Rating: 
Summary: DELIGHTFUL, SURPRISING GEM
Review: "The Lady Vanishes" is a sparkling Hitchcock cocktail that looks forward to "North By Northwest" with its light adventure/mystery plotline and romantic/witty humor. Lockwood and Redgrave are spirited and always believable and understated in their roles, and if the mystery ultimately is revealed to be a trifle thin, Hitchcock makes the journey there so much fun that we don't mind in the least. (After all, this doesn't have the depth and poetic quality of "Vertigo"--but it isn't meant to.) Wry support from the secondary cast adds humor and social commentary, and a few trademark Hitchcock images give what could have been (in lesser hands) a claustraphobic production, a real cinematic charge. The Criterion DVD is remarkable: crisp, clean images, and a great and always interesting commentary from Bruce Eder. This is the kind of film whose reputation will continue to grow with time; its understated performances and Nancy Drew type premise give it a surprisingly timeless feel. For Hitchcock fans, the film and the Criterion disc are a must.
Rating:
Summary: Hitchcock's entertaining comedy thriller - one of his best!
Review: "The Lady Vanishes" is one of Hitchcock's early black and white British films (1938) and the success of this film helped Hitchcock to be recognised in America as a talented director. He made one more film in England after "The Lady Vanishes" then left for Hollywood where he became famous as the top director of suspense movies. "The Lady Vanishes" is a cracking comedy thriller with a notable script by Sidney Gilliatt, Frank Launder and Alma Reville (Hitchcock's wife).Mainly set on a train snowbound in the Swiss Alps Margaret Lockwood is Iris Henderson who befriends Miss Froy (Dame May Whitty). Miss Froy then mysteriously vanishes and no one on the train will admit seeing her (although many of them did in fact meet her they each have their own reasons to keep quiet about it). Iris manages to persuade fellow traveller Gilbert Redman (Michael Redgrave in his screen debut) to help her in the search. Cricket fanatics Charters and Caldicott (Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne) have seen Miss Froy on the train but are worried that an investigation into her disappearance might delay them getting to Manchester in time for their beloved Test Match so they decide to stay silent. Dr Hartz (Paul Lukas) tries to convince Iris that she is mistaken and has imagined the entire episode due to a blow on the head she received prior to the train journey. Several other passengers on the train also saw Miss Froy but do not want to be involved which confuses our heroine and places her in great danger as the journey progresses. Some favourite lines from the film: Basil Radford (on the phone to London): "I'm enquiring about the Test Match in Manchester. Cricket, sir, cricket! What! You don't know! You can't be in England and not know the Test score!". Margaret Lockwood (to Michael Redgrave): "I know there's a Miss Froy - she's as real as you are". The film was remade in colour in 1979 with Elliott Gould and Cybill Shepherd but the Hitchcock version is still the best. For anyone interested in spotting Hitchcock's regular cameo appearance this comes right at the end of the film when Lockwood and Redgrave arrive back in London. (Hitchcock can be seen at Victoria Station smoking a cigar). Clive Roberts.
Rating:
Summary: DELIGHTFUL, SURPRISING GEM
Review: "The Lady Vanishes" is a sparkling Hitchcock cocktail that looks forward to "North By Northwest" with its light adventure/mystery plotline and romantic/witty humor. Lockwood and Redgrave are spirited and always believable and understated in their roles, and if the mystery ultimately is revealed to be a trifle thin, Hitchcock makes the journey there so much fun that we don't mind in the least. (After all, this doesn't have the depth and poetic quality of "Vertigo"--but it isn't meant to.) Wry support from the secondary cast adds humor and social commentary, and a few trademark Hitchcock images give what could have been (in lesser hands) a claustraphobic production, a real cinematic charge. The Criterion DVD is remarkable: crisp, clean images, and a great and always interesting commentary from Bruce Eder. This is the kind of film whose reputation will continue to grow with time; its understated performances and Nancy Drew type premise give it a surprisingly timeless feel. For Hitchcock fans, the film and the Criterion disc are a must.
Rating:
Summary: Hitchcock's entertaining comedy thriller - one of his best!
