The 39 Steps Quotes

Richard Hannay Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for my hesitation in rising just now, but to tell you the simple truth, I'd entirely failed, while listening to the chairman's flattering description of the next speaker, to realize he was talking about me. As for you, may I say, from the bottom of my heart and with the utmost sincerity, how delighted and relieved I am to find myself in your presence at this moment. Delighted, because of your friendly reception, and relieved, because as long as I stand on this platform, I'm delivered from the moment - from the cares and anxieties which must always be the lot of a man in my position. When I journeyed up to Scotland a few days ago, traveling on the Highland Express, over that magnificent structure, the Forth Bridge, that monument to Scottish engineering and Scottish muscle, I had no idea that within a few days time, I should find myself addressing an important political meeting. No idea. I planned a different program for myself. A very different program.

Hannay Well, I've never been to Glasgow. I've been to Edinburgh and Montreal and London. I'll tell you all about London at supper.

Margaret John wouldn't approve of that, I doubt.

Hannay Why not?

Margaret He says it's best not to think of such places and all the wickedness that goes on there.

Hannay Well, why not listen now, before he comes back? What did you want to know?

Margaret Well, is it true that all the ladies paint their toenails?

Hannay Some of them.

Margaret Do London ladies look beautiful?

Hannay They do. But they wouldn't if you were beside them.

Margaret You ought not to say that.

John What ought you not to say?

Hannay I was just saying to your wife that I prefer living in town than the country.

John God made the country. Is the supper ready, woman?

Professor Now, Mr. Hannay - I suppose it's safe to call you by your real name now. What about our mutual friend, Annabella?

Hannay She's been murdered.

Professor Murdered? Oh, the Portland Mansions affair. What our friends outside are looking for you for.

Hannay I didn't do it.

Professor Of course you didn't. But why come all this way to Scotland to tell me about it?

Hannay I believe she was coming to see you about some Air Ministry secret. She was killed by a foreign agent who is interested too.

Professor Did she tell you what the foreign agent looked like?

Hannay There wasn't time. Oh, there was one thing. Part of his little finger was missing.

Professor Which one?

Hannay This one, I think.

Professor Sure it wasn't... this one?

Pamela I feel such a fool, not having believed you.

Hannay Oh, that's all right. Well, we ought to get a move on. What room are those two men in?

Pamela No room, they went as soon as they telephoned.

Hannay They what?

Pamela Didn't I tell you?

Hannay You let them go after hearing what they said? You, you button-headed little idiot!

Pamela Don't talk to me like that!

Hannay Four or five precious hours wasted. Why didn't you wake me up at once? Even you might have realized that what they said was important.

Pamela What made you wake so soon? Dreams?

Hannay What do you mean, dreams?

Pamela I've always been told murderers have terrible dreams.

Hannay Oh, but only at first. Got over that a long time ago. When I first did a crime, I was quite squeamish about it. I was a most sensitive child.

Pamela You surprise me.

Hannay I used to wake up in the middle of the night screaming, thinking the police were after me. But one gets hardened.

Pamela How did you start?

Hannay Oh, quite a small way like most of us. Pilfering pennies from other childrens lockers at school. Then a little pocket-picking and a spot of car-pinching, and smash-and-grab and sordid, plain burglary. Killed my first man when I was nineteen. In years to come, you'll be able to take your grandchildren to Mme. Tussaud's and point me out.

Pamela Which section?

Hannay Oh, it's early to say. I'm still young. But I'll be there, all right, in one department or another. Yes, you'll point me out and say: Chicks, if I were to tell you how matey I once was with that gentleman...

Hannay There are twenty million women in this island and I've got to be chained to you. Now look here, miss. Once more, I'm telling you the truth...I'm telling it to you now for a third time. There's a dangerous conspiracy against this island. We're the only people who can stop it - what you've seen happen right under your very nose.

Pamela The gallant knight to the rescue.

Hannay All right. Then, I'm just a plain common murderer who stabbed an innocent, defenseless woman in the back not four days ago. How do you come out over that? I don't know how innocent you may be, but you're a woman and you're defenseless, and you're alone on a desolate moor in the dark manacled to a murderer who would stop at nothing to get you off his hands. And if that's the situation you prefer, have it, my lovely, and welcome.

Pamela I'm not afraid of...

Hannay For all you know, I may murder a woman a week. So listen to one bit of advice. From now on, do every single thing I can easily do, and do it quick.

Pamela You big bully!

Hannay I like your pluck!

Hannay Couldn't you realize I was speaking the truth in that railway carriage? You must have seen I was genuine. Well, whether you believe me or not, will you put a telephone call through to the High Commissioner in London and tell him that...an enormously important secret is being taken out of this country by a foreign agent? I can't do anything myself because of this fool of a detective. Has that penetrated?

Pamela Right to the funny bone. Now tell me another one.

Hannay Haven't you any sense at all? Put that call through, I beg you or refer them to me. Will you do this?

