Paramount On Screen: The 39 Steps [Approved]

in Collaboration with the Virginia Theatre Festival + Virginia Film Festival

A heart-racing spy story by Alfred Hitchcock, The 39 Steps follows Richard Hannay (Robert Donat) as he stumbles upon a conspiracy that thrusts him into a hectic chase across the Scottish moors—a chase in which he is both the pursuer and the pursued—as well as into an unexpected romance with the cool Pamela (Madeline Carroll). Adapted from a novel by John Buchan, this classic wrong-man thriller from the Master of Suspense anticipates the director’s most famous works (especially North by Northwest), and remains one of his cleverest and most entertaining films.

Image credits: Shout! Factory

Did you know?

• Before filming the scene where Hannay (Robert Donat) and Pamela (Madeleine Carroll) run through the countryside, Sir Alfred Hitchcock handcuffed them together and pretended for several hours to have lost the key in order to put them in the right frame of mind for such a situation.
• The sixty-two imported sheep, upon arriving at the soundstage, immediately went to work on the bracken and bushes that had been brought with them. The infuriated crew had to replace the plants with ones hastily bought from a local nursery.
• (At around twenty-five minutes) The bridge on which the train stops to search for Hannay is the famous railway bridge over the Firth of Forth, built between 1882 and 1890. It was then one of the most complicated works of engineering craftsmanship. It spans almost two and a half kilometers (one and a half miles).

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO! The Paramount Theater is pleased to bring diverse programming to the stage and screen. The Theater does not provide advisories about subject matter for events, as sensitivities vary. Not all events may appeal to, or be appropriate for, every person. Patrons are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the shows offered in order to make informed decisions prior to purchasing tickets.

In addition to show synopses, trailers, and reviews on our web events, other resources about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb, and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches. For further questions, please contact the Box Office at 434.979.1333 or at boxoffice@theparamount.net, 10AM-2PM Monday-Friday + 1 hour before events.