The Lady Vanishes (1938)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Ethel Lina White (story)
Sidney Gilliat (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

1 November 1938 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Spies! Playing the game of love - and sudden death!

Plot:

While traveling in continental Europe, a rich young playgirl realizes that an elderly lady seems to have disappeared from the train.

Plot Keywords:

Train | Governess | Playing Clarinet | Passenger Train | Siege

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Margaret Lockwood	...	Iris Henderson
Michael Redgrave	...	Gilbert
Paul Lukas	...	Dr. Hartz
Dame May Whitty	...	Miss Froy
Cecil Parker	...	Mr. Todhunter
Linden Travers	...	'Mrs.' Todhunter
Naunton Wayne	...	Caldicott
Basil Radford	...	Charters
Mary Clare	...	Baroness
Emile Boreo	...	Hotel Manager
Googie Withers	...	Blanche
Sally Stewart	...	Julie
Philip Leaver	...	Signor Doppo
Selma Vaz Dias	...	Signora Doppo (as Zelma Vas Dias)
Catherine Lacey	...	The Nun (as Catherine Lacy)
Josephine Wilson	...	Madame Kummer
Charles Oliver	...	The Officer
Kathleen Tremaine	...	Anna
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Man in London Railway Station (uncredited)
Roy Russell	...	Violinist (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing credits
Ethel Lina White		(story "The Wheel Spins")
Sidney Gilliat		(screenplay) (as Sidney Gilliatt) and
Frank Launder		(screenplay)

Produced by
Edward Black	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Louis Levy		(uncredited)
Charles Williams		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Jack E. Cox		(photography) (as Jack Cox)

Film Editing by
R.E. Dearing

Set Decoration by
Alex Vetchinsky		(settings) (as Vetchinsky)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Roy Ward Baker	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Tom D. Connochie	....	first assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Maurice Carter	....	assistant set designer (uncredited)
Albert Jullion	....	assistant set designer (uncredited)
Albert Whitlock	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Sydney Wiles	....	sound recordist (as S. Wiles)
Claude Hitchcock	....	sound assistant (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Len Harris	....	camera assistant (uncredited)
Leo Harris	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Maurice Oakley	....	location photographer (uncredited)
Jack Parry	....	location photographer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Alfred Roome	....	cutter

Music Department
Louis Levy	....	musical director
Cecil Milner	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Alma Reville	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Gainsborough Pictures (presents) (as GB Pictures)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1938) (UK) (theatrical) (as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Ltd.)
• Gaumont British Picture Corporation of America (1938) (USA) (theatrical)
• Nederland NV (1939) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Nova Film (1939) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1952) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1956) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Hal Roach Studios (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Madacy Entertainment (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• United American Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (1998) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• LS Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Laserlight Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Divisa Home Video (2004) (Spain) (DVD)
• Castle Communications (????) (Finland) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Park Circus (2008) (UK) (theatrical) (re-issue)
• New Star (2012) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Cinema Life (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• Concorde Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• FilmAnnex (2006) (worldwide) (all media)
• Future Film (2006) (Finland) (DVD) (8-disc Hitchcock Classic Collection)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1969) (1989) (1999) (2009) (2010) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Excelsior Films  Googie Withers by permission of (as Excelsior Film Productions Ltd.)
• National Board of Review, The  reviewed and classified by

Also Known As:

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | German | French | Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Full Range Recording System)

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-12 (1995) | USA:Approved (PCA #02144) | South Korea:15 (2003) | USA:Passed | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Netherlands:14 (original rating) (1939) | West Germany:16 (f) | Spain:T | Argentina:13 | Australia:G (original rating) | Australia:PG (alternate rating) | Chile:14 | Germany:12 | Peru:14 | Sweden:15 | UK:A | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Gaumont-British Studios, Lime Grove, Shepherd's Bush, London, England, UK

Company:

Gainsborough Pictures

Trivia:

Charters and Caldicott (played by Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne) proved to be such popular characters that they were teamed up in other films. They reappeared in Night Train to Munich (1940) (also starring Margaret Lockwood) and Millions Like Us (1943), two films also written by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder. They also starred in the BBC Radio serials "Crook's Tour (1941)" (which was also made into a film), and "Secret Mission 609." In 1985, they reappeared in the BBC Television mystery mini-series, "Charters & Caldicott" (1985), played by Robin Bailey and Michael Aldridge.

Goofs:

Continuity: The writing on the train window.

Quotes:

Gilbert:What was she wearing? Scotch tweeds wasn't it?
Iris Henderson:Oatmeal tweeds.
Gilbert:I knew it had something to do with porridge.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Million Dollar Movie Week 3 (#8.118)" (2010)

Soundtrack:

Colonel Bogey March

An early view into Hitch's genius

From 1938, The Lady Vanishes is clearly where Hitch was getting comfortable in his trade. Starting slowly, it soon revs up with mystery and intrigue. But I think that was the whole point. A seemingly innocuous day can lead itself into adventure.

Starting in some remote European village, a woman meets a little old lady. Getting on the train the next day, the old lady vanishes without a trace while she is asleep. When she asks about the lady, people say that there was no old lady. The mystery then ensues as our leading lady tries to uncover the plot behind a woman she knows was there.

The main aspect of this movie is the everyday humor that is applied. The two English fellows who are only looking for the latest cricket scores, score themselves some remarkable laughs. Our hero that comes to the leading woman's assistance is funny and charming himself. The time spent at the beginning in the hotel may seem to be off topic, making a viewer wonder where the mystery is, but the point is that the viewer becomes acquainted with the characters and are much more believable to the viewer. Again, I think Hitch was showing us our next door neighbors and how they can rise up against unusually dangerous circumstances. I think my analysis of Hitch would be his championing the moral fiber of everyman. I think that is why Hitchcock films still stand today as some of the best ever made.

This movie receives my major recommendation. Not done yet. I got more to view and review. What fun!