The 39 Steps opened in London, England on 6 June 1935 (it would be released in the US at the end of July).
Based on John Buchan's 1915 novel, Charles Bennett (working closely with Alfred Hitchcock) made significant changes for the film version (including changing the meaning of the title), and the film is considered to be the first to contain signature Hitchockian elements (an innocent man wrongly suspected, the MacGuffin, a blend of humor and suspense, the "icy blonde", and the use of familiar places for the action).
The 39 Steps was a commercial and critical success when it was released, and its reputation remains - it has been ranked as one of Hitchcock's best films, one of the best book-to-film adaptations, and one the best British films of all time.