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The 39 Steps (1935 Film)
''The 39 Steps'' is a 1935 British Spy film, spy thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll. It is loosely based on the 1915 novel ''The Thirty-Nine Steps'' by John Buchan. It concerns a Canadian civilian in London, Richard Hannay, who becomes caught up in preventing an organisation of spies called "The 39 Steps" from stealing British military secrets. Mistakenly accused of the murder of a counter-espionage agent, Hannay goes on the run to Scotland and becomes tangled up with an attractive woman, Pamela, while hoping to stop the spy ring and clear his name. Since its initial release, the film has been widely acknowledged as a classic. Filmmaker and actor Orson Welles referred to it as a "masterpiece". Screenwriter Robert Towne remarked, "It's not much of an exaggeration to say that all contemporary escapist entertainment begins with ''The 39 Steps''." Plot At a London music hall theatre, Richard Hannay is watching "Mr. Memory" demon ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 feature films, many of which are still widely watched and studied today. Known as the "Master of Suspense", Hitchcock became as well known as any of his actors thanks to his many interviews, List of cameo appearances by Alfred Hitchcock, his cameo appearances in most of his films, and his hosting and producing the television anthology ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' (1955–65). His films garnered 46 Academy Award nominations, including six wins, although he never won the award for Academy Award for Best Director, Best Director, despite five nominations. Hitchcock initially trained as a technical clerk and copywriter before entering the film industry in 1919 as a title card designer. His directorial debut was the British–German silent film ''Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spy Film
The spy film, also known as the spy thriller, is a film genre, genre of film that deals with the subject of fictional espionage, either in a realistic way (such as the adaptations of John le Carré) or as a basis for fantasy (such as many James Bond in film, James Bond films). Many novels in the spy fiction genre have been adapted as films, including works by John Buchan, le Carré, Ian Fleming (Bond) and Len Deighton. It is a significant aspect of Cinema of the United Kingdom, British cinema, with leading British directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and Carol Reed making notable contributions and many films set in the Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service. Spy films show the espionage activities of government agents and their risk of being discovered by their enemies. From the Nazi espionage thrillers of the 1940s to the James Bond films of the 1960s and to the high-tech blockbusters of today, the spy film has always been popular with audiences worldwide. Offering ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Autogyro
An autogyro (from Greek and , "self-turning"), gyroscope, gyrocopter or gyroplane, is a class of rotorcraft that uses an unpowered rotor in free autorotation to develop lift. A gyroplane "means a rotorcraft whose rotors are not engine-driven, except for initial starting, but are made to rotate by action of the air when the rotorcraft is moving; and whose means of propulsion, consisting usually of conventional propellers, is independent of the rotor system." While similar to a helicopter rotor in appearance, the autogyro's unpowered rotor disc must have air flowing upward across it to make it rotate. Forward thrust is provided independently, by an engine-driven propeller. It was originally named the ''autogiro'' by its Spanish inventor and engineer, Juan de la Cierva, in his attempt to create an aircraft that could fly safely at low speeds. He first flew one on January 1923, at Cuatro Vientos Airport in Madrid. The aircraft resembled the fixed-wing aircraft of the d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crofter
A croft is a traditional Scottish term for a fenced or enclosed area of land, usually small and arable, and usually, but not always, with a crofter's dwelling thereon. A crofter is one who has tenure and use of the land, typically as a tenant farmer, especially in rural areas. In Northern England, ''crofter'' was a term connected with tenant farming and rural employment. For example in the textiles industry; someone who bleached cloth prior to dyeing, laying it out in fields or 'crofts'. Etymology The word ''croft'' is West Germanic in etymology, derived from the Dutch term ''kroft'' or ''krocht'' and the Old English ''croft'' (itself of debated origin), meaning an enclosed field. Today, the term is used most frequently in Scotland, most crofts being in the Highlands and Islands area. Elsewhere the expression is generally archaic. In Scottish Gaelic, it is rendered (, plural ). Legislation in Scotland The Scottish croft is a small agricultural landholding of a typ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Forth Bridge
The Forth Bridge is a cantilever railway bridge across the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland, west of central Edinburgh. Completed in 1890, it is considered a symbol of Scotland (having been voted Scotland's greatest man-made wonder in 2016), and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was designed by English engineers Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker. It is sometimes referred to as the Forth Rail Bridge (to distinguish it from the adjacent Forth Road Bridge), although this is not its official name. Construction of the bridge began in 1882 and it was opened on 4 March 1890 by the Duke of Rothesay, the future Edward VII. The bridge carries the Edinburgh–Aberdeen line across the Forth between the villages of South Queensferry and North Queensferry and has a total length of . When it opened it had the longest single cantilever bridge span in the world, until 1919 when the single span Quebec Bridge in Canada was completed. It continues to be the world's second-long ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Waverley Station
