MovieChat Forums > The Lady Vanishes (1938) Discussion > Two quibbles

Two quibbles

posted 12 years ago by jlent
13 replies | jump to latest

I realize its absurd to trifle with a classic more than 70 years old and the problems do nothing to diminish my admiration for the film but there are two issues that nag.

Of lesser importance is the fact all it takes to keep two woman quiet is just to wrap their faces in gauze.

More important: Iris, Charters and the woman known as "Mrs." Margaret Todhunter are left behind in the dining car with the fake officer who has a gun on them as the nun slips away to change tracks. The nun switches the track, the train heads off, the bad guys are left behind.

The next we see of any of the dining car hostages is back in London at Victoria Station. Caldicott and Charters learn their precious cricket match has been cancelled and Iris and Gilbert are about to walk into the sunset following a stopover at the Foreign Office.

So my question is this: What the hell happened to the "officer" with the gun and how did the three escape from him? It's never explained.

BTW, isn't Margaret Lockwood GORGEOUS?

[–] rexshard93 12 years ago

The officer only has one bullet in the gun. With that one bullet gun, he stopped them so that the track won't be switched. Margaret Lockwood distracted officer so that the nun can switch the track. The nun was able to successfully switch the track. And the train was able to success cross the border.

Since the train crossed the borderline, he became powerless due to the fact that the officer isn't in his country anymore. So we can jump to conclusion that he got caught. This is because the train had no stops until they reached the final stop.

[–] ksf-2 12 years ago

minor Spoiler ** pls see my comment from NOV 2007 .. my quibble is that the two bad guys could EASILY have jumped back on the train when it starts up... have you watched a train start to move? it takes FOREVER to get going..

it's interesting watching Hitchcock films .. one is never sure which details are important. in this one, Dame Whitty keeps telling people: "I'm a governess..."
Hitch also used her in Suspicion.

[–] maybe730 12 years ago

I just watched this on TCM and I was a little confused why the villains didn't bother trying to board the train either and the officer who simply disappears (or vanishes) at the end.

[–] PsychoDingo 12 years ago

keep in mind that most of the train had been detached at that point. if I heard right, there were only two cars behind the engine

in any case, the start would have been faster than normal, due to the reduced weight of the train

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[–] patmss 11 years ago

I'll buy that. Not trying to catch the train as it started to move was also one of those things that made me go, why are they turning around?? Also, I was wondering why, what with two cars, the conspirators didn't opt to run after the train with one and then use the other to pursue Miss Froy. After all the trouble they'd gone to to try and abduct her, you'd think they would be a little more diligent in making sure the little old lady was truly dead after hopping off the train.

When I watch Hitchcocks though, I'll take even the most tenuous explanations. I will suspend all manners of disbelief to enjoy certain movies.

[–] sage_wanker 9 years ago

Apart from the English, there is no indication that he shot that one bullet at any point.

[–] simplemines 12 years ago

"Of lesser importance is the fact all it takes to keep two woman quiet is just to wrap their faces in gauze."

The gauze wasn't to keep the quiet. It was to hide Miss Froy so she could be smuggled off the train. She was drugged to keep her quiet.

[–] jlent 12 years ago

Was she drugged? I suppose she could have been though we never see anyone administer a drug.
All I could see is that when the good guys unwrap the bandages from her face Miss Froy is wide eyed and alert.

[–] WhiskeySam 11 years ago

No she's not. She looks groggy and disoriented. The other woman they substitute is wild-eyed with terror when she gets unwrapped, but Miss Froy is out of sorts when they first unwrap her. It's implied they drugged her with the same stuff they were going to drug Iris and Gilbert with.

But Margaret Lockwood was indeed stunningly gorgeous!

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[–] carolmr527 12 years ago

Yes, Margaret Lockwood was absolutely gorgeous!

[–] knifeparty2004 11 years ago

Miss Froy was drugged. Gilbert even alludes to it when Hartz tries to drug him and the girl.

[–] jlent 11 years ago

Everyone says that yet as soon as the gauze is removed ahe's chatting away as if nothing happened.

[–] mrpinbert 10 years ago

This is the first time I have seen her in a movie and I was just STUNNED at her beauty throughout the whole thing, and talented too! What a woman.

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