Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes is a transitional film of a director who is soon to go to Hollywood where he will have a bigger budget and more resources.
There is an element of propaganda in this film as war is looming in Europe, it is also whimsical as well as being an effective thriller.
Margaret Lockwood plays Iris going through Europe on a train who sat with an elderly children's governess Miss Froy who has disappeared. The other passengers on the train ever deny seeing this Miss Froy. Only Michael Redgrave who plays Gilbert and has previously irritated Iris with his folk music half believes her story, so he helps her out. Both of them uncover a conspiracy as Miss Froy holds valuable information that she needs to get to Britain.
Alfred Hitchcock portrays a rather nonchalant view of Britain. Iris is a bit of a playgirl due to marry someone wealthy, Gilbert is a bit of a scamp, a musician and a researcher. There are the foreign office duo, Charters and Caldicott who are more interested in catching the cricket score than what is going on in front of them until it is too late and then they take action. Another passenger is a pacifist refusing to engage in a gun battle.
The film's finale is rather action packed once the truth is revealed.
The standout performance is by Michael Redgrave who plays it fast and loose, a fun packed frothy performance that makes you forget he would become a theatrical knight of the same generation as Olivier and Gielgud.
The film does look rather creaky now, some of the characters are irritating. However it is still an important resume of an outstanding director as his own work progressed.
There is an element of propaganda in this film as war is looming in Europe, it is also whimsical as well as being an effective thriller.
Margaret Lockwood plays Iris going through Europe on a train who sat with an elderly children's governess Miss Froy who has disappeared. The other passengers on the train ever deny seeing this Miss Froy. Only Michael Redgrave who plays Gilbert and has previously irritated Iris with his folk music half believes her story, so he helps her out. Both of them uncover a conspiracy as Miss Froy holds valuable information that she needs to get to Britain.
Alfred Hitchcock portrays a rather nonchalant view of Britain. Iris is a bit of a playgirl due to marry someone wealthy, Gilbert is a bit of a scamp, a musician and a researcher. There are the foreign office duo, Charters and Caldicott who are more interested in catching the cricket score than what is going on in front of them until it is too late and then they take action. Another passenger is a pacifist refusing to engage in a gun battle.
The film's finale is rather action packed once the truth is revealed.
The standout performance is by Michael Redgrave who plays it fast and loose, a fun packed frothy performance that makes you forget he would become a theatrical knight of the same generation as Olivier and Gielgud.
The film does look rather creaky now, some of the characters are irritating. However it is still an important resume of an outstanding director as his own work progressed.