THIRTY NINE STEPS

Original British 9 1/4 inch x 7 3/8 inch Portrait of KENNETH MORE as Richard Hannay in the 1959 Ralph Thomas Espionage Thriller THE 39 STEPS, based on the novel by John Buchan.

In London, a diplomat accidentally becomes involved in the death of a British agent who’s after a spy ring that covets British military secrets.

The portrait is by George Courtenay Ward

George Courtney Ward, who died at his home in Westbourne on February 15, 2011, aged 93, photographed some of the most famous names in cinema during his 30 years working at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire. Dirk Bogarde, Michael Caine, Frank Sinatra, Lauren Bacall, Alec Guinness and Kenneth More were just some of the screen stars in George’s portfolio. He was understood to be a good friend of Lord Attenborough and worked on some of the best-loved British films, including Oliver Twist in 1948, This Sporting Life in 1963 and Great Expectations in 1946, and also designed the artwork for Brief Encounter. Ward was born in Christchurch in 1917 and grew up in the town before becoming a stills photographer at Pinewood where he worked for 30 years before moving to Elstree studios in 1969 when the photographic department was closed down.

The portrait is in very good condition with a small crease at the upper right corner.