Hitchcock was known for- among many things- his cameos in films, black comedy, unexpected twists and turns and other cinematic achievements. But The 39 Steps (1935) started two traditions that became recurring ones in his films- the icy blonde female lead and the wrongfully accused man.
It was known as commonplace when Vertigo, North by Northwest and Psycho rolled around. But “Steps” was a very early, vintage, British Hitchcock film that featured Madeleine Carroll as the blonde spy and Robert Donat as the wrongfully accused man.
Although there had been other blonde leads in Hitchcock films leading up to this, and his silent film The Lodger (1927) featured an innocent man on the run, this film was more widely well-received and put Hitchcock on the block as a true director. It also helps that it is of feature-length duration, unlike The Lodger, which could be characterized as an impressive, hour-long television special (perhaps made for “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”).
Hitchcock was on his way with this gem, casting more ice-cold leading ladies, confused and conflicted men and thrilling plot twists that defined the genre he created.
USF Broadcast News 