Lady on a Train (1945)

While waiting at a train station, Nikki Collins witnesses a murder from a nearby building. When she brings the police to the scene of the crime, they think she's crazy since there's no body... See full summary »

Director:

Charles David

Writers:

Edmund Beloin (screenplay), Robert O'Brien (screenplay),

Stars:

Deanna Durbin, Ralph Bellamy, David Bruce

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Deanna Durbin	...	Nikki Collins / Margo Martin
Ralph Bellamy	...	Jonathan Waring
David Bruce	...	Wayne Morgan
George Coulouris	...	Mr. Saunders, Circus Club Manager
Allen Jenkins	...	Danny (Waring chauffeur)
Dan Duryea	...	Arnold Waring
Edward Everett Horton	...	Mr. Haskell
Jacqueline deWit	...	Miss Fletcher, Morgan's Secretary
Patricia Morison	...	Joyce Willams, Morgan's Girl
Elizabeth Patterson	...	Aunt Charlotte Waring
Maria Palmer	...	Margo Martin, Circus Club Singer
Samuel S. Hinds	...	Mr. Wiggam, Waring Lawyer
William Frawley	...	Desk Sgt. Brennan

Storyline

While waiting at a train station, Nikki Collins witnesses a murder from a nearby building. When she brings the police to the scene of the crime, they think she's crazy since there's no body. She then enlists a popular mystery writer to help with her sleuthing.

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Plot Keywords:

train | police | murder | woman in jeopardy | songwriter | 

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Genres:

Crime | Film-Noir | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 August 1945 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Dama Desconhecida

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Edited into Christmas Hymns (1954)

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Soundtracks

"Night and Day"
by Cole Porter

User Reviews

Wonderful Deanna Durbin

The 1930s and 40s had some lovely actresses. But few of them could compare to the dazzling Deanna Durbin. With her sparkling eyes, her wholesome smile, her beautifully blonde hair, and her charming personality, Durbin outshines everyone else in this film by far, and lifts a drab story to the level of enjoyment. She plays Nikki Collins, a smart young woman, the "Lady", in Charles David's "Lady On A Train", who, from her train compartment, witnesses an unlikely murder in a nearby building.

Technically, the film is a whodunit. But, from the beginning, viewers understand that the story is a spoof, not to be taken seriously. Playing amateur detective, Nikki races around amid various characters and comic situations, attempting to find the killer. But she's just too lucky and too clever for the plot to be considered credible.

The setting is New York City on Christmas Eve, with snow falling. As a result, the film has a soft, soothing feel to it, despite the criminal component. The film's humor is what I would describe as old-style. For example, one sequence has Nikki trying to get the attention of a mystery writer, while the writer and his girlfriend sit in a crowded theater. Nikki moves in and out of rows, disrupting the audience, with predictable humorous consequences.

In the film, Durbin sings a couple of songs, and thereby interrupts the film's flow. But, in one case, the interruption is justified, as it becomes, for me, the highlight of the entire film. Into a telephone, she sings two full verses of "Silent Night". With her magically radiant face and her beautiful singing voice, she exalts the already beautiful Christmas carol to resplendent melodic purity. This sequence is almost hypnotic in its simple beauty, and alone redeems the film from its many flaws.

Usually, I don't care for films that exist seemingly just to advance the career of the film's star. However, "Lady On A Train" is an exception. The story is not very interesting, the gags are tiresome, and the acting is average. But, through sheer force of her charming personality, Deanna Durbin alone makes this film worth watching.