The 39 steps (TEFC)

Adapted from the novel of the same name by John Buchan. An innocent bystander suddenly finds himself thrust into a world of danger and intrigue. This fast-paced, often humorous, spy chase thriller pays homage to Buchan rather than being a close adaptation of his novel and was later remade by Hitchcock as North By North West. The purpose of the chase - the MacGuffin as Hitchcock called it - becomes increasingly irrelevant except as the means of holding a series of vignettes together. Credits include: photography by Bernard Knowles; music by Louis Levy. Cast includes: Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll, Lucie Mannheim, Godfrey Tearle and Peggy Ashcroft.