The Lady Vanishes

This 1938 comedy thriller was Alfie’s penultimate British film before his departure to Hollywood and mega-bucks. Based on the novel ‘The Wheel Spins’ by Ethel Lina White, The Lady Vanishes provides entertaining suspense throughout.

A large group of train passengers, including British tourist Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood) are forced to spend the night in an Alpine guest house in a fictional European country when an avalanche blocks the railway line. Amongst the stranded guests are cricket fanatics Charters and Caldicott, and musician Gilbert (Michael Redgrave) who later gets chucked out of his room after an infuriated Iris complains about the racket he makes above with some dancers. This has unfortunate repercussions for the attractive Iris, for Gilbert, rather arrogantly, decides to move into her room – leaving her no alternative than to get him reinstated. But you know that despite their initial dislike for each other, romance is in the air…
Also at the hotel is Miss Froy (veteran stage actress Dame May Whitty) who appears to spend quite a lot of time at her bedroom window listening to a tune performed by a folk singer in the yard below. A little later and unbeknownst to her, he is killed in a typical Hitchcockian way.

Next morning, the snow has been cleared from the tracks, the train is ready to go and its all aboard for the skylarks. Not, however, before an attempt has been made to put Miss Froy out of the game: a mysterious hand pushes a plant pot from a window ledge above but unfortunately its Iris who’s at the receiving end! The slightly concussed young woman is befriended by the concerned Miss Froy. No sooner are we on the train than things start to go disastrously wrong for poor Iris, who is looking forward to return to Britain to marry into wealth. After a little tea and sympathy in the dining car, the two women return to their compartment where Iris dozes off… only to awake to find the lady of the title (Miss Froy) has indeed vanished. Her attempts to find her new friend are fruitless, worse still, everyone aboard the train denies that the lady in question was ever on the train in the first place. In other words, Iris needs help… and we know where that is coming from… never fear, Gilbert is at hand and only too happy to be of some service. That said, initially Gilbert doesn’t believe her and thinks that the concussed Iris is merely imagining things – until by default some evidence blows his way, confirming the young woman’s story.
Now its Iris and Gilbert pitted against a number of foreign agents and various other passengers, all of whom have their own reasons for remaining stumm.

The film features some fine performances and corking one-liners, for example the one uttered by philandering barrister Mr. Todhunter (Cecil Parker) when the train comes under siege, “Thy can’t possibly do anything to us, we are British subject!”

Network have released this classic Hitchcock gem in Blu-ray format with the following Special Features:

• Introduction by Charles Barr
• Original theatrical trailer
• Image gallery
• PDF material
• Instant play facility