The Lady Vanishes
A young Michael Redgrave lurks among the colorful background chorus of sinister strangers, undercover spies and Nazis in one of Alfred Hitchcock’s best-loved British productions. Margaret Lockwood is the only passenger who suspects foul play after a fellow traveler goes missing from a train crossing Europe on the brink of World War II. The witty blend of caper comedy and mystery thriller secured the director an invitation from producer David O. Selznick to work in Hollywood, where Hitch made many more classics.
Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, Paul Lukas
- Notes From Duke JohnsonTHE LADY VANISHES stands out to me as the film where Hitchcock comes into his own as the master we all know and love. Lady was his 22nd film. It was made in England and released a year before he would ultimately make the move to Hollywood, where, as they say, the rest is history. I’m reminded of a passage in Malcolm Gladwell’s book OUTLIERS, where he says that by the time anyone heard a Beatles song on the radio, the band had already performed more live shows than the average band plays in their entire career. They had honed their skills. They had become the Beatles. In my opinion, THE LADY VANISHES is when Hitchcock becomes Hitchcock. It’s a funny, thrilling, suspenseful, intricately crafted film.
