Adaptations

The novel has been adapted for multiple media; many of these versions depart significantly from the text – for example, by introducing a love interest absent from the original novel and inspired by Hitchcock's film. In most cases, the title is often abbreviated to The 39 Steps, but the full title is more commonly used for the book and 1978 film adaptation.[2]

Film

The 39 Steps (1935)

The 1935 black-and-white film directed by Alfred Hitchcock deviates substantially from the book.[2] It stars Robert Donat as Hannay and Madeleine Carroll as a woman he meets on the train.[10] It is regarded by many critics as the best film version.[11] This was one of several Hitchcock films based upon the idea of an "innocent man on the run", such as Saboteur and North by Northwest. In 1999, it came 4th in a BFI poll of British films and in 2004 Total Film named it the 21st greatest British film of all time.[12]

The 39 Steps (1959)

The 1959 film directed by Ralph Thomas was the first colour version, starring Kenneth More as Hannay and Taina Elg as Miss Fisher.[2] It is closely based on Hitchcock's adaptation, including the music-hall finale with "Mr. Memory" and Hannay's escape from a train on the Forth Bridge, scenes not present in the book. It features a musical score by Clifton Parker.

The Thirty Nine Steps (1978)

The 1978 version was directed by Don Sharp and starred Robert Powell as Hannay, Karen Dotrice as Alex, John Mills as Colonel Scudder.[13] It is generally regarded as the closest to the book, being set at the same time as the novel, pre-Great War, but still bears little resemblance to Buchan's original story. Its climax bore no relation to the novel's denouement, instead seeing Hannay hanging from the hands of Big Ben. The film was followed by a spin-off television series, Hannay, also starring Powell and featuring adventures occurring before the events in The Thirty-Nine Steps.[2]

The 39 Steps (2008)

The BBC commissioned a new television adaptation of the novel, scripted by Lizzie Mickery and produced by BBC Scotland's drama unit.[14][15] The 90-minute film stars Rupert Penry-Jones, Lydia Leonard, Patrick Malahide and Eddie Marsan, and was first broadcast on 28 December 2008[16] A romantic subplot was added to the story, featuring Lydia Leonard. The storyline only very tenuously follows that of the book, many characters being renamed, or omitted altogether. The film ends with a scene involving a submarine in a Scottish loch, rather than the original setting off the Kent coast, and the apparent death of one character.

Radio

There were numerous American radio adaptations during the two decades following the release of Hitchcock's film, most of which were based on its heavily altered plot. It remains a popular subject for modern live productions done in a similar, old-time radio style.[2][17]

1937, starring Robert Montgomery and Ida Lupino, part of the Lux Radio Theater series.
1938, starring Orson Welles, part of The Mercury Theatre on the Air series.
1943, starring Herbert Marshall and Madeleine Carroll, part of the Philip Morris Playhouse series.
1946, starring David Niven, part of The Hour of Mystery series.
1947, part of the Canadian Broadcasting Company Stage Series.
1948, starring Glenn Ford and Mercedes McCambridge, part of the Studio One series.
1952, starring Herbert Marshall, part of the Suspense series.[18]

There have been many full cast adaptations for BBC Radio and all are based directly on Buchan's novel.[2]

1939, in six parts, adapted by Winifred Carey and produced by James McKechnie.[19]
1944, in six parts, adapted by Winifred Carey and produced by Derek McCulloch.[20]
1950, The Adventures of Richard Hannay in 12 half-hour parts, based on The Thirty-Nine Steps and Mr Standfast adapted by Winifred Carey and produced by Donald McLean.[21]
1950, The Adventures of Richard Hannay in eight half-hour parts, based on The Thirty-Nine Steps and Mr Standfast adapted by Winifred Carey and produced by Donald McLean.[22]
1960, in six episodes, adapted by J. C. Gosforth and produced by Frederick Bradnum.[23]
1972, The Adventures of Richard Hannay based on The Thirty-Nine Steps and Mr Standfast in six episodes, adapted by Winifred Carey and produced by Norman Wright.[24]
1989, dramatised by Peter Buckman and directed by Patrick Rayner.[25]
2001, starring David Robb, Tom Baker and William Hope, adapted by Bert Coules.[26][27]

There are also several BBC solo readings:

1947, in 12 parts, abridged by Hilton Brown and read by Arthur Bush.[28]
1978, in five parts, abridged by Barry Campbell and read by Frank Duncan.[29]
1996, in ten parts, produced by Jane Marshall and read by John Nettles.[30]

Theatre

A comic theatrical adaptation[34] by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon for a cast of four actors premiered in 1995 at the Georgian Theatre Royal in Richmond, North Yorkshire, before embarking on a tour of village halls across the north of England.[35] In 2005, Patrick Barlow rewrote the script, keeping the scenes, staging and small-scale feel,[35] and in June 2005 this re-adaptation premiered at the West Yorkshire Playhouse,[36][37] The play then opened in London's Tricycle Theatre, and after a successful run transferred to the Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly where it became the fifth longest running play until it closed in September 2015.[38] Although drawing on Buchan's novel, it is strongly influenced by Hitchcock's 1935 film adaptation. On 15 January 2008, the show made its US Broadway premiere at the American Airlines Theatre; it transferred to the Cort Theatre on 29 April 2008 and then moved to the Helen Hayes Theatre on 21 January 2009, where it ended its run on 10 January 2010. It reopened on Stage One of New York's Off-Broadway venue New World Stages on 25 March 2010 and closed on 15 April 2010.[39] The Broadway production received six Tony Award nominations, winning two – Best Lighting Design and Best Sound Design – with the London show winning an Olivier in 2007 and two Tony Awards in 2008. The play also won the Drama Desk Award, Unique Theatrical Experience.[40][41]

Television

A 1988 prequel television series named Hannay was spawned from the 1978 feature film version.

The 39 Steps is a Netflix miniseries to be directed by Edward Berger[42][43]

Video game

A 2013, Scottish developer The Story Mechanics used the Unity game engine to create The 39 Steps, a digital adaptation.[44][45]

Interactive fiction

In 2008, Penguin Books adapted the story as interactive fiction under the authorship of Charles Cumming calling it The 21 Steps.[46]

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