I was genuinely entertained by "The Lady Vanishes", however I can't help wondering why the film garners such rave reviews along with it's standing in the IMDb film rankings. I'll readily admit that maybe it's me, as I've found myself against the majority from time to time.
The premise of the film is an intriguing one, a pair of women board a train in a mythical central European country. Though unknown to each other they form a friendly bond, and while Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood) sleeps off the effects of a bump on the noggin from an offending flower box, her elderly companion simply disappears. It turns out that Miss Froy (Dame May Witty) is an English spy (?) who harbors a secret regarding a pact between two countries.
Miss Henderson finds a willing accomplice to the mystery in Gilbert Redman (Michael Redgrave), who provides many a witty and comical retort to situations that arise. Both find themselves confiding in the respectable Dr. Hartz (Paul Lukas) when no one believes Miss Henderson's claim; it turns out Hartz is the mastermind behind the kidnap plot. The repartee between Henderson and Redman is quick and snappy, reminiscent of Nick and Nora Charles in the "Thin Man" series.
The first element that works against the film for me is the gun battle at a train stop. Now I know pistols can be deadly, but didn't it seem that the good guys were just a little too accurate in dispatching villain after villain from a fair distance? Then, when Redman forces the train engineers to get moving again, the curious ballistics that take out the railroad men is just too unbelievable.
The kicker though is the manner in which Miss Froy's secret is to be delivered to her government. It's to be found in the tune of a song that she teaches Redman how to hum in case something happens to her. Fortunately, Miss Froy makes the rest of the journey safely, because jolly old Redman has his mind on other matters (Miss Henderson), and forgets the tune!
One thing though, no matter how novel an idea may seem in modern films, they usually show up in something that went before. On the train, it takes Miss Henderson a while, but she eventually remembers that Miss Froy wrote her name on a window when she couldn't be heard above the noise. Pointing it out to Redman helps convince him that Iris isn't batty. Jody Foster's character would find herself in similar circumstances with identical support in this year's thriller - "Flightplan".
The premise of the film is an intriguing one, a pair of women board a train in a mythical central European country. Though unknown to each other they form a friendly bond, and while Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood) sleeps off the effects of a bump on the noggin from an offending flower box, her elderly companion simply disappears. It turns out that Miss Froy (Dame May Witty) is an English spy (?) who harbors a secret regarding a pact between two countries.
Miss Henderson finds a willing accomplice to the mystery in Gilbert Redman (Michael Redgrave), who provides many a witty and comical retort to situations that arise. Both find themselves confiding in the respectable Dr. Hartz (Paul Lukas) when no one believes Miss Henderson's claim; it turns out Hartz is the mastermind behind the kidnap plot. The repartee between Henderson and Redman is quick and snappy, reminiscent of Nick and Nora Charles in the "Thin Man" series.
The first element that works against the film for me is the gun battle at a train stop. Now I know pistols can be deadly, but didn't it seem that the good guys were just a little too accurate in dispatching villain after villain from a fair distance? Then, when Redman forces the train engineers to get moving again, the curious ballistics that take out the railroad men is just too unbelievable.
The kicker though is the manner in which Miss Froy's secret is to be delivered to her government. It's to be found in the tune of a song that she teaches Redman how to hum in case something happens to her. Fortunately, Miss Froy makes the rest of the journey safely, because jolly old Redman has his mind on other matters (Miss Henderson), and forgets the tune!
One thing though, no matter how novel an idea may seem in modern films, they usually show up in something that went before. On the train, it takes Miss Henderson a while, but she eventually remembers that Miss Froy wrote her name on a window when she couldn't be heard above the noise. Pointing it out to Redman helps convince him that Iris isn't batty. Jody Foster's character would find herself in similar circumstances with identical support in this year's thriller - "Flightplan".