While on vacation in London, Canadian Richard Hannay (Robert Donat) becomes embroiled in an international spy ring related to the mysterious “39 steps.” Then he meets agent Annabella Smith (Lucie Mannheim), who is soon killed in his apartment. He must elude the police, who are hunting him for murder, while he tries to stop Professor Jordan (Godfrey Tearle) from sending secrets out of the country. Hannay is assisted by Pamela (Madeleine Carroll), an unwilling accomplice who discovers the truth.

Where does the Benshi name come from?
When the cinema appeared in Japan the special office of storyteller and interpreter, because of the cultural differences, was created with it. He was responsible for explaining to viewers the content flowing from the foreign movies. This responsible office was called “Benshi”.

Project co-financed by the Polish Film Institute and National Film Archive.