I'd just re read 39 steps (mistake) and dug out my old DVD with Moore in the role. That film portrays Hannay as a brit gentleman (he was scots/ south african), introduces women to the plot (shudder), and encourages Moore to stroll through with a brave smile and a jaunty whistle, wheras the book has a bored ex pat thrown into a deadly political adventure, scraping through by his wits. I like Moore in 'Reach for the sky', that role suited the character he usually plays very well, but not this role for that character IMO.
Anyway, continuing the classic theme...
The other best (old, pre spag western) cowboy movies for me are:
John Wayne's 'El Dorado' with excellent support from Mitchum and James Caan.
'High Noon' ofc. Shot in real time...first movie to do so I think and an excellent Gary Cooper in charge throughout.
'The man who shot liberty valance' starring James Stewart, supported by Wayne and an excellent Lee Marvin as Valance.
Other Americana has to include:
'Casablanca' and 'The African Queen' for Bogart fans (the latter being Bogarts only Oscar I think).
'Some like it hot' for the best of the Monroe films (NOT just for the dress under the spotlight in the cabaret scene, cough) with Lemmon and Curtis, the former on his best form outside 'The Apartment'
and of the more intellectual stuff, John Ford's 'The grapes of wrath' stands out for me.