The Lady Vanishes

The Lady Vanishes


Starring:Emile Boreo, Mary Clare, Catherine Lacey, Philip Leaver, Margaret Lockwood, Paul Lukas, Charles Oliver, Cecil Parker, Basil Radford, Michael Redgrave, Linden Travers, Zelma Vas Dias, Naunton Wayne, Dame May Whitty, Josephine Wilson
Studio: Westlake Budget
Product Type: DVD
The Lady Vanishes - Criterion Collection
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • The Lady Vanishes
  • 1 more star?
  • Superb, suspenseful, brilliantly funny...,
  • "We're not in England now."
  • Hitchcock liked trains. It may be his favorite venue.
The Lady Vanishes - Criterion Collection
Starring: Emile Boreo , Mary Clare , Selma Vaz Dias , Catherine Lacey , and Philip Leaver
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:
  1. The 39 Steps - Criterion Collection
  2. Foreign Correspondent
  3. Notorious - Criterion Collection
  4. Shadow of a Doubt
  5. Secret Agent

ASIN: 0780020723
Release Date: 1998-05-27

Amazon.com essential video

At first glance The Lady Vanishes appears to be a frothy, lightweight treat, a testament to Alfred Hitchcock's nimble touch. This snappy, sophisticated romantic thriller begins innocently enough, as a contingent of eccentric tourists spend the night in a picture-postcard village inn nestled in the Swiss Alps before setting off on the train the next morning. In a wonderfully Hitchcockian twist on "meeting cute," attractive young Iris (Margaret Lockwood) clashes with brash music student Gilbert (Michael Redgrave) when his nocturnal concerts give her no peace. She gets him kicked out of his room, so he barges in on hers: True love is inevitable, but not before they are both plunged into an international conspiracy. The next day on the train, kindly old Mrs. Froy (Dame May Whitty) vanishes from her train car without a trace and the once quarrelsome couple unite to search the train and uncover a dastardly plot. No one is as he or she seems, but sorting out the villains from the merely mysterious is a challenge in itself, as our innocents abroad face resistance from the entire passenger list. Hitchcock effortlessly navigates this vivid thriller from light comedy to high tension and back again, creating one of his most enchanting and entertaining mysteries. Though this wasn't his final British film before departing for Hollywood (that honor goes to Jamaica Inn), many critics prefer to think of this as his fond farewell to the British Film Industry. --Sean Axmaker

Description

In this best-loved of Hitchcock's British-made thrillers, a young woman on a train meets a charming old lady (Dame May Whitty), who promptly disappears. The other passengers deny ever having seen her, leading the young woman to suspect a conspiracy. When she begins investigating, she is drawn into a complex web of mystery and high adventure.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars The Lady Vanishes.......2007-06-21

Hitchcock's timeless classic begins on a high comic note, then quickly transforms into a suspense film with political overtones. As in "The 39 Steps," the priceless banter between the heroine and her unlikely ally elevates what is already a nifty nail-biter into something infinitely more special: a romantic mystery. The cast of eccentrics--especially two English tourists played by Basil Radford and Naughton Wayne--give this "Lady" extra punch, and Dame May Whitty is adorable as the elusive old lady who causes all the fuss.

3 out of 5 stars 1 more star?.......2007-01-27

This is a good movie and I liked it, especially the very likable protagonists. I would like it more if someone would be so kind as to explain why the 'Germans' don't just arrest Miss Froy? Why go through the trouble of 'disappearing' her? Yes, if they had done so the story wouldn't exist. Why does the villain never just kill the hero but instead leaves an unintended escape... sure, we suspend disbelief up to a point, but here with this movie, I wonder if I had just missed a key dialog or something of that sort.

4 out of 5 stars Superb, suspenseful, brilliantly funny..., .......2007-01-04

Alfred Hitchcock announced a call to arms in a brilliant and amusing thriller, "The Lady Vanishes."

The lady in question is Miss Froy (Dame May Witty), a splendid eccentric innocent old governess (in reality a British secret agent), who is kidnapped by the smooth Dr. Hartz (Paul Lukas), really the master enemy spy...

Involved in the rescue are Gilbert (Michael Redgrave), a sincere young musicologist trying on using up unwisely his life on unfruitful pursuits; Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood) a pretty girl who is returning to London to sacrifice herself on the altar of nobility - she has accepted to marry a weedy little English count; and a hilarious sporting couple, Chalders and Caldicott (Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne), whose only concern and topic conversation is the cricket match--will they make it back in home for the "big game."

Other characters include Percy (Cecil Parker), the pompous lawyer who is constantly afraid that his affair with Linden Travers will be discovered... Above all he does not want to be involved... He is the voice of pacifism and self-control... While the others fight it out with the enemy, he rushes from the coach waving a white handkerchief... He is shot, and dies never understanding why...

Hitchcock (and you never know with him) creates a multi-sided movie (superb, suspenseful, brilliantly funny), extending the power of stereotypes by caricaturing itself, making the audience express with laughter, and in a way they forget that they have just accepted some unpleasant tasting medicine...

5 out of 5 stars "We're not in England now.".......2006-12-03

In an overcrowded inn in the Alps, a motley assortment of travelers gather waiting for the next train. There's a sweet elderly governess, Miss Froy (May Whity), a young girl, Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood) who's returning to England to get married, 2 bored Englishmen, an adulterous couple, and a free-spirited young musician Gilbert Redman (Michael Redgrave). The travelers board the train, and Iris strikes up a friendship with Miss Froy. However, when Iris wakes from a short nap, Miss Froy has disappeared, but fellow passengers deny that Miss Froy even existed. Stuck on the fast-moving train with no one who believes her story about the missing governess, Iris insists that something has happened to Miss Froy. With everyone implying that Iris hallucinated or dreamt the existence of Miss Froy, Iris turns to Redman for help.

