Criterion Collection Spine #56
Laid the foundation for all the spy thrillers that came after it.
"Beautiful, mysterious woman pursued by gunmen. Sounds like a spy story ... That's exactly what it is. Only I prefer the word agent better."
Since I don't remember much of 'North by Northwest' I am going to claim The 39 Steps as my first ever Alfred Hitchcock 'man on the run' movie. The film is clearly inspirational and I would not be surprised if they started with this template when they made Brian De Palma's 'Mission: Impossible'.
My attention did come in and out at times while watching it, but for the most part it delivers a solid package of mystery, chase scenes, and…