The Film
Alfred Hitchcock will long be remembered for his big budget Hollywood classics; Psycho, North by Northwest, and Notorious, but long before David O. Selznick could seduce the British filmmaker to pack his bags and move the family to Hollywood, he made a lot of smaller quality films in the United Kingdom including The 39 Steps, Secret Agent, and Sabotage. The best of his "little" pictures, however, was the 1938 classic The Lady Vanishes starring Margaret Lockwood and Michael Redgrave (in his first credited movie role).
The Lady Vanishes was released to solid reviews in both England and the United States, but what makes the film so intriguing was its timing; only one year before the Nazi war machine would begin its march across Europe. The film is a combination of mystery, romance, and comedy; although the romance takes a backseat as the mystery on board the train takes hold. Lockwood; a young and spoiled playgirl on her way back to Britain where she is scheduled to marry a real stick in the mud, crosses paths with the obnoxious Redgrave who initially finds her arrogance annoying. The sexual tension between the two builds (Lockwood is not only beautiful but full of energy and intrigue), but takes an interesting twist when an older woman who befriends Lockwood vanishes on the train. When the remaining passengers try to convince Lockwood that she's crazy and that old woman never existed, the real mystery begins.
The mystery deepens when the local authorities decide that "Mrs. Froy" (Dame May Whitty) must be disposed of (if she ever really existed) before the train passes across a neutral border and that the meddling couple must be dealt with. Hitchcock touches on the secret pact between two European nations (Germany and Russia) and the vital nature of that information to the folks in London. Brilliantly written, edited, and constructed, The Lady Vanishes is a masterpiece that always seems fresh no matter how many times you view it.
The Picture
Black levels on the DVD were okay, but there were certainly issues with the visibility of detail. Black levels are dramatically better on the Blu-ray release, and it's amazing how much more detail you can make out; on clothing, furniture, and posters. The differences between black and gray were a tad murky on the DVD, but that issue does not exist on the new transfer. The image has a wonderful grainy film-like structure without any obvious edge enhancement and while it isn't sharp looking from a modern perspective, it is the cleanest looking copy of the film I have ever seen. There are a few instances of vertical lines, but the overall image is fantastic for a film of this age. Criterion has done a masterful job on this transfer.
The Sound
The original mono soundtrack has been remastered at 24-bit from a 35mm optical print and cleaned up with Pro Tools. Unlike the original laserdisc from Criterion and DVD release, the Blu-ray transfer is free of hiss, pops, crackle, or any form of hum. The film is dialog-heavy and it has never sounded better than this. With the exception of the dance routine at the beginning of the film, some train noise, and the gunfire at the end, there are no special effects to be concerned with so the mix is more than acceptable. Having seen the film more than thirty times, I was genuinely shocked by the degree of improvement and must tip my tweed cap to the audio engineers who remastered this.
The Extras
One advantage of modern films is that you often have access to the cast (unless they died suddenly during the shoot or after the release) and production staff for bonus interviews and commentaries. The Lady Vanishes was released in 1938, so it was unlikely that Criterion was going to have access to any of the cast or crew, seventy-three years later. However, for the Blu-ray release, the studio has dug up (and cleaned up) a full-length feature film based on the characters "Charters," and "Caldicott"; the two stodgy Brits on the train who are obsessed with making the cricket matches in England.
A Crook's Tour was released in 1941 (the film was based on a radio serial of the same name) and while it lacks the romantic charm or suspense of The Lady Vanishes, it keeps the running joke from the film moving along.
Criterion has also included a short excerpt from Francois Truffault's interview with Alfred Hitchcock; which was the basis for his book about the famous director which was released in 1967.
Film historian Leonard Leff's video essay, Mystery Train, gets into great detail about the film and Hitchcock's career prior to World War Two and the collection of photographs and production stills will delight fans of the film and director.
Final Thoughts
The best of Hitch's pre-Hollywood films has finally received the attention it deserved and film lovers should grab a copy of this Blu-ray transfer before they are all gone. The image and audio quality are a huge step-up over any previous edition on home video making this one of Criterion's most significant releases in 2011. The Lady Vanishes is a special film with numerous imitators. None of them, however, will ever surpass what Hitchcock conjured up in 1938. Highest Possible Recommendation.
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