MovieChat Forums > The Lady Vanishes (1938) Discussion > That melody

That melody

posted 11 years ago by practicepiano
3 replies | jump to latest

It's a darned good thing Miss Froy is OK at the end, and can play the melody on the piano.

She hummed it so badly when conveying it to Redgrave's character, that it's quite different. She changes the rhythm, changes the tonality from minor into major (similar to the way it's changed for the ending credits), and is just generally out-of-tune.

He continues to hum it pretty much as she sang it, or even more degraded -- who knows how that would have changed the message?

Yes, I know it's the MacGuffin, and yes, I can suspend my disbelief and enjoy the film, and yes, I know many viewers would not have noticed, so no lectures, please -- it's just one of those things I can't help but hear.

[–] johne23-1 11 years ago

I think it's deliberately confusing and deliberately made confusing every time it's whistled. It's not a particularly memorable little tune anyway.

Therefore, yes, a perfect MacGuffin.

[–] drxcreatures 11 years ago

Nice Idea, John.

http://www.cgonzales.net & http://www.drxcreatures.com

[–] NewtonFigg 11 years ago

I think the singer under the window is a parody of Arthur Tracy, known as the Street Singer. Having him strangled is a bit of wish fulfillment for many in the audience, and possibly Hitchcock.