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ONE MAN WITH A SECRET PITS HIMSELF AGAINST A RUTHLESS SPY RING Above: two who co-star in “The 39 Steps'*. Kenneth More, (right) plays the immortal Richard Hannay in that picturization of what is considered the best and most exciting of the Buchan classics. Lovely Taina Elg (left) heightens her stature as a dramatic actress with her role of the school teacher, who is sus picious of the stranger at first, but finally aids him in break- ing up a gang of spies. However, while she has been playing dramatic roles in recent years. Miss Elg attained stardom in musicals. She will be recalled for a fine job in “Les Girls**. IN "THE THIRTY-NINE STE PS** CLIMAX, THE EXPOSED SPY, PROF. LOGAN (BARRY JONES), AFTER SHOOTING HIS DUPE, *‘MR. MEMORY** (JAMES HAYTER), LEAPS ONTO THE MUSIC HALL STAGE IN AN ATTEMPT TO ELUDE THE POLICE. DRAMA IS REPUTEDLY BASED ON FACT*. The internationally popular screen and stage star, Kenneth More, was given his first opportunity to attain histrionic fame when producer Betty Box cast him in “The Clouded Yellow” some years ago. His second chance came when director Ralph Thomas cast him in a leading role in “Appointment With Venus”. Together, Betty Box and Ralph Thomas later put him in the comedy that launched him a global movie star: “Doctor In The House”. Now, together again, the three have brought John Buchan’s classic thriller, “The 39 Steps”, to the screen. Co-starred with him is beautiful Finnish-born actress, Taina Elg, who danced and sophis- ticatedly clowned, danced and sang her own way to popularity in the musical, “Les Girls”. Enacting principal roles in “The 39 Steps” also are Brenda De Banzie as Nellie Lumsden, Barry Jones as Prof. Logan and James Hayter as “Mr. Memory”, the man with the “photographic brain”. H is role in “The 39 Steps” is rated among the best Kenneth More has played. Starting as a stage- hand in London, he worked himself up to being a stand-in singer and, after World War II service, to repertory acting. He has personally scored, in addition to the pictures already mentioned, in “Gene- vieve”, “Reach For The Sky”, “The Sheriff Of Fractured Jaw” and “A Night To Remember”. Taina Elg, who makes her home in California, started out studying ballet with the Sadler’s Wells School, but, after a screen-test by MGM’s producer Edwin Knopf, was signed to a contract. Her first film, a small part, was “The Prodigal”. Then came co-starring parts in “Les Girls”, “Imitation General” and others. She also has guest-starred on television. The story of “The 39 Steps” starts innocently enough: a pedestrian, Richard Hannay (Kenneth More) picks up a baby’s rattle ic* London’s Kensington Gardens. That simple act sparks off a trail of espionage, intrigue and murder, for Hannay finds himself enmeshed in a web of evil from the moment he hands the rattle to the baby’s nurse, a secret service agent who tells him she is in fear of her life. Before she is actually murdered in his flat, Hannay learns that the “brain” of an organization seeking to smuggle plans of vital importance to Britain lives in Scotland, and that mystery is tied in with three words: “the 39 steps”. Pursued by police who want him for murder, and members of the traitorous organization, Han- nay boards a train to Scotland to clear himself. Trapped on the train he vainly tries to get an attrac- tive school-teacher, Fisher (Miss Elg) to help him, but he does manage to reach a roadside garage where an eccentric couple help him evade police cordons. He finally reaches his destination where he be- lieves he can find the man who holds the key to the mystery. There he learns that that respected citizen is actually the “brain” of the organization. The later is determined to do away with Hannay who takes refuge in Fisher’s school. She hears his story and now agrees to help. After several escapes from death at the hands of the organization’s “muscle men”, they reach a London Music Hall where they find the solution to the riddle of “the 39 steps”. 35