"The Lady Vanishes" is a splendid classic Hitchcock film. It begins with the bucolic simplicity of the inn and then the film's focus gradually shifts to the sinister realization that Iris is surrounded by people she can't trust. The film's sinister atmosphere is heightened by the atmospheric, desperate train journey. The film includes some of Hitchcock's favourite themes: the ordinary person thrust into extraordinary circumstances and the reliability of the visual. The inexpensive Delta DVD is decent quality and a fair print for its time. Extras include an introduction by Tony Curtis and some additional footage--displacedhuman

4 out of 5 stars Hitchcock liked trains. It may be his favorite venue........2006-11-22

There are so many possibilities. This is a spy thriller. It works on several levels, with quite of bit of comedy to keep it light. I interpreted much of the character development as satire on the British people themselves. Hitchcock had to be careful. In those last days before the war the British censors were tough. If the British didn't see the humor in it, I'm sure Americans did. You have two chuckle-headed school chums prattling on endlessly about criket. A cheating barrister & his vapid paramour both married back in England & parnoid about being found out. Then there is Miss Froy, (Dame May Whitty) the old, sterotypical spinister governess. Even the heroine, Iris, played by Margret Lockwood, is a blond (naturally) beautiful airhead, as is her facile, soon to be boyfriend, Gilbert (Michael Redgrave). Miss Froy goes missing on the train without getting off. She had just made the aquaintance of Iris & then, poof, disappears. Iris with the help of Gilbert seeks to find her to the annoyance of most everyone aboard the train. But Miss Froy isn't what she appears. She's a secret agent for the British & the Germans want to kidnap her. Only they weren't Germans. In order not to offend the Nazis at the time, Germany was simply refered to as a middle European country. They had phony, German sounding accents like the evil psychiatrist who was identified as a Czech. The Brits pulled themselves together when crisis hits. The train is stopped & attacked by the police. Miss Froy is amazingly nimble for an old lady. She jumps out of a train window & evades 24 young men shooting at her. Hilarious. She gets back to England before everyone else. See this. If your not a Hitchcock fan you maybe after seeing this, one of his last movies before he moved to Hollywood.
Alfred Hitchcock: The Lady Vanishes/The 39 Steps
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Very nice!
  • Two Hitchcock classics at a great price
Alfred Hitchcock: The Lady Vanishes/The 39 Steps
Starring: Peggy Ashcroft , Ivor Barnard , Wilfrid Brambell , Madeleine Carroll , and Frank Cellier
Manufacturer: Delta
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Similar Items:
  1. Shadow of a Doubt
  2. Strangers on a Train
  3. The Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection (Strangers on a Train Two-Disc Edition / North by Northwest / Dial M for Murder / Foreign Correspondent / Suspicion / The Wrong Man / Stage Fright / I Confess / Mr. and Mrs. Smith)
  4. Alfred Hitchcock - The Masterpiece Collection (Psycho / Vertigo / Rear Window / The Birds / Shadow of a Doubt / Family Plot / Frenzy / The Man Who Knew Too Much / Marnie / Rope / Saboteur / Topaz / Torn Curtain / The Trouble with Harry)
  5. Lifeboat (Special Edition)

ASIN: B00004YKR6
Release Date: 2004-07-23

Description

2 DVD SET INCLUDES:

-The Lady Vanishes
-The 39 Steps

B&W/180 min.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Very nice!.......2007-02-27

If you're looking for a simple version of these two films, as I was, this set fits the bill. Sound and picture are good- of course, they're from the 1930's, so it won't be perfect- and what more do you need? (There are Criterion versions, which I suppose are better, but they cost much more.)

4 out of 5 stars Two Hitchcock classics at a great price.......2001-05-12

These DVD's are a steal. ... you get two hitchcock classics wrapped up in a snappy box with hitch on the front, with a few extras:intro by tony curtis, trailers, and these dvd's are all regions. The picture quality is ok. overall, a good buy.
Alfred Hitchcock Thrillers - The Man Who Knew Too Much/Secret Agent/The Lady Vanishes
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Definitive Hitch...Three From The 30's
  • I didn't like them
  • Budget Release Meets/Exceeds Expectations
Alfred Hitchcock Thrillers - The Man Who Knew Too Much/Secret Agent/The Lady Vanishes
Starring: Frank Atkinson , Leslie Banks , Edna Best , D.A. Clarke-Smith , and George Curzon
Manufacturer: Vintage Home Ent.
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Similar Items:
  1. Alfred Hitchcock: Montage of Mysteries
  2. To Catch a Thief (Special Collector's Edition)
  3. Dial M for Murder
  4. Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps
  5. The 39 Steps - Criterion Collection

ASIN: B0000A02V1
Release Date: 2004-01-06

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Definitive Hitch...Three From The 30's.......2007-02-10

Three from Hitch's early British works that are filled with great actors and all those special touches that just say Hitch.

From 1936..."The Secret Agent". You'll find Hitch's unique sense of humor well integrated with the suspense and his definitive style, in this terrific film about espionage at the onset of WWI. A reluctant spy is recruited to kill an enemy spy. He is given a false name and a fake wife to keep up appearances. He goes after the target, but does he have the right man? Could there be another who is the real culprit? And what a cast.. John Gielgud stars with Madeline Carroll,Robert Young and Peter Lorre(fabulous as always) as his very strange accomplice.Other notables to look for include Lilli Palmer and Michael Redgrave.

