Michael Redgrave | Scott's Film Reviews-1,450 + Reviews posted!!! COMING SOON-MY NEW TOP 250 FILMS!!

The Lady Vanishes-1938

Director Alfred Hitchcock

Starring Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, Dame May Whitty

Scott’s Review #1,303

Reviewed September 30, 2022

Grade: A-

The Lady Vanishes (1938) is a film directed by Alfred Hitchcock that I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve only seen once. Nonetheless, it resonated well with me after that sole viewing, and its influence is palpable.

It’s a film made when Hitchcock was still making films in his native Britain before he took over Hollywood during the 1950s and 1960s. You may wonder why a dusty old film made in the 1930s and not a household name is essential, but The Lady Vanishes is.

If the film had not been made and, more importantly, not been a box-office success, films like Vertigo (1958), Psycho (1960), and The Birds (1963) might never have been made.

The Lady Vanishes followed three relatively unsuccessful efforts by Hitchcock, whose success assured his new film career in America was a go.

The film is not as brilliant as the others, but pretty close. It serves as a blueprint for future Hitchcock films.

The train sequences alone conjure thoughts of Strangers on a Train (1951) and North by Northwest (1959), while the romance between the lead actors would become a staple of Hitchcock films.

Finally, the subdued but noticeable inclusion of gay characters is forever a good debate among cinema lovers, especially Hitchcock fans, as to whether it is or isn’t showcased.

So, The Lady Vanishes is to be celebrated for its influence, but it also stands up well on its own.

A dangerous avalanche delays a group of travelers on a train to England. Forced into a hotel in the lush European country, beautiful young Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood) befriends an older woman named Miss Froy (Dame May Whitty).

When the train resumes travel, Iris is unconscious after being hit by a potted plant and wakes to find the older woman has mysteriously disappeared. The other passengers vehemently deny that Miss Froy ever existed, causing Iris to wonder if she has lost her marbles.

Iris determinedly begins investigating the matter with the help of another traveler, Gilbert (Michael Redgrave). The pair searches the train for clues and naturally falls in love.

They uncover a mystery, political intrigue, and peculiar characters with secrets to keep hidden.

Lockwood and Redgrave have fantastic chemistry. It’s no secret that Hitchcock intends to bring them together even though Iris is to marry when she returns home. Lockwood and Redgrave are easy on the eyes, which helps make them believable.

The pacing of The Lady Vanishes is perfect, but nowhere as astounding as the sequence of events in North by Northwest, which is the film it most resembles. That’s why the rough-cut analogy springs to mind—the film is a perfect warm-up act for the 1959 masterpiece.

From an LGBTQ+ perspective, my money is on the characters of Charters and Caldicott. Ferocious cricket enthusiasts whose only initial concern is returning to England to see the last days of a Test match. The ‘friends’ proved so popular with audiences that they returned to the film Night Train to Munich 1940, also starring Lockwood.

The revelations at the end of The Lady Vanishes surprise and satisfy, with political and espionage overtones. Frequently, in Hitchcock films, there is a McGuffin or someone who cares about the plot element.

The plot shouldn’t be overthought in the film, as the real fun is the trimmings that make the suspense so strong. The wit and snappy dialogue make the characters a pleasure to watch.

The Lady Vanishes (1938) is a terrific effort that provides strong character and stiff-upper-lip British humor. It is also the most fun to watch, highlighting the many elements that makeup Hitchcock’s masterpieces.

The Innocents-1961

Director Jack Clayton

Starring Deborah Kerr

Top 100 Films #98 Top 20 Horror Films #19

Scott’s Review #639

Reviewed April 29, 2017

Grade: A

The Innocents is a 1961 British psychological horror film that is a ghost story of sorts and based on the novella, The Turn of the Screw by Henry James.

Though horror, it contains few traditional elements, such as contrived frights, jumps, and blood. Instead, the film succeeds by using lighting and magnificent cinematography by Freddie Francis.

And, of course, fantastic storytelling and direction from Jack Clayton.

Deborah Kerr gives an excellent turn as a beleaguered governess hired by a wealthy bachelor (Michael Redgrave) to tend to his young niece and nephew- Flora and Miles.

The setting is a lavish, yet creepy, mansion outside London. As the Uncle goes away to India on business, Miss Giddens, with no previous experience, is left to tend to Flora and Miles, who both begin acting strangely.

To complicate matters, Miss Giddens sees sinister ghosts lurking around the property. The ghosts are former household servants who have died, whom Miss Giddens has never met.

Miss Giddens is assisted only by the kindly housekeeper, Mrs. Grose, who tells her about the servant’s tragic deaths.

The Innocents, shot in black and white, uses sound to its advantage. This, combined with the interesting camera angles and focus shots—mainly of the ghosts Miss Giddens sees—makes the film unique and scary.

When she hears strange voices, she becomes convinced that Miles and Flora are playing tricks on her, engaging in games. The whispers’ sounds are haunting and do wonders for the effects and chill the viewer will undoubtedly feel as the film progresses.

Is Miss Giddens imagining the voices and visions, or is this an actual reality? Could the children be sinister and playing a vicious prank on her? Could Mrs. Grose be evil?

Nobody else within the household sees or hears anything amiss- or admits to it.

Kerr, a treasured actress, plays the part with emotional facial expressions and genuine fear, so much so that she will win the audience over as we side and empathize with her character. Still, is she a woman on the verge of a mental breakdown? Does she have past mental problems?

Like the uncle, we know nothing of her past, only that she claims to be a minister’s daughter. How, then, does she have stylish, expensive clothes? Could she only be pretending to be a governess? Has she run away from her past?

The Turn of the Screw is a true ghost story, but The Innocents is a bit different- it relies upon, successfully, as more of a character-driven story.

As Miss Giddens becomes convinced that both children have become possessed by the servants’ spirits, she makes it her mission to rescue them from the spirits. We have an ominous feeling that events will not end well, and they do not.

Several scenes will frighten the viewer- as Miss Giddens sees a haggard ghost (the female servant) quietly standing in the distance near a lake as Flora dances chirpily, the image of the faraway ghost figure is eerie and well-shot.

The film draws comparisons to the classic Hitchcock film Rebecca (1940). Each is British, takes place in large mansions, and features dead characters as complex villains.

Also, the sanity of the main character is in question.

With a compelling story and the nuts and bolts surrounding the tale to add clever effects and a chilling conclusion, the film succeeds as an excellent and intelligent horror film.

With great acting all around, including fantastic performances by child actors, The Innocents (1961) scares the daylights out of any horror fan and uses exterior and interior scenes to make the film an all-around marvel.