Doctor Who Vs. The Thirty Nine Steps

This British period drama starred Robert Powell (as fugitive Richard Hannay), John

Mills and Eric Porter. The third, and most

faithful cinematic version of John Buchan's

adventure novel did however deviate from

the original narrative with the famous

climax atop Big Ben.

Robert Donat played Hannay in the first

adaptation (directed by Alfred Hitchcock

 in 1935), then Kenneth More took the

lead role for the 1959 remake. A fourth,

television production aired on BBC1 in

2008, with Hannay portrayed by Rupert

Penry-Jones.

The Thirty Nine Steps (the first of five

titles to feature Hannay) originally

appeared in Blackwoods Magazine in

1915, and depicts Europe on the edge

of war. The book quickly became popular reading both in the trenches and

on the home front.

The story was first dramatised for radio by Orson Welles in 1939, and

more recently for theatre. Radio 4 first transmitted a two-part rendition

in 2001, which starred Tom Baker and David Robb.

Powell reprised his film role for Thames TV's spin-off series, Hannay,

launched in 1988. Released by Rank in 1978, the thriller was shown

on Talking Pictures TV today - it featured David Warner, and thirty

Doctor Who cast connections:

• Powell voiced the eponymous role for Big Finish's Time Lord Immemorial (2023)
• George [Morris] Baker (Bullivant) was Login in Full Circle
• Ronald [Alfred] Pickup (Bayliss) made his TV debut as Physician in (episode 4 of) The Reign of Terror, then voiced Kestorian for Time Works (2006), Elder Bones for Spaceport Fear (2013), the Old One for Jago & Litefoot 12 (2016), and Jacob Harmer for The Wizard of Time (2023)
• Donald [Ellis] Pickering (Marshall here; McGillvray in The Three Hostages) was Eyesen in The Keys of Marinus, Blade in The Faceless Ones, and Beyus in Time and the Rani
• Timothy [Lancaster] West (Porton) voiced Kai Tobias for Phobos (2007), Turvey for Cuddlesome (2008), and Dr. Magnus Soames for House of Blue Fire (2011)
• Andrew Keir [born Buggy] (Rohan) was Wyler in Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 AD
• William [Arthur] Squire (Harkness) was the Shadow in The Armageddon Factor
• David [Cressy] Collings (Tillotson) was Vorus in Revenge of the Cybermen, [Ander] Poul in The Robots of Death [and reprised for Magic Bullet's Kaldor City (2002) and Big Finish's The Robots (2020/21)], the titular role in Mawdryn Undead, then voiced the Doctor for Full Fathom Five (2003), Gabriel Sanders for Jago & Litefoot (2010/11), Rosato for The King of Sontar (2014), and Narrator of Corpse Marker, The Witch Hunters and Scream of the Shalka
• Edward [James] de Souza (Woodville) was Marc Cory in Mission to the Unknown, then voiced Mortimer Davey for The Roof of the World (2004), and Sir Henry Irving for The Woman in White (2016)
• John Normington (Fletcher) was Morgus in The Caves of Androzani, and Trevor Sigma in The Happiness Patrol
• [Robert] Michael Bilton (Vicar) was Charles de Teligny in The Massacre, Collins in Pyramids of Mars (1), and Time Lord in The Deadly Assassin (1)
• Donald [Harold Gunn] Bisset (Renfrew) and Andrew [Fraser] Downie (Stewart) both appeared in The Highlanders - as Colin McLaren and Willie Mackay
• Harry Fielder (Policeman) was Guard (in PP, ZZZ, 4L, 4P, 5A, 5F, 5Z), Crewman (SS, 4T), Vogan (4D), Assassin (4Q), Tigellan (5Q), and Krarg in Shada 
• Paul Jerrico (Scott) was the Castellan in The Five Doctors
• [Walter] Prentis Hancock (Perryman) was Reporter [Jimmy] in Spearhead from Space, Vaber in Planet of the Daleks, Salamar in Planet of Evil, and Captain in The Ribos Operation
• James Garbutt (Miller) and Reg Turner (Policeman) were Ronson and Thal in Genesis of the Daleks
• Oliver Maguire (Martins) was a Shrieve in The Ribos Operation
• Lewis Alexander (Bystander) and [Alfred Harold] John Doye (Official) both starred in The War Machines, as Army Officer and Interviewer - Doye was also an Extra in The Romans (1), and Cowboy in The Gunfighters
• Peter Childs (Man) was Jack Ward in The Mark of the Rani
• Aileen [Mary] Lewis [born Halsey] (Lady) and Maureen Nelson (Guest) were both Extras on The Silurians (6) - Nelson was also the Bar Girl in The Gunfighters
• John [Ernest Clotworthy] Moore (Diner) was a Prisoner in Frontier in Space (3)
• Mike Reynell (Servant) was an Exxilon in Death to the Daleks, and Kaled Scientist in Genesis of the Daleks (6)
• Del Watson (Man) was an Alien Guard and Crimean Soldier in The War Games
• John [Kenneth] Tatham (Committee) was Villager/Coven member in The Daemons
• Jill Goldston (Nun) was an Extra in The Masque of Mandragora (4), and Peasant in State of Decay (1)
• Rita Tobin Weske (Nun) was the Theatre Cleaner in The Talons of Weng-Chiang (3)