Eine Dame verschwindet (1938)
49KEine Dame verschwindet: Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. With Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, Paul Lukas, May Whitty. While travelling in continental Europe, a rich young playgirl realizes that an elderly lady seems to have disappeared from the train.
“Although Hitchcock was noted for his wit and often sprinkled his films with wickedly funny moments, he seldom gave comic elements such a free reign as he did in THE LADY VANISHES, which is among the most memorable of his early British films. Charmingly cast with Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, and Dame May Witty in the leads, the extremely witty script mixes 1930s romantic froth with increasingly tense suspense in the story of sharp witted young woman (Lockwood) who befriends an elderly lady (Witty) during a train journey–and is extremely disturbed when, as the title states, the lady vanishes.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMany regard this as the best of Hitchcocku0026#39;s early work, and it is easy to see why: the film demonstrates his growing talent for building suspense from an unlikely mix of the commonplace and the incredible. He is also remarkably blessed in his cast, with Lockwood and Redgrave possessing considerable chemistry and Dame May Witty particularly endearing in one of the character roles at which she so excelled; the supporting cast is also particularly memorable.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHitchcock guides them all with never a misstep through a complex script that progresses from very lighthearted to extremely sinister and then back again, and the result leaves audiences with both the satisfaction of a well-made thriller and the glow of a romantic comedy. Although it lacks the subtle tones of his later work, THE LADY VANISHES is among my own favorites by Hitchcock, and fans who have never seen it are in for a real treat. Highly recommended.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eGary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer”
