The Lady Vanishes is a 1938 comedy/thriller classic of the British Film Industry. It was Hitchcock’s breakout success and convinced David O. Selznick to offer him a seven feature deal in Hollywood. It was Michael Redgrave’s first movie part. Margaret Lockwood was already a leading lady, but this was her biggest film to date. It is also notable for being the first appearance of Charters and Caldicott a cricket obsessed comedy duo who were very famous throughout the 1940s.
The film was a huge hit, not only in the UK but also in the US, where it won the New York Times award for best film of 1938. The crime/suspense element of the film is very good with a very clever intricate story. The comedy is genuinely funny, the leading couple have great chemistry and their bickering is arch and witty. The supporting characters add to the entertainment, whether its the whimsical humour of Wayne and Radford as Charters and Caldicott, the slapstick of Emile Boreo as the Hotel Manager, or even the awkward situational comedy of “Mr and Mrs” Todhunter.
This movie is almost 80 years old, so there are parts which seem unsophisticated from a modern perspective, but for me, this adds to its charm. I love the opening scene, where the avalanche has delayed the train. To our refined eye, it is patently a set up model, but although we know this, it works perfectly well and sets the stage to start the story.
It is one of the films that contains the traditional Hitchcock cameo, very near the end of the film, he appears on Victoria station. Although he was nominated at the Academy awards, as best director, five times, he never won any of them. So this movie was his only award for best director, he won the New York Times award in 1939. This film is a significant piece of British cinema history as well as being a very enjoyable watch.
So informative without any spoilers. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, Nick.
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Thank you for the kind words, Kelvin.
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Thanks so much for taking part, Nick. This is one of Hitch’s best films, it’s a good mystery and quite funny too. Redgrave and Lockwood are wonderful together.
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Thank you for organising it, Maddy. I enjoyed being part of it. Cheers!
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[…] Review Donkey boards the train to discuss The Lady Vanishes. […]
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Concise, yet complete: awesome review! I agree that the “vintage touch” adds to the film’s charm. and I think it’s even cooler that a film that is almost 80 years old has such a nice mix of suspense and fun.
Don’t forget to read my contribution to the blogathon! 🙂
Cheers!
Le
http://www.criticaretro.blogspot.com
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Great piece, Nick!
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I’ve seen this one several times — like most Hitchcock films, it can stand repeated viewings over time and remain engrossing.
Nice review!
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Yes, it is good, genuinely funny too! Thanks for taking the time to read the review!
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A very wonderfully written review. You captured the spirit of the movie.
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Thank you very much!
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My pleasure, you did the movie justice.
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