▁was ▁Black mail ▁( 1 9 2 9 ), ▁his ▁and ▁Britain ' s ▁first ▁sound ▁film . ▁His ▁notable ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁thr ill ers ▁include ▁The ▁Man ▁Who ▁K new ▁To o ▁Much ▁( 1 9 3 4 ), ▁The ▁ 3 9 ▁Ste ps ▁( 1 9 3 5 ) ▁and ▁The ▁Lady ▁Van ishes ▁( 1 9 3 8 ), ▁the ▁latter ▁two ▁ranked ▁among ▁the ▁greatest ▁British ▁films ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁earliest ▁sp y ▁films ▁was ▁Fritz ▁Lang ' s ▁Sp ies ▁( 1 9 2 8 ), ▁the ▁director ' s ▁first ▁independent ▁production , ▁with ▁an ▁an arch ist ▁international ▁consp ir ator ▁and ▁criminal ▁sp y ▁character ▁named ▁H ag hi ▁( R ud olf ▁Klein - R og ge ), ▁who ▁is ▁purs ued ▁by ▁good - gu y ▁Agent ▁No . ▁ 3 2 6 ▁( W illy ▁F rit sch ) — this ▁film ▁would ▁be ▁an ▁insp iration ▁for ▁the ▁future ▁James ▁Bond ▁films . ▁The ▁German ▁film ▁M ▁( 1 9 3 1 ), ▁directed ▁by ▁Fritz ▁Lang , ▁star red ▁Peter ▁Lor re ▁( in ▁his ▁first ▁film ▁role ) ▁as ▁a ▁criminal ▁devi ant ▁who ▁pre ys ▁on ▁children . ▁▁ 1 9 4 0 s – 1 9 6 0 s ▁ ▁H itch cock ▁continued ▁his ▁susp ense - th r ill ers , ▁direct ing ▁Foreign ▁Cor respond ent ▁( 1 9 4