One of my favorite Alfred Hitchcock movies is “The 39S teps,” a 1935 spy thriller, based on the 1915 John Buchan novel of the same name, that takes the audience on a cross country chase from London to Scotland and back. While only briefly appearing, one of the key characters is Mr. Memory, a London music hall performer portrayed by Wylie Watson and depicted in the photo at the top of this page. As we learn with protagonist Richard Hannay only in the final scene,i Mr. Memory is the vehicle used to smuggle vital military secrets out of the country; in spite of their overwhelming intricacy, with skill he memorizes them down to the last detail.