▁Great ▁Britain . ▁ ▁H itch cock ▁Car roll ▁attract ed ▁the ▁attention ▁of ▁Alfred ▁H itch cock ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 5 ▁star red ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁director ' s ▁earliest ▁pro tot yp ical ▁cool , ▁g lib , ▁intellig ent ▁bl ond es ▁in ▁The ▁ 3 9 ▁Ste ps . ▁Based ▁on ▁the ▁esp ion age ▁novel ▁by ▁John ▁Buch an , ▁the ▁film ▁became ▁a ▁sens ation ▁and ▁with ▁it ▁so ▁did ▁Car roll . ▁C ited ▁by ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁for ▁a ▁performance ▁that ▁was ▁" ch arm ing ▁and ▁skill ful ", ▁Car roll ▁became ▁very ▁much ▁in ▁demand . ▁Of ▁H itch cock ▁hero ines ▁as ▁exempl ified ▁by ▁Car roll , ▁film ▁critic ▁Roger ▁E bert ▁wrote : ▁The ▁female ▁characters ▁in ▁his ▁films ▁reflected ▁the ▁same ▁qual ities ▁over ▁and ▁over ▁again : ▁They ▁were ▁bl onde . ▁They ▁were ▁ icy ▁and ▁remote . ▁They ▁were ▁imprison ed ▁in ▁cost umes ▁that ▁subt ly ▁combined ▁fashion ▁with ▁fet ish ism . ▁They ▁mes mer ised ▁the ▁men , ▁who ▁often ▁had ▁physical ▁or ▁psych ological ▁hand ic aps . ▁ ▁So on er ▁or ▁later , ▁every ▁H itch cock ▁woman ▁was ▁hum ili ated . ▁ ▁The ▁director ▁wanted ▁to ▁re - team ▁Car roll ▁with ▁her ▁ 3 9 ▁Ste ps ▁co - star ▁Robert ▁Don at ▁the ▁following ▁year ▁in ▁Secret ▁Agent , ▁a ▁sp y ▁thr iller ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁work ▁by ▁W .