The Lady Vanishes (1938)

The Lady Vanishes (1938) is a brisk, brilliantly constructed mystery-thriller with a sharp streak of British wit. Set in the fictional Alpine country of Mandrika, the story begins when young socialite Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood) befriends a kindly English governess, Miss Froy (Dame May Whitty), while stranded at a remote inn. Once the train finally departs, Miss Froy vanishes—and to Iris’s alarm no one else seems to remember her ever being on board. What follows is a taut, suspenseful hunt through crowded dining cars and cramped compartments as Iris, aided reluctantly by the sardonic musicologist Gilbert (Michael Redgrave), tries to prove Miss Froy existed and uncover who might have spirited her away. The cast includes a memorable array of passengers—some comic, some sinister—and a calculating psychiatrist (Paul Lukas) who suggests Iris’s story might be the product of a concussion. The plot blends mounting paranoia, clever set-pieces, and shifting loyalties into a tightly wound mystery that keeps you guessing. Viewing experience: you’ll get Hitchcock’s economical, suspenseful staging, snappy dialogue, and a pleasing mix of thrills and light comedy. The film moves quickly, with atmospheric train- and hotel-bound tension, witty sparring between the leads, and steady escalation toward a dramatic climax. It’s as much a character-driven whodunit as a nail-biting thriller—engaging, entertaining, and still effective decades later. If you enjoy classic cinema with a smart, suspenseful premise and memorable performances, this is a highly rewarding watch.

Actors: Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, Paul Lukas

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Runtime: 96 min

Genres: Mystery, Thriller

7.3 /10 98 /100 7.7 /10 8.3 /10