Product Details

• Actors: Deanna Durbin, Ralph Bellamy, David Bruce, George Coulouris, Allen Jenkins
• Directors: Charles David
• Writers: Edmund Beloin, Leslie Charteris, Robert O'Brien
• Producers: Felix Jackson, Frank Shaw, Howard Christie
• Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Universal Studios
• VHS Release Date: November 27, 1996
• Run Time: 94 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6303929974
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #183,577 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

By the mid-1940s, Universal's singing superstar, the twice-married Deanna Durbin, had outgrown her innocent ingenue image, and although her postwar films were mostly bland, Lady on a Train is a delicious hybrid of '40s romantic comedy and Agatha Christie mystery. A glamorous Deanna witnesses a murder, gets mixed up with the dead man's wacky family, and croons Cole Porter's "Night and Day" with throbbing allure. Five more Durbin features followed--but you're wise to make this smartly crafted Train, complete with surprising denouement, your final stop. (P.S. In 1950, Durbin wed Lady director Charles David, a union that's lasted half a century.) --Steven Smith

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Durbins best films., March 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Lady On A Train [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I loved this movie. You'll never guess who the murderer is.The songs are great too.I was singing them for days afterwards.I beleive this is a video you'll want to own.I think if you like this one you'll also like "It started with Eve" also with Deanna Durbin.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Durbin Snowflake, April 1, 2005

By 

Bobby Underwood "starlighthotel" (Manly NSW, Australia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lady On A Train [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This film is a Christmas snowflake from the wonderful Deanna Durbin. She may have saved Universal from bankruptcy as a young musical sensation in the late 1930's, but by the mid 1940's she had matured into a pleasantly gorgeous actress who made several memorable light comedies. This breezy murder mystery is one of her best. The entire film takes place over the Christmas weekend and it is snowing in almost every shot, making a marvelous backdrop to this fun film.

Nikki Collins (Deanna) is on a train bound for New York for the holidays. While reading a mystery by her favorite author, Wayne Morgan (David Bruce), she witnesses the murder of Josiah Warring from the window of her compartment. When no one will believe her, she hunts down mystery writer Morgan and slowly drags him into her enthusiastic search for the killer. He is engaged to a rather stuffy society babe, and we know right away that he and Durbin will end up together before the final curtain.

The murdered man was a rich shipping magnate and when Durbin attempts to snoop around the tycoon's mansion she is mistaken by nephew Arnold (Dan Duryea) for Margo Martin, the nightclub singer to whom Josiah has left everything, much to the chagrin of everyone. This gives Durbin an opportunity to go to the nightclub and do some amateur detective work, as well as do a sexy rendition of "Give Me a Little Kiss, Will Ya?" and the lovely "Night and Day" while she pretends to be Margo.

The real Margo gets murdered, of course, as does the owner of the swanky nightclub. And everyone seems to be after those blood stained slippers Nikki has found which prove the tycoon was really murdered. David Bruce does a nice job as the mystery writer Morgan as does Duryea as the black sheep of the family. Ralph Bellamy is fine as the good nephew. Edward Everett Horten gives a very funny performance as Mr. Haskell, who has been instructed to keep an eye on Durbin by her father, which proves to be a nearly impossible task!

This is an entertaining muder mystery that is a lot of fun to watch. Deanna Durbin and the great cast make this film light and airy. She married director Charles David II later on and maybe that's part of the happiness you feel from the screen. We get to watch a glowing Durbin solve a murder, fall in love and sing some nice songs, all during a snowy Christmas weekend. What could be wrong with that?

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Mystery To End All Mysteries, December 26, 2001

By 

Mart Sander (www.martsander.com) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lady On A Train [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I don't know where to turn to - must be the government of the US. Deanna Durbin movies are not being released on DVD, and this is a crime!

Let's take this one: it's a movie with a perfectly well constructed storyline, real noir feeling (especially towards the climax), a good surprise ending... and of course Deanna Durbin, whom I have no need to praise, since she is always sheer quality itself. The copy is very good, and the "coming attractions" reel is truly nice as well.

So, must be content with the VHS version until someone finally does something about it!