The Lady Vanishes is a sly little comedic Hitchcock thriller made just before the famous director left his native England for Hollywood. The film is somewhat of a variety from what I've read. It seems to be one of the few Hitchcock films that deals almost entirely with quick witted humor that puts his more sensational suspense aspects (his trademark) in the backseat. The film is a suspenseful one no doubt, but it's the way it goes about it by displaying a fun, childlike, vastly entertaining quality that makes it so unique for a director that was and will always be known for telling less than somber stories.
The film stars Margaret Lockwood, who is traveling across Europe by train to marry a man she doesn't really care for. On her journey she meets an older woman who unexplainably goes missing while on board. As Lockwood frantically tries to figure out what could of happened to her she realizes that not everyone on board takes her story as fact. Hysterically she searches until she gets the enlisted help of a smiling Michael Redgrave, revealing in a joyous performance and a fellow Brit who thinks their may be something to her story but at times he too has his doubts. It all unfolds in a delightfully funny fashion with a slew of scene steel supporting characters, all of whom are integral to the overall plot. None are more fun two watch though than Caldicott and Charters played by Naunton Wayne and Basil Radford, who are the most sexually unnerving englishmen you are ever likely to meet. Still it's the central performance of Lockwood though that has to carry all the films weight, a task she seems to manage effortlessly.
On top of a great script with a wonderful cast you also have some amazing train angled camera shots that even today still look pretty damn good. I've seen better Hitchcock films out there, but I don't know if I've ever had this much fun while watching one.
B+
1938
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