Night Train to Munich (1940)

After Germany invades Czechoslovakia, the German and the British intelligence services try to capture Czech scientist Dr. Axel Bomasch (James Harcourt), inventor of a new type of armor-plating.

Director:

Carol Reed

Writers:

Gordon Wellesley (based on an original story by), Sidney Gilliat (screenplay) (as Sydney Gilliat)

Stars:

Margaret Lockwood, Rex Harrison, Paul Henreid

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Margaret Lockwood	...	Anna Bomasch
Rex Harrison	...	Dickie Randall - a.k.a. Gus Bennett
Paul Henreid	...	Karl Marsen (as Paul von Hernried)
Basil Radford	...	Charters
Naunton Wayne	...	Caldicott
James Harcourt	...	Axel Bomasch
Felix Aylmer	...	Dr. John Fredericks
Wyndham Goldie	...	Dryton
Roland Culver	...	Roberts
Eliot Makeham	...	Schwab
Raymond Huntley	...	Kampenfeldt
Austin Trevor	...	Capt. Prada (as Austen Trevor)
Kenneth Kent	...	Controller (as Keneth Kent)
C.V. France	...	Adm. Hassinger
Frederick Valk	...	Gestapo Officer (as Fritz Valk)

Storyline

After the Germans march into Prague, Czechoslovakia, armor-plating inventor Dr. Axel Bomasch (James Harcourt) flees to England. His daughter Anna (Margaret Lockwood) escapes from arrest to join him, but the Gestapo manages to kidnap them both back to Berlin. As war looms, British Secret Service Agent Dickie Randall (Sir Rex Harrison) follows, disguised as a senior German Army officer. His ploy is the not unpleasant one of pretending to woo Anna to the German cause.

---

Plot Keywords:

prague czechoslovakia | homosexual subtext | romantic relationship | doctor | scientist | 

---

Taglines:

One Of The Year's Really great Films Probably would have been picked the best picture of the year if "Night Train" opened a day sooner- A TRULY "MUST" SEE PICTURE (Print Ad- Richmond County Journal, ((Rockingham, NC)) 5 May 1941)

---

Genres:

Thriller | War

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first scene is a fairly accurate depiction of the Berghof, Adolf Hitler's mountainside residence near Berchtesgaden and Obersalzberg in Bavaria. The house was famous for its huge picture window which overlooked mountain scenery and was often used to impress visiting foreign VIPs.

---

Goofs

Although the credits name Raymond Huntley's character as Kampenfeldt, the dialogue (and his office door at the German Admiralty) give it as Kampfeldt.

---

Quotes

Gus Bennett: Have you ever heard of an organized escape ?
Anna Bomasch: Organized ?
Gus Bennett: To lead them to your father.
Anna Bomasch: But that's fantastic. Karl doesn't even know where I am.
Gus Bennett: Are you sure of that ?
Anna Bomasch: Of course. I told no one.
Gus Bennett: Good. Honestly, I don't want to throw a monkey wrench into the romance.
Anna Bomasch: Thank you. I appreciate that you're inspired by the highest motives and that you'll go to any lengths to pursue them.
Gus Bennett: Any lengths.
Anna Bomasch: Even to exhibiting yourself in public as a singer.
[...]

---

Crazy Credits

Paul Henreid is listed as Paul von Hernried in the credits.

---

Connections

Edited into All This and World War II (1976)

---

Soundtracks

Das Lied der Deutschen
(uncredited)
aka "Deutschland über Alles"
Music by Joseph Haydn
Variations played throughout

User Reviews

Entertaining Hitchcock-Like Suspense

"Night Train to Munich" is a rather conscious attempt by director Carol Reed to imitate the style of Alfred Hitchcock, and it succeeds much better than do most such movies. It is an entertaining blend of suspense and humor, with a good cast and some enjoyable scenes.

Margaret Lockwood stars as the daughter of a Czech scientist pursued by the Nazis. She escapes their clutches once, but is again captured, and a British spy (Rex Harrison) has to go undercover to try to save her and her father. Lockwood and Harrison are joined by Paul Henreid, and also by Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne, who had appeared with Lockwood in Hitchcock's "The Lady Vanishes" and appear here playing the same humorous pair of English travelers.

There are a lot of action sequences and a couple of good twists, with the crucial action taking place on a train. It's all done nicely, with an exciting finale as well. Some parts of it may be rather implausible, but the same could have been said of a few of Hitchcock's films, and this is only slightly less polished than his are. "Night Train to Munich" is quite entertaining in its own right, and is definitely worth seeing.

Details

Official Sites:

Love-It-Loud Retrospective [Christian Sellers]

Country:

UK

Language:

English German

Release Date:

29 December 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

Night Train

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century-Fox Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Full Range Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1