THE LADY VANISHES

LONG BEFORE ALFRED HITCHCOCK CAME TO AMERICA AND BECAME AN INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR, HE WORKED IN ENGLAND AT MORE MODEST LEVELS, BUT STILL MADE SOME VERY GOOD FILMS DURING THIS EARLY PART OF HIS CAREER. AMONG THE BEST AND INDEED AMONG THE BEST OF ALL HITCHCOCK FILMS IS THE LADY VANISHES BLESSED WITH AN ESPECIALLY WITTY AND INTRIGUING SCRIPT AND WONDERFUL PERFORMANCES. MICHAEL REDGRAVE, WHO MADE FEW FILMS AS A YOUNG MAN IS ESPECIALLY WINNING IN WHAT IS ARGUABLY ONE OF HIS BEST SCREEN ROLES AND MARGARET LOCKWOOD, A NOW FORGOTTEN BRITISH ACTRESS, BUT A MAJOR STAR IN HER TIME IS ALSO ENORMOUSLY APPEALING HERE. THERE IS ALSO THE LADY WHO VANISHES, DAME MAY WITTY, WHO BRIGHTENED UP EVERY FILM IN WHICH SHE APPEARED. THIS IS ALSO ARGUABLY ONE OF HER BEST ROLES, TOO; AND THOUGH IT IS COMPARATIVELY SMALL, SHE MAKES EVERY SECOND COUNT WHEN SHE IS ON THE SCREEN. THE MYSTERY HERE IS VERY ABSORBING AND HAS BEEN MUCH COPIED IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS; BUT THE REAL FUN OF THIS FILM IS THE CHARACTERS AND THEIR INTERACTION WITH ONE ANOTHER. A FILM THAT CAN BE APPRECIATED MULTIPLE TIMES-A MAJOR TEST FOR A GREAT MOVIE.