Dir: Alfred Hitchcock | Cast: Michael Redgrave, Margaret Lockwood, Basil Redford, Naunton Wayne, Catherine Lacey, Googie Withers | UK Thriller 90’
The Lady Vanishes probably represented the apex of Hitchcock’s Gainsborough period as well as marking possibly his earliest foray into the world of international politics that eventually culminated in ‘Topaz’ about the Cuban missiles crisis.
His background working in German films is evident from the production design, classic Hitchcock tropes include staging the action on a train, the use of cute little models and oversized props with a memorable MacGuffin.
Basil Redford and Naunton Wayne exhibit the traditional British sang froid by exhibiting more concern about the Test Match scores back home; while the sight of Catherine Lacey as a nun in high heels must have given Ken Russell ideas. @RichardChatten