Where's Hitch.....alas, there seems to be no appearance by Sir Alfred here...4 stars

From 1934.."The Man Who Knew Too Much"(He remade this one in 1956). A great thriller about a carefree family on a winter holiday, who unwittingly become involved in an assassination plot. The Lawrences are having a wonderful time, but when their dear friend is shot, he reveals to them a plot to assassinate an important statesman before he dies. The would be killers kidnap the young daughter of the family in order to ensure their silence.Working with the police is out of the question and the Lawrences must take matters into their own hands as they try to rescue their daughter and stop the murder, which is to take place at the glorious Albert Hall.

Hitch keeps the suspense going through out with an edge of your seat climatic scene. Watch for one of his famous trademark staircase scenes in this early film.The film stars Leslie Banks and Edna Best as the Lawrences, and Peter Lorre at his most menacing!

Where's Hitch: Sorry Hitch watchers, again there doesn't seem to be any appearance by the master...5 stars



"The Lady Vanishes"(1938)
Of all Hitch's early British made films(mostly made during the late 1920's and 1930's), "The Lady Vanishes" is by far the most captivating one for me. A train trip is the setting for this mystery. A woman's traveling companion has disappeared. Where could she be? The train is only so big. She tries desperately to find her friend, but is alone in her quest. No one seems to believe that she even had a companion to start with.All seem to have their own mysterious reasons for denying her any help.Finally one man is convinced to help, and together they try to solve this possible crime.

There are lots of tense sequences to keep you in suspense, and your heart pounding. Hitch mixes up the thrills with his marvelous sense of humor and his wonderful trademark style. Wonderful performances by the likes of Dame Mae Whitty, Margaret Lockwood and Michael Redgrave add to the enjoyment of this one.

Looking for Hitch:....You must be patient. Check Victoria Station almost at the end of the film...5 stars

Enjoy.....Laurie

3 out of 5 stars I didn't like them .......2005-05-02

I love Alfred Hitchcock movies but I didn't like these three. But that's just me. Other people might really like them. They are very old & slow.

4 out of 5 stars Budget Release Meets/Exceeds Expectations.......2004-05-05

First the usual warnings: caveat emptor, you get what you pay for, etc. etc. etc., yadda yadda yadda, blah blah blah. With that out of the way, let me say that getting these three early Hitchcock films at such a low price is an extremely good deal. Sure they're blurry in parts and there are occasional picture/sound glitches, but nothing really interferes with either the storytelling or the suspense, which is really why you're watching them in the first place.

Let me add that the four-star rating is for the DVD as a whole. None of the films are presented at four-star quality (The Lady Vanishes is maybe three-and-a-half), but the fact that you get three movies instead of one or two bumps the score from average to slightly-above.

The Man Who Knew Too Much is the oldest of the three movies and its print and sound quality are the most deteriorated. Nevertheless, the symphony scene and the final gunfight retain their suspensefulness. The movie holds its own against the 1956 remake; Leslie Banks is no Jimmy Stewart, but at least Edna Best doesn't sing.

Secret Agent features a young John Gielgud, only a year or two out of short pants, I'm sure. Peter Lorre steals the show here, however, as an assassin or curious nationality. Of the three, I felt this was the least Hitchcockian in comparison with his later - and greater - work. It works on a psychological level, like his very-early Blackmail, rather than building the suspense of the other two films on this DVD or terror of Psycho or The Birds. The "self-translating" cypher notes are a nice effect; the spinning bowls and train crash are nice attempts at special effects that fall a little short of the mark.

The Lady Vanishes is the most recent of these films, and sports the best sound and picture. It also has some of the most recognizable Hitchcockian touches. The poisoned brandies framed in the extreme foreground, the hero(ine) whose sanity is in doubt, etc. It's also the most comedic throughout (although Lorre and Robert Young play their roles for laughs in Secret Agent, too).

If you want pristine remastered prints of these films, look elsewhere and expect to pay significantly more than a few dollars per movie. If you can "make do" with versions that look 65-70 years old, and want to experience Hitchcock early in his career, give this DVD a spin. If it turns out not to be to your liking, at least you haven't paid a lot to find that out. Odds are you'll find you get a lot for the price (a brief biography of Hitchcock appears on the disc, trivia factoids appear on the packaging), and won't experience buyer's remorse or feel ripped off by your purchase.
The Lady Vanishes
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • The Lady Vanishes
  • 1 more star?
  • Superb, suspenseful, brilliantly funny...,
  • "We're not in England now."
  • Hitchcock liked trains. It may be his favorite venue.
The Lady Vanishes
Starring: Emile Boreo , Mary Clare , Selma Vaz Dias , Catherine Lacey , and Philip Leaver
Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

SuspenseSuspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video
MysteryMystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video
Kidnapping & Missing PersonsKidnapping & Missing Persons | Blackmail, Murder & Mayhem | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video
EspionageEspionage | By Theme | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video
1930s1930s | Alfred Hitchcock | Mystery & Suspense Masters | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video
ClassicsClassics | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video
GeneralGeneral | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video
ComedyComedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video
EspionageEspionage | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video
GeneralGeneral | British Cinema | By Country | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video
Clare, MaryClare, Mary | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Lockwood, MargaretLockwood, Margaret | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Lukas, PaulLukas, Paul | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Parker, CecilParker, Cecil | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
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Similar Items:
  1. The 39 Steps - Criterion Collection
  2. Foreign Correspondent
  3. Notorious - Criterion Collection
  4. Shadow of a Doubt
  5. Secret Agent