Edinburgh Waverley (also known simply as Edinburgh; ) is the principal railway station serving Edinburgh, Scotland. It is the second busiest station in Scotland, after Glasgow Central. The station serves as the northern terminus of the East Coast Main Line, from , although some trains operated by London North Eastern Railway continue to other Scottish destinations beyond Edinburgh. History Origins Edinburgh's Old Town, perched on a steep-sided sloping ridge, was bounded on the north by a valley in which the Nor Loch had been formed. In the 1750s overcrowding led to proposals to link across this valley to allow development to the north. The "noxious lake" was to be narrowed into "a canal of running water", with a bridge formed across the east end of the loch adjacent to the physic garden. This link was built from 1766 as the North Bridge and at the same time plans for the New Town began development to the north, with Princes Street to get unobstructed views south over slopi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flying Scotsman (train)
The ''Flying Scotsman'' is an express passenger train service that operates between Edinburgh and London, the capitals of Scotland and England, respectively, via the East Coast Main Line. The service began in 1862 as the ''Special Scotch Express'' until it was officially adopted in 1924. It is currently operated by London North Eastern Railway. History The East Coast Main Line over which the ''Flying Scotsman'' service runs was built in the 19th century by many small railway companies, but mergers and acquisitions led to only three companies controlling the route; the North British Railway (NBR), the North Eastern Railway (NER) and the Great Northern Railway (GNR). In 1860 the three companies established the East Coast Joint Stock for through services using common vehicles, and it is from this agreement that the ''Flying Scotsman'' came about. Operation The first ''Special Scotch Express'' ran in 1862, with simultaneous departures at 10:00 from the GNR's London Ki ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Killin
Killin (; ) is a village in Perthshire in the central Highlands of Scotland. Situated at the western head of Loch Tay, it is administered by the Stirling Council area. Killin is a historic conservation village and sits within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. It is the central settlement of the historic region of Breadalbane. Killin is notable as a historically important part of the Gaidhealtachd of Perthshire and a centre of wildlife and adventure tourism. In July 2023, Killin was voted one of the most desirable locations to live and visit in Scotland, owing to its significant history, setting and facilities by Planetware.com, an expert travel website. A recent analysis (July 2021) by a leading mental health life insurance provider identified Killin as the second-best holiday destination for wellness in the United Kingdom. Location and Etymology The west end of the village is magnificently sited around the scenic Falls of Dochart (Scottish Gaelic: ''Eas D ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands (; , ) is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Scottish Lowlands, Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Scots language, Lowland Scots language replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands. The term is also used for the area north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault, although the exact boundaries are not clearly defined, particularly to the east. The Great Glen divides the Grampian Mountains to the southeast from the Northwest Highlands. The Scottish Gaelic name of ' literally means "the place of the Gaels" and traditionally, from a Gaelic-speaking point of view, includes both the Western Isles and the Highlands. The area is very sparsely populated, with many mountain ranges dominating the region, and includes the highest mountain in the British Isles, Ben Nevis. During the 18th and early 19th centuries the population of the Highlands rose to around 300,000, but from c. 1841 and for th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Forth Rail Bridge From North Josh Von Staudach
Forth or FORTH may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''forth'' magazine, an Internet magazine * ''Forth'' (album), by The Verve, 2008 * ''Forth'', a 2011 album by Proto-Kaw * Radio Forth, a group of independent local radio stations in Scotland People * Eric Forth (1944–2006), British politician * Frederick Forth (1808–1876), British colonial administrator * Hugh Forth (1610–1676), English politician * Jane Forth (born 1953), American actress and model * John Forth (c. 1769 – 1848), British jockey and racehorse trainer * Lisette Denison Forth (c. 1786 – 1866), American slave who became a landowner and philanthropist * Tasman Forth, pen name of Alexander Rud Mills (1885–1964), Australian Odinist Places * Forth, Tasmania, Australia * Forth, Eckental, Germany * Forth, South Lanarkshire, Scotland * River Forth, Scotland * River Forth (Tasmania), Australia * Forth (County Carlow barony), Ireland * Forth (County Wexford barony), Ireland * Forth (Edinburgh ward), Scotl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Towne
Robert Towne (born Robert Bertram Schwartz; November 23, 1934 – July 1, 2024) was an American screenwriter and director. He started writing films for Roger Corman, including '' The Tomb of Ligeia'' in 1964, and was later part of the New Hollywood wave of filmmaking. Towne wrote and won an Academy Award for Roman Polanski's '' Chinatown'' (1974); starring Jack Nicholson, widely considered one of the greatest screenplays ever written, as well as its sequel, '' The Two Jakes'' (1990). For Hal Ashby, he penned the comedy-dramas '' The Last Detail'' (1973) and '' Shampoo'' (1975). He collaborated with Tom Cruise on the films '' Days of Thunder'' (1990), '' The Firm'' (1993) and the first two installments of the '' Mission: Impossible'' franchise (1996, 2000). Towne directed the sports dramas '' Personal Best'' (1982) and '' Without Limits'' (1998), the crime thriller '' Tequila Sunrise'' (1988), and the romantic drama '' Ask the Dust'' (2006). Early life Towne was born Robert Bert ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time. Aged 21, Welles directed high-profile stage productions for the Federal Theatre Project in New York City—starting with a celebrated Voodoo Macbeth, 1936 adaptation of ''Macbeth'' with an African-American cast, and ending with the political musical ''The Cradle Will Rock'' in 1937. He and John Houseman founded the Mercury Theatre, an independent repertory theatre company that presented productions on Broadway through 1941, including a modern, politically charged ''Caesar (Mercury Theatre), Caesar'' (1937). In 1938, his radio anthology series ''The Mercury Theatre on the Air'' gave Welles the platform to find international fame as the director and narrator of The War of the Worlds (1938 radio drama), a radio adaptation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
