Product Details

• Actors: Basil Radford, Naunton Wayne, Greta Gynt, Abraham Sofaer, Charles Oliver
• Directors: Alfred Hitchcock
• Format: Black & White, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Criterion Collection
• DVD Release Date: November 20, 2007
• Run Time: 96 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000VARC28
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,293 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Lady Vanishes (The Criterion Collection)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Alfred Hitchcock had hit his early, near-flawless stride by the time of The Lady Vanishes, the 1938 classic that seems as bright and funny now as the day it was released. After the deliciously comic opening reels at a mittel-European hotel where a train has been snowed in, the plot kicks into gear: a very nice old lady (Dame May Whitty) suddenly disappears in mid-train ride. Worse, the young woman (Margaret Lockwood) who'd befriended her can't find anybody to confirm that the lady ever actually existed. Luckily, suave gadabout Michael Redgrave is at the ready--to say nothing of two English cricket fans, brought to memorable life by Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne. The film bops along briskly, borne along on the charm of the players and the witty script by expert craftsman Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat (who also did the delightful Green for Danger and the St. Trinian's films), to say nothing of Hitchcock's healthy sense of humor about the whole thing--indeed, it may be the most "British" of his films. --Robert Horton

On the DVD
This two-disc package is the second time Lady has been issued by Criterion, and features a (visually and aurally) improved transfer of the film. It retains a commentary from the earlier release, but adds tasty extras: a half-hour documentary from Leonard Leff (standard stuff, but a nice intro to Hitchcockian ideas), plus a 10-minute audio excerpt from Francois Truffaut's legendary book-length interview with Hitch. This is not only a good way to hear Hitchcock on The Lady Vanishes, it's a fascinating ringside seat at an important moment in film history. And then there's Crook's Tour, a fun 1941 feature comedy vehicle for Charters and Caldicott, the two characters played by Radford and Wayne (they'd been such a hit in The Lady Vanishes that audiences demanded more of them, leading to a long-term teaming in film and radio). All good--but Lady itself is the ride you'll be returning to again and again. --Robert Horton

Product Description

In Alfred Hitchcock s most quick-witted and devilish comic thriller, the beautiful Margaret Lockwood, traveling across Europe by train, meets Dame May Whitty s charming old spinster, who seemingly disappears into thin air. Soon enough, the young woman turns investigator and finds herself drawn into a complex web of mystery and high adventure. The Lady Vanishes, now in an all-new digital transfer, remains one of the master filmmaker s purest delights.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Perfect Lady, September 5, 2007

By 

Tom S. "filmfan3" (New York City) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Lady Vanishes (The Criterion Collection) (DVD)

This 1937 comic thriller is one of the first great masterpieces of Alfred Hitchcock. Based on Ethel Lina White's novel, THE WHEEL SPINS, it mixes laughs and chills better than just about any other film, before or since. A nervous bride-to-be (beautiful Margaret Lockwood) meets a sweet elderly woman (the magnificent Dame May Whitty) on a train bound through Europe to London just before WWII. Also aboard: a roguish musicologist (Michael Redgrave), a pair of adulterers (Cecil Parker and Linden Travers), a smooth German doctor (Paul Lukas), two delightfully fussy cricket fans (Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne), and a mysterious nun (Catherine Lacy) wearing sexy high heels under her habit. When the old lady disappears from the moving train, the young heroine investigates, and everyone else aboard insists that she is mistaken--there never was any old lady....

I can think of no higher tribute to Hitchcock than the fact that so many recent hit films are virtual remakes of his classic gems. DISTURBIA is REAR WINDOW recast with modern teens, and the 2005 Jodie Foster thriller, FLIGHTPLAN, was an unofficial remake of THE LADY VANISHES with an airliner standing in for the train--right down to the famous "fingerprint on the window." Why do modern filmmakers keep imitating the Master's films? See for yourself. This new, 2-disc reissue from Criterion has a lot of extras and a newly remastered print of the film itself. It's a must for fans and newcomers alike. Highly Recommended.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LADY HAS NOT VANISHED - Video improvement, December 22, 2007

By 

Norm de Plume "Norm" (North Hollywood, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lady Vanishes (The Criterion Collection) (DVD)

THE LADY VANISHES - new Criterion DVD - is a notable improvement in sharpness and contrast over Criterion's previous edition. Even if you have the old one, the new edition is worth the upgrade. If you are new to pre-American Hitchcock, this film is your best introduction. If you are inclined to purchase a cheaper version of the same film, be warned: any public domain editions are distinctly inferior.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So very Whitty, November 24, 2007

By 

Brad Baker (Atherton, Ca United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Lady Vanishes (The Criterion Collection) (DVD)

Criterion has just released the new 2-disc transfer of 1938's "The Lady Vanishes", Alfred Hitchcock's last great British effort; filmed just before he was swallowed-up by David O. Selznick and Hollywood. Just before the war, the beautiful young Iris(Margaret Lockwood), traveling across Europe by train, meets the governess Miss Froy(Dame May Whitty), a charming old spinster, who promptly disappears into thin air. In fact, no one even recalls having seen the old lady aboard the train. Iris turns sleuth, and soon finds herself drawn into a complex murder-mystery and robust adventure. The fictitous country where most of the story takes place is named in the movie by Miss Froy in her first scene: "Bandrika is one of Europe's few undiscovered corners". "The Lady Vanishes" is a love story, two daffy, English gents, and two car-loads of Nazi's, all tossed together in a quick-witted, devilish comic thriller. Droll English humor keeps the proceedings moving along. In one scene, Iris complains: "Hello, Boris? Miss Henderson speaking. Look, someone upstairs is playing musical chairs with an elephant. Move one of them out, will you? I want to get some sleep". A remarkable cast includes Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, Paul Lucas, and Dame May Whitty. As the redoubtable Miss Froy, Whitty easily steals the entire film. The final sequence is just short of perfect. Dame May Whitty died at age 82 from cancer in Beverly Hills, shortly after her scenes in the movie "The Sign of the Ram(1948)". She once said, "I've got everything Betty Grable has...only I've had it longer". Modestly budgeted, "The Lady Vanishes" was shot on studio stages, and relied on miniatures, rear-projection, stock footage, transparencies, and one ninety-foot-long railroad set. The real meat of the film is it's nimble acting and dynamic screenplay. There's a lot to chew on here. Criterion released "The Lady Vanishes" in 1998 with less results; it suffered poor video and sound drop-out. There is one drop-out at 18 minutes into the film, but otherwise you have a high-quality transfer. This new high-definition digital transfer was taken from a 35 mm composite fine-grain master positive, and audio restoration has reduced clicks, pops, and hiss. Extras include audio commentary by Bruce Eder(a little dry), "Crook's Tour", a 1941 feature with Basil Radford and Nuanton Wayne reprising their roles from "The Lady Vanishes", Francois Truffaut's 1962 interview with Alfred Hitchcock, a new video essay by scholar Leonard Leff, an essay by critic Geoffrey O'Brien, photos, and art. Alfred Hitchcock made 37 cameo appearances in his films(from 1926 to 1976). 90 minutes into "The Lady Vanishes", you can see him walking along the platform of London's Victoria Station, wearing a black coat and puffing on a cigarette. Alfred Hitchcock changed the way movies are made; both long ago, and right up until the end. We're so glad he did.