tall tale of an international conspiracy determined to start a war. The conspirators are on Scudder's track and his only hope is to stage his own suicide and lie low for a while. Hannay agrees to hide Scudder in his London flat, but a few days later Scudder is murdered there by enemy agents and Hannay realizes he will be accused of the crime. Hunted by both policemen and enemy spies, Hannay takes to the Scottish moors in a desperate bid to stay one step ahead of the enemy until he can thwart their evil plans. ''The Thirty-Nine Steps'' is the first book in the [[Richard Hannay]] franchise; it has four sequels. ▲In this original version, the 39 steps are {{spoiler\|steps down to the sea which identify a villa along a stretch of the Kent coast where the final confrontation with the German agents takes place}}. Film adaptations of the book include [[The 39 Steps (1935 film)\|''The 39 Steps'' (1935 film)]], directed by [[Alfred Hitchcock]]; [[The 39 Steps (1959 film)\|''The 39 Steps'' (1959 film)]], directed by [[Ralph Thomas]]; [[The Thirty Nine Steps (1978 film)\|''The Thirty Nine Steps'' (1978 film)]], directed by [[Don Sharp]]; and [[The 39 Steps (2008 film)\|''The 39 Steps'' (2008 film)]], directed by [[James Hawes]]. There have alos been fifteen radio adaptations of the novel, six readings of the novel over the radio, a [[The 39 Steps (play)\|theatrical verson]] of the story, and a video game. ~~<big>'''The sequels'''</big><br/>~~ * ''Greenmantle'': Hannay and four friends make their way through wartime Europe to Turkey, searching for the truth behind the rumours of a German secret weapon that could throw the entire Muslim world into the war on the Germans' side. Sometimes considered to be one of the best books Buchan ever wrote; Hitchcock wanted to film it for years but never got around to it. * ''Mr Standfast'': An old enemy reappears and in the last pivotal days of [[World War I]] on the Western Front, Hannay wages a battle of wits. ''Finally'' introduces a [[Love Interest]] (she's worth the wait). * ''The Three Hostages'': With [[World War I]] over, Sir Richard and Lady Hannay are enjoying a quiet life in the country, but when three young people are kidnapped and a mind-controlling genius starts [[Criminal Mind Games\|leaving cryptic clues behind]], the pair of former spy-hunters have to go back to work. * ''The Island of Sheep'': Set roughly fourteen years after ''The Three Hostages''. Hannay and his son Peter John Hannay have to protect an old friend from fortune-hunters. {{tropelist}} Line 95 ⟶ 102: ---- == Tropes that apply to adaptations (which need separate pages)== ~~'''~~===The 1935 [[Alfred Hitchcock]] film~~'''~~=== [[File:the39steps_9818.jpg\|frame\|Promotional image for [[The 39 Steps (1935 film)\|the Hitchcock film]].]] A loose adaptation of the book, moving the setting to the 1930s, turning Hannay into a Canadian (a possible nod to original author Buchan being made Governor-General of Canada in 1935), Scudder into a female spy of Central European origin and changing the nature of the secrets ( {{spoiler\|A formula for a silent aircraft engine}}). Starring Robert Donnat, it also adds a love interest to the story. In this version the 39 steps {{spoiler\|are a ring of foreign spies intent on stealing military secrets}}. Line 106 ⟶ 115: * [[Chained Heat]] * [[Chekhov's Gunman]] - {{spoiler\|Mr. Memory}}. * [[Highlighted Text]]: Appears to happen diagetically, as environmental shadows cast on a newspaper [https://web.archive.org/web/20210424210722/https://www.alfred-hitchcock-films.net/images/700-39-steps-newspaper-002.jpg bracket a highlight on the headline of a news story]. * [[Pocket Protector]] * [[Smithical Marriage]] ---- ~~'''~~===The 1959 film~~'''~~=== Color remake of the Hitchcock film, starring Kenneth More, moving the setting to the 1950s and changing the secrets to {{spoiler\|plans for a British ballistic missile}}. Nobody really remembers this one. In this version, the 39 steps {{spoiler\|are again a ring of foreign spies intent on stealing military secrets}}. Line 117 ⟶ 127: * {{spoiler\|[[Ultimate Defence of the Realm]]}} ---- ~~'''~~===The 1978 film~~'''~~=== A more faithful adaptation of the novel, moving the setting back to 1914. This one is best remembered for Robert Powell, playing Hannay, hanging off the minute hand of the clock on [[Clock Tower\|St. Stephen's Tower]]<ref>Later renamed "Elizabeth Tower"; this is the older name.</ref> (aka Big Ben). Also has a love interest. The 39 steps are {{spoiler\|a flight of stairs in the clock tower of the palace of Westminster, better known as 'Big Ben' (this name actually refers to the bell in the tower rather than the tower itself)}}. Inspired a TV series, ''Hannay'', also starring Robert Powell in adventures not based on any of Buchan's other novels. ---- ~~'''~~===The 2006 play~~'''~~=== A four-actor comedic theatrical adaptation of the Hitchcock film, which has been shown in the West End and Broadway. To give an idea of the style, the Forth Bridge train is a model train on a track at the back of the stage and pretty much everyone plays at least a dozen roles. In this version, the 39 steps {{spoiler\|are again a ring of foreign spies intent on stealing military secrets}}. Line 138 ⟶ 149: * [[Ugly Guy, Hot Wife]]: Hannay initially mistakes the Scottish farmer's wife for his ''daughter''. ---- ~~'''~~===The 2008 [[Made for TV Movie\|TV Movie]]~~'''~~=== For the 2008 Christmas season, [[The BBC]] did another adaptation of the book, but added another love interest and moved the setting very slightly forward (it's now June 1914). The 39 steps are {{spoiler\|steps leading down to a Scottish loch}}. Line 150 ⟶ 161: * [[Shirtless Scene]]: It's got [[Mr. Fanservice\|Rupert Penry-Jones]] in it, what do you expect? ---- ~~'''~~===The 2011 film~~'''~~=== A second remake of the Hitchcock film, directed by Robert Towne. This was announced in 2004 for 2006, but has now slipped back. [[Development Hell\|As of 2023, it has not materialized.]] == Shout-Outs == [[Alan Moore]] used the 39 steps as a major plot point in ''[[League of Extraordinary Gentlemen]]: The Black Dossier''. {{reflist}} {{The Big Read}} [[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]▼ [[Category:Literature]]▼ [[Category:~~Adventure~~ Literature of the 1910s]]▼ [[Category:Adventure Literature]] {{DEFAULTSORT:Thirty-Nine Steps, The}} <!-- MOD: Move everything below this line to the appropriate pages --> [[Category:Film]] [[Category:Films of the 1930s]] [[Category:Works by Alfred Hitchcock]] [[Category:Films Based on Novels]] [[Category:The Criterion Collection]] [[Category:The Criterion Collection (LaserDisc)]] Line 164 ⟶ 185: [[Category:Films of the 1970s]] [[Category:Films of the 2010s]] ▲[[Category:Adventure Literature]] ▲[[Category:Literature]] ▲[[Category:Multiple Works Need Separate Pages]] ▲[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]