Review: "The Lady Vanishes" is one of Hitchcock's early black and white British films (1938) and the success of this film helped Hitchcock to be recognised in America as a talented director. He made one more film in England after "The Lady Vanishes" then left for Hollywood where he became famous as the top director of suspense movies. "The Lady Vanishes" is a cracking comedy thriller with a notable script by Sidney Gilliatt, Frank Launder and Alma Reville (Hitchcock's wife). Mainly set on a train snowbound in the Swiss Alps Margaret Lockwood is Iris Henderson who befriends Miss Froy (Dame May Whitty). Miss Froy then mysteriously vanishes and no one on the train will admit seeing her (although many of them did in fact meet her they each have their own reasons to keep quiet about it). Iris manages to persuade fellow traveller Gilbert Redman (Michael Redgrave in his screen debut) to help her in the search. Cricket fanatics Charters and Caldicott (Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne) have seen Miss Froy on the train but are worried that an investigation into her disappearance might delay them getting to Manchester in time for their beloved Test Match so they decide to stay silent. Dr Hartz (Paul Lukas) tries to convince Iris that she is mistaken and has imagined the entire episode due to a blow on the head she received prior to the train journey. Several other passengers on the train also saw Miss Froy but do not want to be involved which confuses our heroine and places her in great danger as the journey progresses. Some favourite lines from the film: Basil Radford (on the phone to London): "I'm enquiring about the Test Match in Manchester. Cricket, sir, cricket! What! You don't know! You can't be in England and not know the Test score!". Margaret Lockwood (to Michael Redgrave): "I know there's a Miss Froy - she's as real as you are". The film was remade in colour in 1979 with Elliott Gould and Cybill Shepherd but the Hitchcock version is still the best. For anyone interested in spotting Hitchcock's regular cameo appearance this comes right at the end of the film when Lockwood and Redgrave arrive back in London. (Hitchcock can be seen at Victoria Station smoking a cigar). Clive Roberts.
Rating:
Summary: If there's such a thing as a perfect movie...
Review: ...The Lady Vanishes is it.
I've probably seen "Rear Window" 20 times, "North By Northwest" 50 times, "Vertigo" 15 times, and so on. I had not spent any time absorbing the films Hitchcock made in the 30s, but I watched a rented copy of this edition of "The Lady Vanishes" last night. I knew nothing about it, so I was just like a member of the audience in 1938, following the movie as it moves from a particularly enjoyable series of character studies in an Alpine hotel, which ultimately plays out as a farce to what it then turns into.
I know it's too late to keep yourself from the basic plot structure if you've already read this far. Amazon's summary basically tells you how the film begins to twist and turn. But in the event you agree with all these rave reviews, and buy this, and then share it with someone who has never seen it, DON'T TELL THEM ANYTHING. Let it unfold. It's quite a treat.
Rating:
Summary: A Delicious Early Hitchcock Classic!
Review: A delightful movie from start to finish. Hitchcock at his best, but he also had a witty script and a terrific cast to help. A comedy-mystery that really delivers. Hitchcock changes direction effortlessly between light comedy and intriguing suspense. Margaret Lockwood and Michael Redgrave are great as the troublesome duo who ultimately end up with each other. There's also a fascinating mystery that slowly unravels, the viewer is challenged with keeping all of the characters straight, from the good guys, the suspicious ones and the bad guys. Filled with many memorable episodes. Nauton Wayne and Basil Ratford are a scream as two bumbling stiff-necks, they are the ones who add the comic touch at precisely the right time. From a scale of 1-10 I give this film a 9!
Rating:
Summary: CRITERION EDITION FAR SUPERIOR!!
Review: A great movie deserves a great viewing. Do yourself a favor and rent or by the criterion version of Lady Vanishes. This version is inexpensive for a reason. It has not been restored or printed from an original print as the criterion has.
