Along with The 39 Steps (1935), The Lady Vanishes is one of Alfred Hitchcock's most famous British-produced films. Its commercial and critical success in the States helped convince producer David O. Selznick to import Hitchcock to America to direct Rebecca. Thereafter, nearly all of Hitchcock's films would be made in the United States.
Young socialite Iris (Margaret Lockwood) is traveling by train from Europe to England to wed her fiance. She is befriended by a kindly elderly lady, Miss Froy (Dame May Whitty). Other passengers on the train include dashing folk dance student Gilbert (Michael Redgrave), suave brain surgeon Dr. Hartz (Paul Lukas), a jerk politician (Cecil Parker), his unhappy mistress (Linden Travers), and two droll Englishmen (Naunton Wayne and Basil Radford) obsessed with an upcoming cricket match.
After taking a nap on the train, Iris awakens to find that new companion Miss Froy has vanished. Even more disturbing, nobody on the train will admit to ever having seen her. Out of frustration, Iris turns to Gilbert for help. He does so, not because he believes her story, but because she is physically attractive. Gradually, a conspiracy becomes evident against poor Miss Froy.
The Lady Vanishes was the first credited screen role for Michael Redgrave, already an accomplished stage actor. He is the father of Lynn and Vanessa Redgrave. The characters played by Wane and Radford proved so popular that they would make another ten films together, essentially reprising their gently foolish comic relief roles.
The Lady Vanishes was not nominated for any Academy Awards, but Hitchcock was named Best Director by the New York Film Critics Circle. The film's reputation has since further increased, and it is now generally considered to be among Hitchcock's best films.
Instead, it may be among his most overrated. The story is slow in developing, there are many implausible plot events, and there is a familiar formula present that is similar to many other Hitchcock films.
The opening sequence features a set of miniature models that are as obvious as those in any 1960s-era "Godzilla" movie. The next thirty minutes are spent introducing the characters, with much intended humor that doesn't quite work.
For example, the two English cricket fans are forced to take the maid's room at a crowded hotel. The handsome maid makes frequent visits to their room to change her clothes. She always seems glad to see them, but they act as if she was an apparition. Not only do they lack hormones, but manners as well.
When the story finally gets moving, many situations seem very unlikely. For example, a man escapes from a trunk and leaves the room unnoticed by a couple sitting on top of the trunk. Later, the same couple is served drugged wine by an evil agent (the poisoned glasses receive the same star treatment that they would get in Notorious). The agent actually informs them of this, for good measure making a full confession. The couple promptly pretends to fall asleep, then the agent leaves the room! There's also a woman who works for the presumed Nazis, but suddenly switches allegiances despite the risk to her life.
The story features a romantic couple who have just met, amateurs on the side of good, pitted against numerous ruthless, experienced enemy agents. Just as in Foreign Correspondent, Saboteur, North by Northwest, et cetera. While patterns can be found in the work of many great directors, e.g. Toshiru Mifune as samurai with Kurosawa, or Woody Allen as neurotic romantic, their films each have substantial originality that separates them.
With Hitchcock's lesser films, the commonality seems more like a comfortable formula, resorted to by a man with an overly busy schedule. His craftsmanship and reputation were so good that he was able to get away with it. Of course, Hitchcock also made many outstanding films that departed from formula. It is these films that deserve their praise. See http://elvisfan.simplenet.com/movies/person/a/alfredhitchcock.html (54/100)
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