ASIN: B00000C0QO
Release Date: 1999-07-24

Amazon.com essential video

At first glance The Lady Vanishes appears to be a frothy, lightweight treat, a testament to Alfred Hitchcock's nimble touch. This snappy, sophisticated romantic thriller begins innocently enough, as a contingent of eccentric tourists spend the night in a picture-postcard village inn nestled in the Swiss Alps before setting off on the train the next morning. In a wonderfully Hitchcockian twist on "meeting cute," attractive young Iris (Margaret Lockwood) clashes with brash music student Gilbert (Michael Redgrave) when his nocturnal concerts give her no peace. She gets him kicked out of his room, so he barges in on hers: True love is inevitable, but not before they are both plunged into an international conspiracy. The next day on the train, kindly old Mrs. Froy (Dame May Whitty) vanishes from her train car without a trace and the once quarrelsome couple unite to search the train and uncover a dastardly plot. No one is as he or she seems, but sorting out the villains from the merely mysterious is a challenge in itself, as our innocents abroad face resistance from the entire passenger list. Hitchcock effortlessly navigates this vivid thriller from light comedy to high tension and back again, creating one of his most enchanting and entertaining mysteries. Though this wasn't his final British film before departing for Hollywood (that honor goes to Jamaica Inn), many critics prefer to think of this as his fond farewell to the British Film Industry. --Sean Axmaker

Description

When a seemingly innocuous old woman disappears while on board a train, an acquaintance sets out to find her. What follows is a series of ingenious twists and turns finally steaming toward a suspenseful denouement.

Includes the trailer for Hitchcock's film "Shadow Of A Doubt".

Menus: English • Spanish • Chinese • Japanese
Subtitles: Spanish • Chinese • Japanese

B&W/94 min.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars The Lady Vanishes.......2007-06-21

Hitchcock's timeless classic begins on a high comic note, then quickly transforms into a suspense film with political overtones. As in "The 39 Steps," the priceless banter between the heroine and her unlikely ally elevates what is already a nifty nail-biter into something infinitely more special: a romantic mystery. The cast of eccentrics--especially two English tourists played by Basil Radford and Naughton Wayne--give this "Lady" extra punch, and Dame May Whitty is adorable as the elusive old lady who causes all the fuss.

3 out of 5 stars 1 more star?.......2007-01-27

This is a good movie and I liked it, especially the very likable protagonists. I would like it more if someone would be so kind as to explain why the 'Germans' don't just arrest Miss Froy? Why go through the trouble of 'disappearing' her? Yes, if they had done so the story wouldn't exist. Why does the villain never just kill the hero but instead leaves an unintended escape... sure, we suspend disbelief up to a point, but here with this movie, I wonder if I had just missed a key dialog or something of that sort.

4 out of 5 stars Superb, suspenseful, brilliantly funny..., .......2007-01-04

Alfred Hitchcock announced a call to arms in a brilliant and amusing thriller, "The Lady Vanishes."

The lady in question is Miss Froy (Dame May Witty), a splendid eccentric innocent old governess (in reality a British secret agent), who is kidnapped by the smooth Dr. Hartz (Paul Lukas), really the master enemy spy...

Involved in the rescue are Gilbert (Michael Redgrave), a sincere young musicologist trying on using up unwisely his life on unfruitful pursuits; Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood) a pretty girl who is returning to London to sacrifice herself on the altar of nobility - she has accepted to marry a weedy little English count; and a hilarious sporting couple, Chalders and Caldicott (Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne), whose only concern and topic conversation is the cricket match--will they make it back in home for the "big game."

Other characters include Percy (Cecil Parker), the pompous lawyer who is constantly afraid that his affair with Linden Travers will be discovered... Above all he does not want to be involved... He is the voice of pacifism and self-control... While the others fight it out with the enemy, he rushes from the coach waving a white handkerchief... He is shot, and dies never understanding why...

Hitchcock (and you never know with him) creates a multi-sided movie (superb, suspenseful, brilliantly funny), extending the power of stereotypes by caricaturing itself, making the audience express with laughter, and in a way they forget that they have just accepted some unpleasant tasting medicine...

5 out of 5 stars "We're not in England now.".......2006-12-03

In an overcrowded inn in the Alps, a motley assortment of travelers gather waiting for the next train. There's a sweet elderly governess, Miss Froy (May Whity), a young girl, Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood) who's returning to England to get married, 2 bored Englishmen, an adulterous couple, and a free-spirited young musician Gilbert Redman (Michael Redgrave). The travelers board the train, and Iris strikes up a friendship with Miss Froy. However, when Iris wakes from a short nap, Miss Froy has disappeared, but fellow passengers deny that Miss Froy even existed. Stuck on the fast-moving train with no one who believes her story about the missing governess, Iris insists that something has happened to Miss Froy. With everyone implying that Iris hallucinated or dreamt the existence of Miss Froy, Iris turns to Redman for help.

