Film

The Lady Vanishes

Cert: U

Description: To pass the time during a journey aboard the Trans-Continental Express, Iris Henderson befriends middle-aged English governess Mrs Froy, the woman suiting opposite her in the train compartment. Further down the track, Mrs Froy disappears without trace and when other passengers claim never to have seen the elusive governess, Iris begins to question her sanity. Soon, Iris and dashing stranger Gilbert Redman are embroiled in a frantic race against time to expose the truth.

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Dir: Alfred Hitchcock.

Cast: Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave

Country: UK.

Year: 1938.

Duration: 97mins

Classic cast to die for

First class: Michael Redgrave and Margaret Lockwood are among an outstanding cast

Lesson for agony uncle

By Derek Malcolm
10 Jan 2008

Made during the Munich crisis of 1938, and possibly designed to show Hitler that the British had more in them than met his eye, Hitchcock's classic spy thriller is now remembered principally for the endearing performances of Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne as two cricket nuts desperate to get home for a Test Match that turns out to be rained off.

But it had an entire cast to die for, including the great Dame May Whitty as a secret agent less harmless than she looked, Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave and Cecil Parker - no wonder Hollywood soon found it necessary to transport Hitchcock to LA.

Radford and Wayne, however, were a bit beyond Hollywood's ken.