The Lady Vanishes is a 1938 British mystery thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Margaret Lockwood and Michael Redgrave. Written by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder, based on the 1936 novel The Wheel Spins by Ethel Lina White, the film is about an English tourist travelling by train in continental Europe who discovers that her older travelling companion seems to have vanished. After her fellow passengers deny ever having seen the older lady, the young woman is helped by a young musicologist. Together they search the train for clues to the woman's disappearance. The Lady Vanishes was filmed at the Gainsborough Studios in Islington, London. It was the first feature film released under a distribution deal between the British Gaumont-British Picture Corporation and the American Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) under a joint agreement in which MGM provided half of the film's funding as well as handling its theatrical release in the UK. Hitchcock caught Hollywood's attention with the film and moved to Hollywood soon after its release. Although the director's three previous efforts had done poorly at the box office, The Lady Vanishes was widely successful, and confirmed American producer David O. Selznick's belief that Hitchcock indeed had a future in Hollywood cinema. The British Film Institute ranked The Lady Vanishes the 35th best British film of the 20th century. In 2017, a poll of 150 actors, directors, writers, producers and critics for Time Out magazine saw it ranked the 31st best British film ever. It is one of Hitchcock's most renowned British films, and the first of three screen versions of White's novel as of January 2021.
Plot After visiting the fictional country of Bandrika, English tourist Iris Henderson is returning home to get married, but an avalanche blocks the railway line. The stranded passengers are forced to spend the night at a hotel. In the same predicament are Charters and Caldicott, cricket enthusiasts anxious to see the last days of a Test match in Manchester, and Miss Froy, a governess and music teacher. Miss Froy listens to a folk singer in the street, but he is strangled by an unseen murderer. That evening, Iris is bothered by a loud noise from the room above hers. It is caused by Gilbert Redman, an ethnomusicologist who plays the clarinet for local folk dancers. She attempts to get him removed from the room but fails after he confronts her. The next morning at the railway station, Miss Froy drops her glasses near Iris and her friends. When Iris tries to return Miss Froy's glasses, she is hit on the head by a large planter dropped from above. Miss Froy helps her onto the train. As she waves goodbye to her friends, Iris faints and then comes to in a compartment with Miss Froy and several strangers. Also on board are Charters and Caldicott, Gilbert, and lawyer Eric Todhunter with his mistress, who is passing herself off as "Mrs Todhunter". Iris joins Miss Froy in the dining car for tea. Miss Froy gives a package of her favourite tea to the waiter and says she only drinks this brand. Soon after they return to their compartment, Iris falls asleep. When she wakes up, Miss Froy has vanished. The other passengers in the compartment, several other passengers and train staff deny ever seeing her. Todhunter pretends not to remember her to avoid drawing attention to his liaison with his mistress. Gilbert agrees to help Iris search for Miss Froy. Brain surgeon Dr Hartz says Iris may be suffering from "concussion-related hallucinations". Fearing that any delay would make them miss the cricket match, Charters and Caldicott also claim not to remember Miss Froy.
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