"The Lady Vanishes" is a splendid classic Hitchcock film. It begins with the bucolic simplicity of the inn and then the film's focus gradually shifts to the sinister realization that Iris is surrounded by people she can't trust. The film's sinister atmosphere is heightened by the atmospheric, desperate train journey. The film includes some of Hitchcock's favourite themes: the ordinary person thrust into extraordinary circumstances and the reliability of the visual. The inexpensive Delta DVD is decent quality and a fair print for its time. Extras include an introduction by Tony Curtis and some additional footage--displacedhuman

4 out of 5 stars Hitchcock liked trains. It may be his favorite venue........2006-11-22

There are so many possibilities. This is a spy thriller. It works on several levels, with quite of bit of comedy to keep it light. I interpreted much of the character development as satire on the British people themselves. Hitchcock had to be careful. In those last days before the war the British censors were tough. If the British didn't see the humor in it, I'm sure Americans did. You have two chuckle-headed school chums prattling on endlessly about criket. A cheating barrister & his vapid paramour both married back in England & parnoid about being found out. Then there is Miss Froy, (Dame May Whitty) the old, sterotypical spinister governess. Even the heroine, Iris, played by Margret Lockwood, is a blond (naturally) beautiful airhead, as is her facile, soon to be boyfriend, Gilbert (Michael Redgrave). Miss Froy goes missing on the train without getting off. She had just made the aquaintance of Iris & then, poof, disappears. Iris with the help of Gilbert seeks to find her to the annoyance of most everyone aboard the train. But Miss Froy isn't what she appears. She's a secret agent for the British & the Germans want to kidnap her. Only they weren't Germans. In order not to offend the Nazis at the time, Germany was simply refered to as a middle European country. They had phony, German sounding accents like the evil psychiatrist who was identified as a Czech. The Brits pulled themselves together when crisis hits. The train is stopped & attacked by the police. Miss Froy is amazingly nimble for an old lady. She jumps out of a train window & evades 24 young men shooting at her. Hilarious. She gets back to England before everyone else. See this. If your not a Hitchcock fan you maybe after seeing this, one of his last movies before he moved to Hollywood.
Alfred Hitchcock: The Collection (The Lady Vanishes / The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) / Blackmail / The Farmer's Wife / Murder! / Sabotage / The Lodger / Easy Virtue / Rich and Strange / The Sorcer's Apprentice [TV Episode])
Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
  • A very young promise in progress!
  • Strictly for the Film Historians
  • Wrong running time
  • Imperdible...
  • A Hitchcock Film In Name Only That Goes On For Ever
Alfred Hitchcock: The Collection (The Lady Vanishes / The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) / Blackmail / The Farmer's Wife / Murder! / Sabotage / The Lodger / Easy Virtue / Rich and Strange / The Sorcer's Apprentice [TV Episode])
Starring: Alfred Hitchcock
Manufacturer: Delta
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  1. Alfred Hitchcock: The Collection (The 39 Steps / Jamaica Inn / Young and Innocent / The Manxman / The Secret Agent / Number 17 / The Ring / The Skin Game / The Cheney Vase)
  2. The Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection (Strangers on a Train Two-Disc Edition / North by Northwest / Dial M for Murder / Foreign Correspondent / Suspicion / The Wrong Man / Stage Fright / I Confess / Mr. and Mrs. Smith)
  3. Alfred Hitchcock - The Masterpiece Collection (Psycho / Vertigo / Rear Window / The Birds / Shadow of a Doubt / Family Plot / Frenzy / The Man Who Knew Too Much / Marnie / Rope / Saboteur / Topaz / Torn Curtain / The Trouble with Harry)
  4. Alfred Hitchcock's Bon Voyage & Aventure Malgache
  5. Under Capricorn

ASIN: B00000JQSQ
Release Date: 1999-07-24

Amazon.com

Essentially a one-joke story line based on Eden Philpotts's comic play, the 1928 silent film The Farmer's Wife makes up for its lack of substantive material with a noticeable leap in Alfred Hitchcock's cinematic skills. Jameson Thomas stars as a rustic farmer named Sweetland whose recently deceased wife has left a hole in his home and life. The subsequent marriage of his daughter inspires Sweetland to contemplate the altar again, and he enlists the aid of his lovely housekeeper, Minta (Lillian Hall-Davies), to draw up a list of available if ill-considered candidates. One by one, Sweetland proposes to the ladies and is rebuffed, then huffs his way home to a warm reception by the woman he should obviously be with: Minta. In almost anyone else's hands, this slight and silly tale would instantly evaporate, but Hitchcock takes it as an opportunity to make a lively, good-looking film full of delightful transitions (this is the kind of movie where a wordless exchanged glance leads us from one world and into another), at least one early experiment with a rapid dolly shot (all roads lead to Vertigo, don't you know), and a remarkable amount of suggestively grim humor. One paving stone on the path to Hitchcock's full, brilliant career, The Farmer's Wife reveals a great talent still growing. Tom Keogh

Description

7 DVD SET INCLUDES:
Sabotage
The Lodger
Blackmail
Easy Virtue
Rich and Strange
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
The Farmer's Wife
Murder!
The Man Who Knew Too Much
The Lady Vanishes

B&W/826 min.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars A very young promise in progress!.......2007-03-09


Believe or not, this is a slapstick comedy, in spite of the fact we are talking about an early Hitchcock. The dramatis personae turns round a humble farmer who seeks desperately a bride after his wife has died. He doesn't seem to realize his housekeeper is in love with him since a long time. A very interesting proposal of a director in progress by then.

3 out of 5 stars Strictly for the Film Historians.......2006-08-30

OK, let's get this over with; none of us would even consider watching this movie if it weren't for the fact that it was directed by a young Alfred Hitchcock. Indeed, it's doubtful that the movie would have even survived into the 21st Century if it weren't for the director who was to go on to much greater heights. Yet Hitchcock WAS the director and we KNOW he was a masterful director so he must have done a GREAT job, right? Well, not really. I found myself interested somewhat in "The Farmer's Wife" because there is a fair amount of humor in it. I don't know if I laughed out loud but I smiled a few times. I considered asking my wife to waych it and see if she thought I'd end up the same way. However, the one real problem with this movie is that it is TOO long. Frankly, I breathed a sigh of relief when I thought the movie was over. "Maybe it wasn't all that long afterall" I told myself. Yet when the film actually did end about 10 minutes after I thought it would, I had to admit, a lot of it belong on the film editor's floor. For the record, this is a silent movie (Hitchcock directed England's first "talkie" shortly after he made "The Farmer's Wife"). Silent movies need good expressive acting to succeed and I felt that this movie had that. It was proably it's stregth (along with the humor). It's the story of a widower who decides he'll take another wife and how he is angered when his choice of spouse isn't receptive to the idea. He goes through several disappointments all seemingly in the same day before he discovers the obvious choice.