Rating: 
Summary: Style over substance
Review: According to Amazon.com's listing for this movie, there are currently seven different DVD versions of Alfred Hitchcock's THE LADY VANISHES available. The edition that I am discussing is the Laserlight issue that features Tony Curtis' introduction and closing remarks. The film print used in this version is surprisingly good for the price. The picture is crisp and clear while the audio track appears to be mixed well. Quite a pleasant experience and it's a real bargain at this price. The story is fairly straightforward. A woman claims that she met someone on a train that nobody else seems to remember. She befriends a suave gentleman and the two of them attempt to track down the mystery before the train gets to its final destination. The story is not complicated but has one or two positive aspects that pull it above its simplistic origins. Humour is used to great effect here as the lead characters encounter the strange people one meets on trains. These characters also provide the film with some more of its great moments, such as them withholding and failing to provide information to the protagonists not because they have anything to hide, but simply because they have their own concerns and don't want to get involved in someone else's problem. The humourous aspect that I mentioned before is one of the film's shining points. There's a wonderful fight scene between the leading man and one of the shady characters on the train. The main woman finds herself to be too short in comparison to the two men to help in the fight, but she pulls out a suitcase, stands on it and joins in the fight anyway. There are enough moments like this in the film to help it appeal to those who aren't usually thrilled by suspense films. Unfortunately, there are also a few portions of the film that are distracting. Without giving away too much, there is a spy who switches allegiances at the most convenient moment for the main characters. This seemed to be far too contrived, and it quite annoyed me. There are a few other coincidences like this, but I won't spoil anything by giving them away here. Sufficient to say that individually, these problems aren't major, but they do have a certain cumulative effect. THE LADY VANISHES is a triumph of style over substance, but Hitchcockian style is definitely worth it. After watching several others of the Laserlight DVDs, I am finally getting used to the bizarre Tony Curtis introductions. While the discussions may not be terribly informative, they are singularly entertaining. At one point during a speech on Hitchcock having never received an Oscar, the picture goes to a quick close-up of Tony Curtis who spits, "Shame on you, Academy Award!" reproachfully at the camera. That's entertainment! Besides the introduction, the only extras are subtitles and a trailer for Hitchcock's SHADOW OF A DOUBT. Tony Curtis claims to have personally gone into the film archives looking for this, which presents us with a funny mental image of him wandering around in the vaults wearing his black, leather gloves (from other Laserlight DVD introductions) demanding frightened interns to "Take me to your trailers." The subtitles are sadly lacking an English language version, which is an unfortunate omission for the hearing-impaired, though they do have Spanish, Chinese and Japanese options.
Rating:
Summary: You can't go wrong with Hitchcock
Review: After a bit of a slow start, the suspense and intrigue take over. I thought the opening sequence, with everyone at the hotel, went on a bit long, but I understand it's necessary to thoroughly introduce the characters before everyone gets on the train and the real story begins. I must admit I didn't even begin to figure out what had actually happened to Miss Froy before the movie revealed it. Once the secret's out, though, the suspense doesn't stop there. A close escape, a gun battle, and a desparate flight close out the film in a truly satisfying manner. This DVD edition shows examples of some of the 7,000 flaws that were removed from the original film when it was restored, which I found interesting to watch. In summary, this was a gift I was very pleased to get for Christmas, being a big fan of Hitchcock.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant entertainment, nicely packaged
Review: Along with The 39 Steps and The Man Who Knew Too Much, the Lady Vanishes represents the very best of Hitchcock's pre-Hollywood output. It's a gripping tale told well. All the usual Hitchcock tricks and idiosyncracies are present and correct; the blonde, the train, and of course the murder and the fiendish twists. Hitchcock was often at his best when designing films in restricted locations, so much of this takes place on a train, a train on which, of course, a lady - one Ms Foy - vanishes and everyone denies she ever even existed. Margaret Lockwood is excellent as the young woman determined to prove her own sanity by finding out what happened to Ms Foy. And Michael Redgrave is great as the caddish wiseacre who is the only passenger who'll believe her. Hitchcock was always great at getting the right chemistry between his leads, and this is another relationship with crackling, intelligent, slightly subversive dialogue. It rips along at a great speed for a film of its vintage and deserves its place in the Hitchcock canon as his last truly great English film. But even forgetting who made it, forgetting its historical interest, its still an evolving, light-hearted yarn with all the elements you would want; action, romance, comedy and, naturally, suspense. Brilliant entertainment, nicely packaged with a commentary and added material - although it's the film you'll come back to again and again.
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