I now know that it is possible to strongly dislike a Hitchcock movie. I've read Buchan's The 39 Steps, and, while the plot was propelled by a series of coincidences, it was a pretty good book nonetheless. The main character does some developing, if minor, and if it is waaaay too convenient for him to have all of these skills he needs as he goes along (disguising, ability to act/talk like a Scotsman, etc.), it's still rather fun. He's a self-sufficient kind of guy. There's a codebook he has to break, too, and that's kind of fun also. The end scene where he's in the room with the three bad guys and doesn't know it yet is pretty good stuff. You can just picture all of this in a movie.

So I went back and watched the movie. Where did these women come from? Huh? And the jealous husband thing? What? He didn't change his appearance at all, either, which may have been a contract thing, but why, oh why, was he so obvious? Just in case you didn't know it was he who was wanted for murder he stares at the newspaper article at every chance, eyes the policemen nervously, and paces around. Where Buchan's suave, capable creation go? Whatever happened to the clever disguises and the explosions?

Bad Hitchcock. No treats!