I got this movie as part of an "Early Hitchcock" set. In that sense, I have no qualms that I bought the DVD. I would have been disappointed to have bought this by itself. I liked it well enough but I doubt (due to its' length) that I'll ever watch it again.

2 out of 5 stars Wrong running time.......2001-01-22

Even though the film originally ran about 97 minutes, and even though Amazon's info shows the running time to be 93 minutes, this Laserlight's DVD version of THE FARMER'S WIFE runs 129 minutes. Apparently, the wrong film speed was used in transferring the film to DVD, stretching the film by an additional half hour. The film's tempo is therefore slowed down a great deal, and the pacing and timing of the various comedy scenes are very much ruined. The DVD does have decent picture and sound (mono) quality.

This dated and predictable film was nevertheless well-acted by Jameson Thomas as the farmer and Lillian Hall-Davis as his housekeeper. Hall-Davis also starred in another Hitchcock's silent comedy "The Ring" (a much better film), also available as a Laserlight DVD.

5 out of 5 stars Imperdible..........2000-09-25

En esta era de la tecnología y el gusto por lograr las mejores imágenes y los mejores efectos, esta colección nos lleva a darnos cuenta que las grandes obras de arte se deben edificar a partir de eso, "El Arte". Y esto es precisamente lo que demuestra este box set. El arte de la cinematografía puesta en las manos del genial Hitchcock. Ni que hablar de la producción: Siete discos, cada uno en su propio estuche, excelente sonido, y todo el material subtitulado (includo extras, introducción y trailers), además de que los discos son multizona. Cabe destacar que esto no fue obra de una gran empresa sino de LaserLight Video, pero es algo que los grandes estudios deberían tomar como ejemplo, hartos ya de ver películas con extras sin subtítulos. Si a eso le sumamos el costo del set, nos encontramos con una joya que no podemos desperdiciar. Muy recomendable.

2 out of 5 stars A Hitchcock Film In Name Only That Goes On For Ever.......2000-06-26

I have nothing against silent films. In fact Clara Bow's 'It', Lon Chaney's 'The Phantom of The Opera' and Louise Brooks's 'Pandora's Box' are amongst my all-time favourites. But with the exception of 'The Lodger', Hitchcock never really got going in silent films. 'The Farmer's Wife' certainly had the potential for an easy going, enjoyable comedy, but NOT when it lasts over 2 hours. I challenge anyone to watch this film in one sitting without their eyelids feeling increasingly heavy. On the plus points, Laserlight has dispensed with one of those embarrassing Tony Curtis introductions, and has provided us with a newly recorded (and very good) score. The picture quality is also very good. If you're tempted to buy this DVD because it's a Hitchcock film, I'd say don't. It is only worth a look to anyone with an interest in silent films or a genuine Hitchcock enthusiast.
Alfred Hitchcock 3-Pack (The 39 Steps / The Lady Vanishes / The Man Who Knew Too Much)
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • The 39 Steps
  • The original is best!
  • The 39 Steps
Alfred Hitchcock 3-Pack (The 39 Steps / The Lady Vanishes / The Man Who Knew Too Much)
Starring: Alfred Hitchcock
Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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  1. Dial M for Murder
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ASIN: B00004YKRS
Release Date: 2004-07-23

Description

3 DVD SET INCLUDES:
The Lady Vanishes
The 39 Steps
The Man Who Knew Too Much

B&W/266 min.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars The 39 Steps.......2003-06-22

This is one of the best movies ever made. Do NOT get the later versions. The original Hitchcock film is great. It has Hitchcock's famous premise - the innocent man being chased by police and criminals alike. Robert Donat and Madeline Carroll are terrific together, and the political rally scene is one for the ages.

5 out of 5 stars The original is best!.......2001-02-21

How can anyone say that the original 39 steps movie is not the best? If nothing else it was directed by the great man himself. I have seen 2 re-makes of this film, both poor relations of the first in my opinion. This film is a must see, and surely must be credited as being one of the films that started a revolution in suspence films. Buy this version you will not be disappointed

1 out of 5 stars The 39 Steps.......2001-01-03

This take of the original novel is fairly decent, however there is much better version available. In 1979 a Brittish film company produced a color version of the original story, which I think is outstanding. Though extremely hard to find, spend the extra time to locate the '79 Brittish version of the 39 Steps. It is much more accurate and suspenseful, compared to the Hitchcock versions. Quite frankly, don't waste your time watching Hitchcock's movie.
The Lady Vanishes
Average customer rating: Not rated
    The Lady Vanishes
    Starring: Alfred Hitchcock , Michael Redgrave , Paul Lukas , and Dame May Whitty
    Director: Margaret Lockwood
    Manufacturer: Passion Productions
    ProductGroup: DVD
    Binding: DVD

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    Similar Items:
    1. Under Capricorn
    2. Alfred Hitchcock's Bon Voyage & Aventure Malgache
    3. Lifeboat (Special Edition)
    4. Family Plot
    5. Alfred Hitchcock - Spellbound

