Orson Welles was no fan of Alfred Hitchcock, but he had high praise for one particular film from his fellow director, albeit not one that’s generally counted among his best films. Directed by Hitchcock,The 39 Stepsis a lesser-known mystery thriller - and apparently, a favorite of Orson Welles'.
Today, Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock are widely regarded as two of thegreatest movie directors of all time. Orson Welles directedCitizen Kane, a movie that’sin contention withCasablancafor the title of the greatest movie ever made. He’s also received critical acclaim for various other movies, includingTouch of EvilandThe Stranger.
Alfred Hitchcock, for his part, is responsible for a significantly larger number of perceived classics, withRear Window,Notorious,Psycho, andNorth by Northwestbeing just a handful of the great contributions he’s credited with making to movie history. Interestingly, Orson Welles didn’t have a very high opinion of Alfred Hitchcock’s work, although there were some exceptions.
Orson Welles Called The 39 Steps A “Masterpiece”
Orson Welles Loved The 39 Steps
In an interview, Orson Welles voiced his thoughts on some ofAlfred Hitchcock’s movies, expressing his great dislike for some of the most celebrated films in Alfred Hitchcock’s directorial credits, includingRear WindowandVertigo. He had very different thoughts onThe 39 Steps, remarking, “Oh my god, what a masterpiece,” [viaFar Out Magazine].
the 1935 film currently holds a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, underscoring its reputation as an under-the-radar Alfred Hitchcock gem.
Starring Robert Donat,The 39 Stepswas a fast-paced British thriller that saw an ordinary man get wrapped up in the murder of a foreign spy, causing him to become a target of enemy agents and police. Based on a 1915 book by John Buchan, the 1935 film currently holds a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, underscoring its reputation as an under-the-radar Alfred Hitchcock gem.
In 1938, Orson Welles hosted a five-part radio drama program calledThe Mercury Theatre on the Air, which included hisinfamous “War of the Worlds” broadcast. One of the other four radio dramas he did for the program was an adaptation ofThe Thirty-Nine Steps, three years after Hitchcock’s version.
The 39 Stepswas one of the many British movies Hitchcock made before his transition to Hollywood, where he made his biggest hits. In Orson Welles' mind, Hitchcock’s early movies - in spite of being lower-budget productions - were “better than the American pictures.” He felt that these movies - includingThe 39 Steps- had a “foreign charm” to them because of the unfamiliarity of the actors.
Why Orson Welles Was So Critical Of Alfred Hitchcock’s Movies, But Not The 39 Steps
Orson Welles Hated Movies Commonly Regarded As Some Of Alfred Hitchcock’s Best Films
Orson Welles' candid interview revealed a strong distaste for Alfred Hitchcock’s work, though it would seem that most of his disdain was reserved for the films made in the final decades of his career.Welles claimed that “egotism and laziness” hurt the director’s movies.
To Welles, Hitchcock’s supposed decline in quality began when the director started making movies in color
To Welles, Hitchcock’s supposed decline in quality began when the director started making movies in color, which would indicate that he saw the late 1940s as the start of the director’s downward spiral. In Welles' words, this was when Hitchcock “stopped looking through the camera,” indicating that he became less innovative in his directing style.
This could also refer to the many ways in which Hitchcock utilized lighting and shadows in his black and white movies, such asNotorious,Shadow of a Doubt, and, of course,The 39 Steps.
Over the years, Hitchcock received a great deal of acclaim for his creative use of these techniques to convey suspense and other emotions. This was a priority for Welles as well, considering how big of a factor it was inCitizen Kane,especially. In that regard, it’s no wonder that Orson Welles was able to appreciateThe 39 Steps.
The 39 Steps Was One Of Alfred Hitchcock’s Favorite Movies Too
Alfred Hitchcock Liked The Fast Pace He Employed When Making The 39 Steps
Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock clearly didn’t see eye-to-eye on several of the latter’s movies, considering thatAlfred Hitchcock viewedRear Windowas one of his proudest achievements. But it seems that they were closer to the same page onThe 39 Steps, which Hitchcock has cited as one of his favorite films of his own [viaThe Hitchcock Zone].
Reflecting onThe 39 Steps, Hitchcock spoke fondly of his work on the movie, explaining that what he liked about the film was “the sudden switches and the jumping from one situation to another with such rapidity.” In some ways, The 39 Steps can be seen as the opposite of a film likeRear Window,Rope, orLifeboat, which confined their characters to one area for the entirety of a movie.
The 39 Steps, on the other hand, took its main character - Richard Hannay - through all sorts of situations, putting him through intense episodes taking place on a farm, a train, on top of a clock tower, and more. The pacing inThe 39 Stepsenabled it to deliver a truly engaging story.
