TheThirty-NineStepsisa1978thrillerdirectedbyDonSharp,basedonthenovelTheThirty-NineStepsbyJohnBuchan.

　　Introduction

　　ThisversionofBuchan'stalestarredRobertPowellasRichardHannay,KarenDotriceasAlex,JohnMillsasColonelScudder,andahostofotherwell-knownBritishactorsinsmallerparts.Itisgenerallyregardedastheclosesttothenovel,beingsetbeforeWorldWarI.TheearlyeventsandoverallfeelofthefilmbearmuchresemblancetoBuchan'soriginalstory,albeitwithafewchangessuchastheintroductionofaloveinterestandadifferentmeaningforthe"39steps".ItiswellrememberedforthefamousBigBenendsequence.

　　PowelllaterreprisedtheroleintheITVseriesHannayin1988(sixepisodes)and1989(sevenepisodes).

　　Plot

　　In1914,Prussianspiesareeverywhere.AfteraspateofassassinationsofimportantBritishpoliticians,aretiredBritishintelligenceofficer,ColonelScudder,realiseshislifeandhismysteriousblacknotebookareindanger.HeturnstoRichardHannay,aminingengineerwhoisvisitingBritainforashorttimebeforereturningtoSouthAfrica,whohappenstoliveinaneighbouringapartment.ScuddertellsHannayofaplotbyPrussian'sleeper'agents,whoareplanningtopre-startWorldWarIbymurderingaforeignminister.

　　HannayreluctantlygivesScuddershelterinhisapartment,despitehisinitialdistrustofhim.Inthemorning,HannayleavestopurchaseScudderatraintickettoScotland.Scudderalsoleavestheapartmenttopostaparcel,butheisspottedandfollowsHannaytotherailwaystationtosupposedlygivehimtheblackbook.

　　However,beforehecanreachHannay,ScudderismurderedandHannayisframedforthedeathbythe'sleepers'.HannaymanagestogetScudder'snotebook,butthisturnsouttobeadummy,withonlyacodeinittofindhisrealbook,whichhehaspostedtoScotland.HannayfleestoScotlandonatrain,butheisforcedtomakeadaredevilescapeonabridgewhenpoliceboard.

　　Hannayattemptstosolvethemysterywhilstontherunfromthepolice,ledbyChiefSuptLomas(EricPorter),andthePrussianagents,ledbyEdmundAppleton,aPrussiansympathiserhighlyplacedintheBritishgovernment.

　　WiththeaidofAlexMackenzieandherfiance,DavidHamilton,whomHannaymeetsontheScottishmoors,claimingtobetakingpartinawager,Scudder'sbookisfound,thecodedinformationpartlydecipheredandthetrueplansofthePrussianagentsarerevealed.TheagentsintendtomurderthevisitingGreekPrimeMinister,leadingtounrestintheBalkansandthusWorldWarI,byplantingabombinparliament.The"Thirty-NineSteps"referstothenumberofstairsintheclocktowerofBigBenandHannayrealisesthatthebombistobesetoffbytheclockat11.45.

　　Whenhereachesthetopoftheclocktower,theagentshavealreadyplantedthebombandhavelockedtheclockroom.Hannayisforcedtobreaktheglassoftheclock-faceandphysicallystoptheclockhands,leadingtotheiconicfinalsequence.