The 39 Steps (1935)

During the seventh week of lock-down, I decided to take up another hobby. As if I need more hobbies. And watching movies is nothing new for me, so to make this little project seem like something fresh and to keep my attention, I gave myself a goal of watching 100 really old films (most from the 1930s) and writing a brief review on my rarely touched blog.
First up: The 39 Steps (1935) starring Robert Donat, dir. Alfred Hitchcock.
This movie has been hailed as a masterpiece by some movie-makers, but to me it seems like a practice piece for North by Northwest, which Hitchcock directed 20 years later and contains many of the same elements.
The 39 Steps follows a Canadian, globetrotting "player" (I really don't know how else to describe the main character Hannay) as he's caught up in a spy drama. The plot romps through London streets and the Scottish countryside, with Hannay in danger of getting caught or murdered at every moment. It's definitely a star part for Donat, who acts past the really bad makeup they've slathered on him to convince by turns that he is an inveterate flirt, a man on the run fearing for his life, a loyal subject of the British Empire wanting to thwart espionage, and a tender friend in times of danger.
I enjoyed this thriller and recommend it to anyone wanting to be distracted by spy shenanigans for 85 minutes.