Pamela No. Good night.

Taglines Handcuffed to the girl who double-crossed him

Richard Hannay The idle rich? That's kind of an old-fashioned topic these days, especially for me because I'm not rich and I've never been idle. I've been very busy all my life and I expect to be much busier quite soon....And I know what it is to feel lonely and helpless and to have the whole world against me, and those are things that no man or woman ought to feel. And I ask your candidate and all those who love their fellow men to set themselves resolutely to make this world a happier place to live in, a world where no nation plots against nation. Where no neighbor plots against neighbor, where there is no persecution or hunting down, where everybody gets a square deal and a sporting chance, and where people try to help and not to hinder. A world from which suspicions of cruelty and fear have been forever banished. That is the sort of world I want! Is that the sort of world you want?

Richard Hannay Hello, what are we stopping for? Oh, it's a whole flock of detectives.

Taglines A hundred steps ahead of any picture this year

Professor Well, Mr. Hannay, I'm afraid I've been guilty of leading you down the garden path - or should it be up? I never can remember.

Hannay It seems to be the wrong garden, all right. Well, what are you going to do about it?

Professor That's just the point. What are we going to do about it? You see, I live here as a respectable citizen. And you must realize that my whole existence would be jeopardized if it became known that I'm not - what shall I say? - not what I seem. Oh, Mr. Hannay, why have you come here? Why have you forced me into this difficult position? I can't lock you up in a room or anything like that?...What makes it doubly important that I shouldn't let you go is, that I'm just about to, uh, convey some very vital information out of the country. Oh yes, I've got it. I'm afraid poor Annabella would have been too late in any case.

Smith Listen, I'm going to tell you something which is not very healthy to know, but now that they have followed me here, you are in it as much as I am. Have you ever heard of the Thirty-Nine Steps?

Hannay No, what's that - a pub?

Smith Never mind. But what you are laughing at just now is true. These men will stick at nothing. I am the only person who can stop them. If they are not stopped, it is only a matter of days, perhaps hours, before the secret is out of the country.

Hannay Well, why don't you phone the police or something?

Smith Cause they wouldn't believe me any more than you did. And if they did, how long do you think it would take to get them going. These men act quickly. You don't know how clever their chief is. He has a dozen names, and he can look like a hundred people, but one thing he cannot disguise - this: part of his little finger is missing - so if ever you should meet a man with no top joint there, be very careful, my friend.

Taglines The "Monte Cristo" hero...

Salesman Put a pretty girl inside those and she needn't be ashamed of herself anywhere.

Traveller All right. Bring it back to me when it's filled.

Hannay Now, will you kindly place yourself on the operating table? All right, all right, nobody's gonna hurt you. This is Armistice Day. Let's get some rest while we can.

Pamela I'm not going to lie on this bed.

Hannay As long as you're chained to me, you'll lie wherever I lie. We're the Siamese twins.

Pamela Oh, don't gloat!

Hannay Gloat? Do you think I'm looking forward to waking up in the morning and seeing your face beside me, unwashed and shiny? What a sight you'll be.

Taglines Fated to be Mated with the One Man She Hated

Taglines The MAN who put the MAN in roMANce.

Taglines The Most Charming Brute Who Ever Scorned A Lady

Hannay Now what's the next item on the program?

Pamela Get these things off.

Hannay Right. How are we going to set about it? Anything in that bag of yours that would help? A pair of scissors or hairpin, or something?

Pamela A nail file. Well, do you think that'd help?

Hannay ...It'll take about ten years, but we can try it. Now let's make ourselves as comfortable as possible. What about that skirt of yours? It's still pretty damp, you know. I don't want to be tied to a pneumonia case on top of everything else. Take it off. I don't mind.

Pamela I'll leave it on, thank you...My shoes and stockings are soaked so I think I'll take them off.

Hannay That's the first sensible thing I've heard you say.

Sheriff And this bullet stuck among the hymns, eh? Well, I'm not surprised, Mr. Hannay. Some of those Calvinist prayers are terrible hard to get through.

Hannay What are the Thirty-Nine Steps? Come on! Answer up! What are the Thirty-Nine Steps?

Mr. Memory The Thirty-Nine Steps is an organization of spies, collecting information on behalf of the foreign office of...

Richard Hannay I've got it! I've got it! Of course, there are no papers missing. All the information's inside Memory's head...Don't you see? The details of the Air Ministry secrets were borrowed, memorized by this little man, and then replaced before anyone could find out. That's why he's here tonight to take Memory out of the country after the show.

Margaret There's a car coming. It'll be the police. You'd better be going...I'm not going to let them catch you.

Hannay I'll never forget you for doing this for me.

John I might have known. Making love behind my back. Get out!

Hannay Just a minute!

John Aye, and you too! Get out of my house before I...

Margaret Aye, go, go!

Hannay And leave you like this? No fear! Look here, you don't understand... Look here, you're all wrong about this. She was only trying to help me.