Review of “The Lady Vanishes” (1938)

The Lady Vanishes is a British mystery thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock on the eve of the outbreak of World War II.

Plot:

In the fictional European Alpine country of Bandrika, an avalanche has delayed a train and forced a varied group of people to find rooms in a small local hotel. Wealthy English Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood) is vacationing with a couple of friends before returning to England to get married. Caldicott and Charters (Naunton Wayne and Basil Radford) are two British gentlemen concerned about making their connection on time so they can go to a cricket match. Another guest, Miss Froy (May Whitty), is returning to England after working as a governess in the country for some years. She speaks the local (fictional) Bandrikan language and loves its music.

The hotel and the area appear very much like a Swiss Alpine skiing resort, with mountains, snow, and skiers. The hotel manager, Boris (Emile Boreo), easily switches from Bandrikan to Italian, French, German, and English.

Miss Froy and Iris have rooms next to each other and find their sleep disturbed by Gilbert Redman (Michael Redgrave), a musicologist on the floor above playing the clarinet and studying local folk dances, complete with folk dancers. Iris bribes the manager into throwing him out.

Miss Froy listens to a singer playing a guitar. Hands appear to grab the songster by the neck and strangle him. Not seeing this, Miss Froy throws a coin to the musician.

The next morning, when Iris stands at the platform, chatting with her friends about to board the train, Miss Froy approaches them and asks for help finding her carry-on. While they look over the luggage from the hotel, a hand pushes a potted plant off the roof. Though clearly intended for Miss Froy, it lands on Iris’s noggin. She’s stunned but insists on getting the train. Miss Froy assures her friends she’ll look after her. Iris passes out.

When she comes to, she’s sitting in a compartment opposite Miss Froy. Four other people who don’t speak English also occupy the compartment. Iris and Miss Froy go to the dining car for tea. Miss Froy brings her own brand.

When they return to the compartment, Miss Froy encourages Iris to take a nap. She does so and wakes up to find her new friend gone. The others tell her there was no English lady. She went to the dining car by herself.

Why would someone disappear a harmless old governess?

Thoughts:

What follows is a nice little mystery. When Dr. Egon Hartz (Paul Lukas), a brain specialist, comes along, he has Iris all but convinced the bump on her head made her hallucinate Miss Froy. But then Miss Froy reappears in her proper tweeds. But it’s a different woman (Josephine Wilson).

Is Iris losing her mind?

In her search, she comes across Gilbert Redman of the squeaking clarinet. He’s not convinced there was a governess, but he can see that Iris is distressed and agrees to help her. In their poking around, they come across real danger.

Things get even more out of control near the end of the film, with soldiers lined up along the road offering to be of service.

Hitchcock makes his trademark cameo, but I missed it.

This was a fun movie with an intriguing mystery and genuine menace. There are a few see-it-comings and one obvious blunder—nothing suspicious about a nun wearing high heels. Geez, some poor planning there, doncha think?

We got our copy from the library. The audio and visual were nice and clear especially for a film of this age. I don’t know if it’s been restored or whether we were just lucky.

Overall, this was a fun flick.

The movie was adapted from a 1936 mystery thriller novel, The Wheel Spins, by British crime writer Ethel Lina White. It was remade in 1979 and again in 2013.

Hitchcock won the Best Director Award from the 1938 New York Film Critics Circle. The film was nominated for Best Film.

The movie can be watched here or on many subscription services.



Title: The Lady Vanishes (1938)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing Credits
Ethel Lina White…(based upon the story by: “The Wheel Spins”)
Sidney Gilliat…(screenplay) (as Sidney Gilliatt) and
Frank Launder…(screenplay)

Cast (in credits order)
Margaret Lockwood…Iris Matilda Henderson
Michael Redgrave…Gilbert Redman
Paul Lukas…Dr. Egon Hartz
May Whitty…Miss Froy (as Dame May Whitty)
Cecil Parker…Mr. Todhunter
Linden Travers…”Mrs.” Todhunter

Released: 1938
Length: 1 hour, 36 minutes