The Lady Vanishes (Criterion)
The Criterion Collection
In Alfred Hitchcock's most quick-witted and devilish comic thriller, the beautiful Margaret Lockwood, traveling across Europe by train, meets Dame May Whitty’s charming old spinster, who seemingly disappears into thin air. The young woman then turns investigator and finds herself drawn into a complex web of mystery and high adventure. The Lady Vanishes, now in an all-new digital transfer, remains one of the master filmmaker's purest delights.
Member Reviews
early Hitch at his best - comebackshane
So much is made of Hitchcock's genius in relation to his late work like Vertigo and Psycho that the films that laid the foundation for those gems often get overlooked.
Anyone looking to see the template for those films need not look any further than THE LADY VANISHES.
This one puts a young woman on a train looking for a governess that everyone is trying to convince her never existed in the first place. While some of it is a bit hokey in the way most 30s films are, what's left afterwards are ideas and techniques that Hitch would employ to make some of his greatest pictures.
REBECCA's ghosts of the past, the self delusion of VERTIGO, the confinement of STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, the helplessness of THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, and the ensemble work of DIAL M FOR MURDER all find their roots in this one film.
It may not be the best starter point, and may be dismissed as flat by non-Hitch fans, but if anyone wants to see the perfect blend of his unpolished, more humorous British approach, the beginnings of his 40s noir influence and the template for his 50s and 60s paranoia, THE LADY VANISHES is the only place to find all of them.Alfred Hitchcock's Last British Film - bwod
The master of suspense made this old classic in 1938, just before emigrating to Hollywood. While it isn't one of his best, "The Lady Vanishes" does convey the intrigue and paranoia of a pre-war (WWII) Europe. There is a not-so-subtle attempt to show the impending danger of a confrontation with Nazi Germany that Britain was about to embark on. This film is more of a mystery movie than a suspense or thriller. However, it held my attention and my wife liked it,too. I recommend it despite a few short-comings. One firm thumb up.Flat - Jimmy_Jam
The plot of Hitch's film is brilliant, and having it take place on a train adds to the closed-space paranoia. There is, however, very little suspense in the film. I must say that some times I found it a bit too cheeky and witty for its own good. I also thought the same for The 39 Steps too. So it might just be the early Hitch style.
Member Reviews
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early Hitch at his best - comebackshane
So much is made of Hitchcock's genius in relation to his late work like Vertigo and Psycho that the films that laid the foundation for those gems often get overlooked.
Anyone looking to see the template for those films need not look any further than THE ...Alfred Hitchcock's Last British Film - bwod
The master of suspense made this old classic in 1938, just before emigrating to Hollywood. While it isn't one of his best, "The Lady Vanishes" does convey the intrigue and paranoia of a pre-war (WWII) Europe. There is a not-so-subtle attempt to show the impending ...Flat - Jimmy_Jam
The plot of Hitch's film is brilliant, and having it take place on a train adds to the closed-space paranoia. There is, however, very little suspense in the film. I must say that some times I found it a bit too cheeky and witty for its own good. I also thought ...