音乐厅中传来枪声,观众们一片惊慌。一位外国女子询问理查德•汉内是否可以在他家中过夜。次日该女子在被杀之前告诉理查德必须阻止间谍组织“三十九级台阶”将国家机密偷偷送出英国。汉内为了证明自己并不是杀人凶手无奈前往苏格兰高地寻找线索,在火车上他寻求一位叫做帕梅拉的金发年轻女子帮助,但她却马上向警察告发了他。他找到了“三十九级台阶”的领导人乔丹教授,但随即被陷害入狱。侥幸逃脱后又由于帕梅拉的告发被两位伪装成便衣警察的人带走,并且他们还把帕梅拉和他铐在了一起。于是两人携手逃脱了出来并取得了互相的信任,然后他们再次回到音乐厅,汉内看到了上次就见过的表演。他向号称可以回答任何问题的“记忆先生”提问:“什么是三十九级台阶“,于是…… 希区柯克曾说“记忆先生“是他最喜欢的角色之一,这个角色建立在一个名叫达塔斯的真人基础上,他自己小时候在伦敦看过他的表演。
Encore is a 1951 anthology film composed of adaptations of three short stories by W. Somerset Maugham: "The Ant and the Grasshopper", directed by Pat Jackson and adapted by T. E. B. Clarke; "Winter Cruise", helmed by Anthony Pelissier, screenplay by Arthur Macrae; "Gigolo and Gigolette", directed by Harold French, written by Eric Ambler. It is the last film in a Maugham trilogy, preceded by Quartet and Trio.
A famous mystery writer uses his own plot tricks to murder a blackmailer in this British thriller.
Stefan Radetzky, a Polish pilot and famous concert pianist, is hospitalised in England from injuries sustained while in combat, and having lost his memory. As Radetzky plays the piano in a trance-like state, the story moves back in time to war-torn Warsaw. During an air-raid, Radetzky meets American journalist Carole, and there is a mutual attraction. Following the fall of Poland, Radetzky and Irish pilot, Mike, escape to Rumania and then on to America. Radetzky continues his musical career in America and meets up again with Carole.
第二次世界大战的战火在英国燃烧。在远离战场的海滨小镇,银行经理梅因沃林的生活没有因为战争而出现紊乱。清晨,梅因沃林戴着礼帽、衣着整齐、拄着拐杖、提着公文包,神情庄重而绅士,打着招呼,走向银行。梅因沃林身为经理,且又年过花甲,但对自己和工作人员十分严格,助手威尔逊因换一枚变质的鸡蛋迟到一分钟,梅因沃林都要不留情面地予以批评。