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MadGez
Dont Mess with the Gez
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 9:54 am
Posts: 22679
Location: Melbourne Australia
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 The Lady Vanishes (1938) The Lady Vanishes Quote: The Lady Vanishes is a 1938 British thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and adapted by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder from the 1936 novel The Wheel Spins by Ethel Lina White. It stars Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, Paul Lukas and Dame May Whitty, and features Cecil Parker, Linden Travers, Naunton Wayne, Basil Radford, Mary Clare, Googie Withers, Catherine Lacey and Sally Stewart.
The Lady Vanishes is Hitchcock's penultimate film made in the UK before his move to Hollywood–1939's Jamaica Inn followed it. It was the great success of The Lady Vanishes, after a slump of three films that were not hits, that made it possible for Hitchcock to negotiate a very good deal to work in the States. A remake, also entitled The Lady Vanishes, was made in 1979.
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| Fri Aug 08, 2008 9:23 pm |
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Bradley Witherberry
Extraordinary
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 1:13 pm
Posts: 15197
Location: Planet Xatar
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Re: The Lady Vanishes [1938] I must of seen this one a dozen times and loved it every time, never get tired of it. It's a great mystery thriller with a delightful streak of comedy running throughout. The actors are all first-rate. It's a classic and one of Hitchcock's best and most overlooked movies...
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| Fri Aug 08, 2008 11:45 pm |
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Shack
Devil's Advocate
Joined: Sun Jul 31, 2005 2:30 am
Posts: 37993
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Re: The Lady Vanishes [1938] Certainly one of Hitch's most charming movies... Lockwood and Redgrave have significant chemistry and charisma in their roles, Wayne and Radford as Charles and Caldicott are also hilarious. The unraveling of the mystery on the train plot point by plot point is quite glorious.
I'm not as crazy about the first and last acts though, the first just feels rather pointless other than to create comedy and to introduce the passengers of the train, while the action-esque shootout at the end lacks the intrigue or elegance of the mystery in the middle and instead feels rather standard. For a 90 minute movie, the last act oddly makes it feel long.
I don't think it's one of Hitch's masterpieces, but it's still a very worthwhile addition to his collection.
4/5
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| Sun Aug 10, 2008 4:15 am |
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Johnny Dollar
The Lubitsch Touch
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2005 5:48 pm
Posts: 11019
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Re: The Lady Vanishes [1938] I figured you'd have problems with the first act. But it's one of the things that makes the film so great; has any thriller ever taken such time to introduce such a charming cast of characters? Of course not.
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| Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:31 am |
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Keyser Söze
Quality is a great business plan
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2007 9:21 pm
Posts: 6166
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Re: The Lady Vanishes [1938] I love Hitchcock movies. This is not one of his best efforts but still was entertaining and very funny. I liked the climax and the two gentlemen who wanted to see CRICKET at lords.
I would rate it B+ but not in the class of Rear Window, North by Northwest or Psycho.
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| Wed Aug 13, 2008 12:25 pm |
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Bradley Witherberry
Extraordinary
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 1:13 pm
Posts: 15197
Location: Planet Xatar
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Re: The Lady Vanishes [1938] shawmanus wrote: I would rate it B+ but not in the class of Rear Window, North by Northwest or Psycho. It's certainly a different style from the three other movies that you mentioned, and it was made in an entirely different era, but I disagree that it is a different class - - it is a masterwork in it's own right...
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| Wed Aug 13, 2008 12:30 pm |
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Keyser Söze
Quality is a great business plan
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2007 9:21 pm
Posts: 6166
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Re: The Lady Vanishes [1938] Bradley Witherberry wrote: shawmanus wrote: I would rate it B+ but not in the class of Rear Window, North by Northwest or Psycho. It's certainly a different style from the three other movies that you mentioned, and it was made in an entirely different era, but I disagree that it is a different class - - it is a masterwork in it's own right... It is an easy view and I enjoyed watching it. But it lacked intensity or great acting to make it a classic IMO. Even the "mcguffin" was weak. Hitchcock peak started in 40's. There were some great films made. Few I can think of would be shadow of a doubt, spellbound(oustanding movie) and Rope.
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| Wed Aug 13, 2008 1:02 pm |
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Timayd
The 5th B-Sharp
Joined: Sun Mar 19, 2006 8:48 am
Posts: 1506
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Re: The Lady Vanishes [1938] Shack wrote: Certainly one of Hitch's most charming movies... Lockwood and Redgrave have significant chemistry and charisma in their roles, Wayne and Radford as Charles and Caldicott are also hilarious. The unraveling of the mystery on the train plot point by plot point is quite glorious.
I'm not as crazy about the first and last acts though, the first just feels rather pointless other than to create comedy and to introduce the passengers of the train, while the action-esque shootout at the end lacks the intrigue or elegance of the mystery in the middle and instead feels rather standard. For a 90 minute movie, the last act oddly makes it feel long.
I don't think it's one of Hitch's masterpieces, but it's still a very worthwhile addition to his collection.
4/5 Maybe I'm in the minority but I love the first act. I think you may be underrating the effect the first act has on your liking of the second, Hitch let's you know every character so well by the time we get to the train they're like family and that's the reason it works so well from then on IMO.
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| Wed Aug 13, 2008 2:49 pm |
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_axiom
The Wall
Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 10:50 am
Posts: 16163
Location: Croatia
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Re: The Lady Vanishes [1938] I saw this back in April. It's a great movie.
I loved the first act. I loved the story, loved the characters, loved those little camp and over the top bits... It was almost a perfect noir/thriller movie.
I gave it 9/10 -> A- and I stand still stand by that grade.
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| Thu Aug 14, 2008 3:53 pm |
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trixster
loyalfromlondon
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 6:31 pm
Posts: 19697
Location: ville-marie
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Re: The Lady Vanishes (1938) I was digging it until the awful third act twist, when it just becomes silly and stupid. The old lady is a SPY? Really, Hitch?
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| Thu Jun 30, 2011 8:05 pm |
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Bradley Witherberry
Extraordinary
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 1:13 pm
Posts: 15197
Location: Planet Xatar
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Re: The Lady Vanishes (1938) trixster wrote: I was digging it until the awful third act twist, when it just becomes silly and stupid. The old lady is a SPY? Really, Hitch? In 1938, everyone was a spy.
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| Thu Jun 30, 2011 8:09 pm |
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