Review of The Lady Vanishes (1938) by Greg D — 30 Mar 2012

I really adore Alfred Hitchcock's drama comedies. They're very entertaining and tend to keep you glued to your seat until you find out what's going on. In this conspiracy theory comedy extravaganza, The Lady Vanishes is Hitchcock at his early best.

Margaret Lockwood and Michael Redgrave are dazzling as a screen duo, and their performances are what gives the film a lot of its value. They're not standout performances or anything, but they keep you locked in.

Much of that has to do with the direction, I'm sure. At times the film is laugh out loud funny and at other times a little creepy, which is a perfect combination. My only problem with the film is that once the main narrative thread is resolved, there's still another thirty minutes devoted to the film's subplot.

In other words, the film like it ended much earlier than it actually did. Not that it devalues the story; it just goes on a bit more than it needed to. Otherwise, the film is very slick and should delight anyone who's looking to see other Hitchcock films besides his big name ones.