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The Lady Vanishes, Alfred Hitchcock's comedy-thriller, came at the end of his British period; this film's success brought Hitchcock to the attention of Hollywood. He would complete only one other British production, Jamaica Inn, before crossing the Atlantic to working for David O. Selznick on Rebecca. The film concerns the young Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood), heading home on a train after spending the holidays in the Balkans. Iris becomes friends with a kindly old lady, Miss Froy (Dame May Whitty) after Iris gets hit in the head with a flowerpot meant for Miss Froy. On the train, recovering from the blow, Iris falls asleep. When she awakens, Miss Froy has vanished, replaced by someone else in Miss Froy's clothing. Iris talks to the other passengers, a bizarre collection of eccentrics who think that Iris is crazy for insisting on there even being a Miss Froy -- everyone denies having ever seen the old woman. Finally, Iris finds a young musician, Gilbert (Michael Redgrave), who believes her and the two proceed to search the train for clues to Miss Froy's disappearance. It's easy to forget, with all his successes, that Alfred Hitchcock's career suffered quite a few periods of commercial decline. Following his two international breakthroughs, The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) and The 39 Steps (1935), the director produced three films with relatively disappointing box-office returns. In 1938, he broke out of this slump with the popular and entertaining The Lady Vanishes. The director's penultimate movie before leaving England, it's a very light picture, more dependent on comedy than almost any of his previous films. A good deal of the humor comes from the interplay between the definitively British tourists Charters and Caldicott, played indelibly by Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne, that the actors would reprise in several other films. Despite (or perhaps because of) its "Englishness," The Lady Vanishes made quite a splash in America, securing Hitchcock a place in Hollywood. The charming script by Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat was based on the popular Ethel Lina White novel, The Wheel Spins.
Condition:NEW. Brand New Factory Sealed
Cast & Crew - Lady Vanishes
Margaret Lockwood
(Films)(Biography) Iris Henderson
Michael Redgrave
(Films)(Biography)(Music) Gilbert Redman
Paul Lukas
(Films)(Biography) Dr. Hartz
Dame May Whitty
(Films)(Biography) Miss Froy
Cecil Parker Eric Todhunter
Linden Travers Margaret Todhunter
Mary Clare The Baroness
Naunton Wayne Caldicott
Basil Radford Charter
Emile Boreo Hotel Manager
Philip Leaver Signor Doppo
Catherine Lacey The Nun
Josephine Wilson Mme. Kummer
Googie Withers Blanche
Sally Stewart Julie
Zelma Vas Dias Signora Doppo
Alfred Hitchcock Actor
Charles Oliver Officer
Basil Redford Actor
Kathleen Tremaine Actor, Anna
Technical Credits
Alfred Hitchcock Director
Edward Black Producer
Maurice Carter Set Decoration/Design
Jack Cox Cinematographer
R.E. Dearing Editor
Sidney Gilliat Screenwriter
Albert Jullion Set Decoration/Design
Frank Launder Screenwriter
Louis Levy Score Composer, Musical Direction/Supervision
Alma Reville Screenwriter
Alfred Roome Editor
Alexander Vetchinsky Art Director, Set Decoration/Design
Product Details
Actors: Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, Paul Lukas, Dame May Whitty, Cecil Parker
Directors: Alfred Hitchcock
Format: Black & White, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English
Region: Region A/1 (Read more about DVD/Blu-ray formats.)
Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Criterion Collection
DVD Release Date: December 6, 2011
Run Time: 96 minutes
Special Features
High-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
Crook's Tour, a 1941 feature-length adventure film
Audio commentary by film historian Bruce Eder
Excerpts from Francois Truffaut's 1962 audio interview with Alfred Hitchcock
Mystery Train, a video essay about Hitchcock and The Lady Vanishes
Stills gallery of behind-the-scenes photos and promotional art
PLUS: A booklet featuring essays by Geoffrey O'Brien and Charles Barr
This DVD is also available as part of a box set:
Alfred Hitchcock Collector's Edition 1
Alfred Hitchcock: the Legend Begins
Alfred Hitchcock Collection
Alfred Hitchcock: 7 Feature Films
Alfred Hitchcock: the Legend Begins
Alfred Hitchcock: a Legacy of Suspense
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