    ASIN: B0002JWGEM
    Release Date: 2002-02-02

    Product Description

    From back cover, The Lady Vanishes - "When a kindly old lady disappears from a fast moving train, her young friend ginds an imposter in her place and a frustrating mystery to solve. Hitchcock's first real success, that precipitated his directorial debut in Holloywood, and resulted in a New York Film Critic's award for best director." Juno & the Paycock -"During the Irish Revolution, a family inherits a large fortune. They begin to lead a ricfh life, forgetting what the most important values are at the end. They discover that they were misled, and that the fortune is not theirs. The family is destroyed and penniless and must sell their home to survive."
    The Lady Vanishes
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      The Lady Vanishes
      Starring: Michael Redgrave
      Director: Alfred Hitchcock
      Manufacturer: Movie Ventures
      ProductGroup: DVD
      Binding: DVD

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      ASIN: B000EHN1PK

      Product Description

      Travelers on a trans-European train are delayed for a night due to bad weather in an unnamed country
      The Lady Vanishes
      Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
      • I know she was here
      The Lady Vanishes
      Starring: Emile Boreo , Mary Clare , Catherine Lacey , Philip Leaver , and Margaret Lockwood
      Director: Alfred Hitchcock
      Manufacturer: Westlake Budget
      ProductGroup: DVD
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      ASIN: B0009OL86M
      Release Date: 2004-02-10

      Customer Reviews:

      4 out of 5 stars I know she was here.......2006-10-24

      Alfred Hitchcock wasn't too good at straight-out comedy, which he only did once. But he was absolutely brilliant at clever, witty thrillers, one of the earliest of which is "The Lady Vanishes." While it has some major plot holes, Hitchcock makes up for those with witty dialogue and solid acting.

      Iris (Margaret Lockwood) is having a last girl's-night-out with her best friends, at a small Alpine hotel. As she's leaving on the train, she befriends a kindly little old governess (Dame May Whitty) -- who vanishes while Iris is napping. Even worse, everyone denies that the old lady existed, making Iris wonder if she imagined the whole thing.

      She enlists the help of eccentric musician Gilbert (Michael Redgrave) to help her find the old lady, once they are both convinced that the lady existed. Now the pair must go through the train in search of the old lady -- but they never expected to uncover an international conspiracy, which could leave them all dead.

      "The Lady Vanishes" was a pretty early movie of Hitchcock's, and at the end we're left wondering about several oddities in the plot (how is an eighty-year-old lady so athletic? How inept can those foreign agents BE?). As a spy thriller it's flawed but passable... but it's very good as a comedic mystery.

      Hitchcock takes his time introducing us to these characters, by having them all bunk at one overcrowded hotel. One particularly funny scene has Gilbert invading Iris's suite, after she has him ejected from his room, and strewing his things all over as she orders him to leave. But Hitchcock also captures the claustrophobic feeling of being menaced on a train.

      As well as the feisty socialite and weird musician, the movie is sprinkled with cricket-obsessed Brits, ebullient hoteliers, and bickering adulterous lovers. They all do fairly solid jobs, with Redgrave as a charming, slightly odd standout. And they all get some entertaining dialogue, no matter how stodgy they are. ("My father always taught me, never desert a lady in trouble. He even carried that as far as marrying Mother.")

      "The Lady Vanishes" is a comedic mystery that doesn't quite work as a spy thriller. But it's still an entertaining, taut little movie. Definitely a keeper.
      The Lady Vanishes
      Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
      • The Lady Vanishes
      • 1 more star?
      • Superb, suspenseful, brilliantly funny...,
      • "We're not in England now."
      • Hitchcock liked trains. It may be his favorite venue.
      The Lady Vanishes
      Starring: Emile Boreo , Mary Clare , Selma Vaz Dias , Catherine Lacey , and Philip Leaver
      Manufacturer: Diamond Ent. Corp.
      ProductGroup: DVD
      Binding: DVD

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      ASIN: B00005BI9E
      Release Date: 2003-01-01

      Amazon.com essential video

      At first glance The Lady Vanishes appears to be a frothy, lightweight treat, a testament to Alfred Hitchcock's nimble touch. This snappy, sophisticated romantic thriller begins innocently enough, as a contingent of eccentric tourists spend the night in a picture-postcard village inn nestled in the Swiss Alps before setting off on the train the next morning. In a wonderfully Hitchcockian twist on "meeting cute," attractive young Iris (Margaret Lockwood) clashes with brash music student Gilbert (Michael Redgrave) when his nocturnal concerts give her no peace. She gets him kicked out of his room, so he barges in on hers: True love is inevitable, but not before they are both plunged into an international conspiracy. The next day on the train, kindly old Mrs. Froy (Dame May Whitty) vanishes from her train car without a trace and the once quarrelsome couple unite to search the train and uncover a dastardly plot. No one is as he or she seems, but sorting out the villains from the merely mysterious is a challenge in itself, as our innocents abroad face resistance from the entire passenger list. Hitchcock effortlessly navigates this vivid thriller from light comedy to high tension and back again, creating one of his most enchanting and entertaining mysteries. Though this wasn't his final British film before departing for Hollywood (that honor goes to Jamaica Inn), many critics prefer to think of this as his fond farewell to the British Film Industry. --Sean Axmaker

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars The Lady Vanishes.......2007-06-21

      Hitchcock's timeless classic begins on a high comic note, then quickly transforms into a suspense film with political overtones. As in "The 39 Steps," the priceless banter between the heroine and her unlikely ally elevates what is already a nifty nail-biter into something infinitely more special: a romantic mystery. The cast of eccentrics--especially two English tourists played by Basil Radford and Naughton Wayne--give this "Lady" extra punch, and Dame May Whitty is adorable as the elusive old lady who causes all the fuss.

