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During Donat's improbable journey, he encounters the enemy spy Mannheim warned him about: the half-pinkie Professor Jordan (Godfrey Tearle). He is also somehow handcuffed to hot blonde Madeleine Carroll, who in due course changes from absolutely despising him to falling in love with him.
How I felt about it. Beloved and undeniably exciting as The 39 Steps is, it does have its bogus moments. The most obvious among these occurs when Professor Jordan (Godfrey Tearle) reveals himself to be the half-pinkie villain, then engages in a soliloquy about how to dispense with Robert Donat. Any cagey spy would hide his pinky, pretend to be Donat's ally, say nice things about the martyred Mannheim, coax Donat to reveal all that he knows, then get him out of the house on a "mission," where he could be safely shot. And verified as dead if there is no bloodshed.
Less bogus, but still obvious, is Donat's fascination with the origin of the tune he is whistling. He has more pressing problems. One also wonders why John Laurie lets a young and handsome stranger into his house if he is outrageously jealous of his much younger wife, Peggy Ashcroft.
We can also wonder why Donat journeys to Scotland to meet up with Mannheim's agent, when he doesn't have a name, description, password, street address, or landmark to go on. A reasonable man would go to the police. It must be patriotism, the same urge that later propels Carroll to become Donat's advocate instead of getting the hell out of Dodge, the safer and common sense solution. In any event, what are the odds that Carroll would leave her room and at the same moment overhear unseen a conversation between two spies that clears Donat?
Further belaboring the fantastic nature of the plot, let's discuss the ending. Donat is shown to be innocent of stabbing Mannheim, because someone else shot Mr. Memory? Surely Professor Jordan has an alibi for that murder, and isn't likely to reveal whodunit, even if he knew.
The 39 Steps also has a truly odd bit of dialogue. Donat is introduced to an extroverted young woman, who immediately tells him, "Forgive the orgy, we've just been to church!" What?
So the story doesn't quite hold together under examination. It is nonetheless great fun, which is what matters most. The Wrong Man accused of murder was Hitchcock's favorite plot, and why not? He was good at making that kind of movie. In defense of The 39 Steps, the film is packed with suspense, and we never tire of cheering for Donat, no matter how unlikely it is that he will pull off his task: proving his innocence, saving his country, and getting the girl.