Murder, Mystery, and the Cricket Score
After the heavy humanism of Grand Illusion and the epic struggle of Seven Samurai, Spine #3 serves as a refreshing, sophisticated palate cleanser. The Lady Vanishes (1938) reminds us that the Criterion Collection isn’t just for somber “message movies”—it is also a home for perfect entertainment.
This is Alfred Hitchcock right before he left the UK for Hollywood, and you can feel the transition happening on screen. It is arguably more comedy than mystery. The film balances the tension of a disappearance with the delightful absurdity of Charters and Caldicott, two Englishmen who are far more concerned with the cricket score back home than the potential conspiracy unfolding around them. The banter between the leads, Iris and Gilbert, is sharp and charming, keeping the violence (which is never too harsh) at a comfortable distance.
The central hook is a classic “gaslighting” setup: a woman claims a passenger has disappeared, and everyone else on the train denies the person ever existed. While a modern viewer familiar with Hitchcock’s tropes might never truly question Iris’s sanity, the core conflict remains frustratingly relevant almost 90 years later: a woman (or women) speaking the truth and struggling to be believed by a system that finds it inconvenient to listen.
Hitchcock masterfully uses the setting to force this conflict. By placing the action on a moving train, he removes any option for Iris to leave or seek outside help. The obvious studio sets and rear-projection, rather than feeling dated, actually enhance the claustrophobia—it creates a sealed “storybook” world where the rules of reality are slightly suspended.
As for the plot itself (spies trying to smuggle a secret melody), it is the definition of a MacGuffin. The rationale is unrealistic, but it doesn’t matter. We aren’t watching for the logic of the spycraft; we are watching for the thrill of the chase.
The Verdict: While it lacks the heavy cultural weight of the first two spines, The Lady Vanishes is a crucial milestone. It is the film that proved Hitchcock was ready for the global stage. It is lighthearted, technically inventive, and effortlessly engaging—a reminder that a “masterpiece” can also just be a really good time.
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I think the working title was “The Macguffin Vanishes,” establishing the word Macguffin for Hollywood.
It is fun seeing tropes being introduced that are still around today.