      3 out of 5 stars 1 more star?.......2007-01-27

      This is a good movie and I liked it, especially the very likable protagonists. I would like it more if someone would be so kind as to explain why the 'Germans' don't just arrest Miss Froy? Why go through the trouble of 'disappearing' her? Yes, if they had done so the story wouldn't exist. Why does the villain never just kill the hero but instead leaves an unintended escape... sure, we suspend disbelief up to a point, but here with this movie, I wonder if I had just missed a key dialog or something of that sort.

      4 out of 5 stars Superb, suspenseful, brilliantly funny..., .......2007-01-04

      Alfred Hitchcock announced a call to arms in a brilliant and amusing thriller, "The Lady Vanishes."

      The lady in question is Miss Froy (Dame May Witty), a splendid eccentric innocent old governess (in reality a British secret agent), who is kidnapped by the smooth Dr. Hartz (Paul Lukas), really the master enemy spy...

      Involved in the rescue are Gilbert (Michael Redgrave), a sincere young musicologist trying on using up unwisely his life on unfruitful pursuits; Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood) a pretty girl who is returning to London to sacrifice herself on the altar of nobility - she has accepted to marry a weedy little English count; and a hilarious sporting couple, Chalders and Caldicott (Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne), whose only concern and topic conversation is the cricket match--will they make it back in home for the "big game."

      Other characters include Percy (Cecil Parker), the pompous lawyer who is constantly afraid that his affair with Linden Travers will be discovered... Above all he does not want to be involved... He is the voice of pacifism and self-control... While the others fight it out with the enemy, he rushes from the coach waving a white handkerchief... He is shot, and dies never understanding why...

      Hitchcock (and you never know with him) creates a multi-sided movie (superb, suspenseful, brilliantly funny), extending the power of stereotypes by caricaturing itself, making the audience express with laughter, and in a way they forget that they have just accepted some unpleasant tasting medicine...

      5 out of 5 stars "We're not in England now.".......2006-12-03

      In an overcrowded inn in the Alps, a motley assortment of travelers gather waiting for the next train. There's a sweet elderly governess, Miss Froy (May Whity), a young girl, Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood) who's returning to England to get married, 2 bored Englishmen, an adulterous couple, and a free-spirited young musician Gilbert Redman (Michael Redgrave). The travelers board the train, and Iris strikes up a friendship with Miss Froy. However, when Iris wakes from a short nap, Miss Froy has disappeared, but fellow passengers deny that Miss Froy even existed. Stuck on the fast-moving train with no one who believes her story about the missing governess, Iris insists that something has happened to Miss Froy. With everyone implying that Iris hallucinated or dreamt the existence of Miss Froy, Iris turns to Redman for help.

      "The Lady Vanishes" is a splendid classic Hitchcock film. It begins with the bucolic simplicity of the inn and then the film's focus gradually shifts to the sinister realization that Iris is surrounded by people she can't trust. The film's sinister atmosphere is heightened by the atmospheric, desperate train journey. The film includes some of Hitchcock's favourite themes: the ordinary person thrust into extraordinary circumstances and the reliability of the visual. The inexpensive Delta DVD is decent quality and a fair print for its time. Extras include an introduction by Tony Curtis and some additional footage--displacedhuman

      4 out of 5 stars Hitchcock liked trains. It may be his favorite venue........2006-11-22

      There are so many possibilities. This is a spy thriller. It works on several levels, with quite of bit of comedy to keep it light. I interpreted much of the character development as satire on the British people themselves. Hitchcock had to be careful. In those last days before the war the British censors were tough. If the British didn't see the humor in it, I'm sure Americans did. You have two chuckle-headed school chums prattling on endlessly about criket. A cheating barrister & his vapid paramour both married back in England & parnoid about being found out. Then there is Miss Froy, (Dame May Whitty) the old, sterotypical spinister governess. Even the heroine, Iris, played by Margret Lockwood, is a blond (naturally) beautiful airhead, as is her facile, soon to be boyfriend, Gilbert (Michael Redgrave). Miss Froy goes missing on the train without getting off. She had just made the aquaintance of Iris & then, poof, disappears. Iris with the help of Gilbert seeks to find her to the annoyance of most everyone aboard the train. But Miss Froy isn't what she appears. She's a secret agent for the British & the Germans want to kidnap her. Only they weren't Germans. In order not to offend the Nazis at the time, Germany was simply refered to as a middle European country. They had phony, German sounding accents like the evil psychiatrist who was identified as a Czech. The Brits pulled themselves together when crisis hits. The train is stopped & attacked by the police. Miss Froy is amazingly nimble for an old lady. She jumps out of a train window & evades 24 young men shooting at her. Hilarious. She gets back to England before everyone else. See this. If your not a Hitchcock fan you maybe after seeing this, one of his last movies before he moved to Hollywood.

      DVD:

      1. The 39 Steps
      2. Dominique Is Dead
      3. The Pelican Brief/Conspiracy Theory
      4. Man Who Knew Too Much
      5. Hat Box Mystery/Hollywood Mystery:Dou
      6. Blonde Ice
      7. Sherlock Holmes/Racket Squad
      8. Ten Days Wonder
      9. Penal Code
      10. The Sherlock Holmes Collection

      DVD

      DVD

      DVD

      Wits & Wisecracks

      Something In The Shadows

      Cradle of Fear (REGION 1) (NTSC)

      DVD: Pippi's Adventures on South Seas

      Tractor Tom - Sports Day And Other Stories