Ever since The Man Who Knew Too Much was released in 1934, Alfred Hitchcock's directorial career had one of the biggest shots of adrenaline than any director up until that time. One more barrier to full success would have been an invite to Hollywood. With The Lady Vanishes Hitchcock caught the eye of producer David O. Selznick and the wheels were in motion to go to the United States, but before we get there, we'll pay attention to the wheels of a certain train.....
The movie opens at an inn in some Bavarian ski resort where we're introduced to several of our characters. Most prominent is Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood) having one last romp before her upcoming wedding. The next train headed back for England leaves in the morning, Iris is hit on the head with a paint can (which it seems could have been meant for someone else) and she just is able to catch the train but in a daze. She goes to the dining car for tea with a governess Miss Froy (Dame Mae Whitty) who takes care of Iris and the two head back to their compartment where Iris falls asleep. When she awakens, Miss Froy is not there and when she asks what happened to her, she is told by everyone she encounters that no one has seen Miss Froy. Everyone thinks Iris must be suffering after effects of her injury and she has a hard time convincing anyone. One passenger Gilbert Redman (Michael Redgrave) goes along to help Iris sort everything out, but later on, he encounters proof that corroborates Iris's story. What happened to Miss Froy, where could she have gone and why would anyone want to do harm to such a sweet old lady?
The above plot really only covers the basics of the film and I feel it's a real shame since screenwriters Sidney Gilliat and Frank Laudner wrote one of the best scenarios and screenplays in any movie. (It is based on Ethel Lina White's 1936 novel The Wheel Spins and does follow the book pretty closely). Combined with excellent direction from Hitchcock, the movie slowly unfolds keeping the audience glued to the screen and then unraveling the mystery brilliantly. Reportedly, the screenwriters had the script ready for director Roy William Neill (who'd later go onto direct numerous Sherlock Holmes films at Universal) but the project was scrapped. The project was then offered to Hitchcock who worked with Gilliat and Laudner to redo the opening and ending of the movie.
Hitchcock went with two relatively unknowns for the leading roles which worked out very nicely. Margaret Lockwood is really great at a person trying to come to grips with her sanity as she is for the lack of a better word gaslighted. (Reportedly, Lockwood was a big fan of White's books and she was more than happy to take on the role). Michael Redgrave has a good swagger about him as he tries to humor Iris, but you can really see his performance change once he becomes convinced she's telling the truth. Dame Mae Whitty is charming as the elusive Miss Froy where she just encounters every bit of trouble she has with as someone who missed their bus. Future Oscar winner Paul Lukas received much deserved praise as the suave but secretive doctor.
Not in White's novel, Gilliat and Laudner added the characters of cricket enthusiasts Charters and Caldicott played respectively by Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne. They proved popular with audiences and appeared in future films such as Night Train to Munich (1940 - also written by Gilliat & Laudner with Margaret Lockwood), Crooks Tour (1941 - which can be seen as an extra on the Criterion edition of The Lady Vanishes) and Millions Like Us (1943). Radford and Wayne would also appear together playing different characters in films like Dead of Night (1945 - Highly recommended), Quartet (1948) and Passport to Pimlico (1949).
Upon release the movie was an immediate commercial hit and the same when it made its way to the United States. The film was named the best picture of 1938 by the New York Times and Alfred Hitchcock would win his only competitive award for directing with the New York Film Critics Circle Award. The BFI Monthly Film Bulletin called it an "out of the ordinary and exciting thriller". The Times praised every bit of the film from its suspense, pacing, cast and humor. The New York World Telegram called it "the thriller treat of the year".
Hitchcock makes his cameo very late into the movie. When the train arrives in Victoria Station, he is seen walking past shrugging his shoulders and making a face.
The film is currently available for viewing on Criterion Channel (as well as several other streaming services due to its public domain status). The Criterion edition (which as mentioned before contains the Charters and Caldicott film Crooks Tour) can be purchased here. The Wheel Spins can be purchased here.
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