Movie Review: 39 Steps

39 Steps is the classic Hitchcock film of 1935. It is relatively short in length, but gets to the point within it's timeframe. The plot is of a spy-variety in which a unsuspecting man ends up with the obligation of finding out about a secret group called the "39 Steps" and protecting Britain's confidential files that have gotten out. Nobody believes his story and on top of that, he is wanted for the murder of a woman he didn't kill. That is essentially the basis of the plot. What I find even more important, however, is the fact that only last night I watched Dinner Rush in which one of the characters, the bartend, has memorized just about every fact and has people ask him questions for bet money. People ask things like "what year was the printing press invented?" and he'll answer the year and who it was. The customers are impressed and they keep asking him harder questions but he knows them all somehow. I think this is strange because the following day, today, I watched the 39 Steps which opens up with a scene of a crowd watching the act of "Mr. Memory" who has memorized millions of facts for the audience to be amazed by. The audience asks various questions such as what year a certain derby was won and Mr. Memory will answer the year, as well as the score and the competitors. Strange movie coincidence.