The producers declared that they had based the script of this TV film on the original novel ("The Wheel Spins", 1936, by Ethel Lina White) rather than Hitchcock's film. I think this is precisely the reason it does not work. Hitchcock's "The Lady Vanishes" was not memorable because of the plot, but because of the atmosphere and the flamboyant characters.
The McGuffin: will Michael Redgrave and Margaret Lockwood get together? Let's throw them in the middle of a spy conspiracy so they can decide.
Special mention deserve the two cricket enthusiasts Caldicott and Charters, hinted as homosexual at a time when such thing was unthinkable in films (they share a pyjama!). The characters were so popular that they appeared in another two war films ("Night Train to Munich", 1940, "Millions Like Us", 1943). Even the inferior 1979 remake was very enjoyable, because of the always wonderful Angela Lansbury and the sparkling comedic timing between Elliot Gould and Cybill Shepherd (two actors not usually praised).
In contrast, the characters in this latest version remained insufferably dull. I kept thinking that hero Max Hare (Tom Hughes) and the Oxford Professor (Alex Jennings) should have been one single character. Watching them saying their dialogues, sitting side by side, I could not help but thinking that one was redundant. Ten minutes before the ending, we still had all the story lines to wrap up. They concluded in a too rushed way, only to be followed by an overlong and unnecessary epilogue.
The opening scene at the hotel was also totally expendable. However, I am happy they did not remove it, as it gave me the chance to see handsome Hungarian actor Tamás Lengyel as waitress Julij. The scarce ten minutes he was on screen were the only ones I enjoyed in the film. He was so charismatic that I kept wishing he were the hero (unfortunately, my wish was not granted). I hope he gets to play in many more productions.
The McGuffin: will Michael Redgrave and Margaret Lockwood get together? Let's throw them in the middle of a spy conspiracy so they can decide.
Special mention deserve the two cricket enthusiasts Caldicott and Charters, hinted as homosexual at a time when such thing was unthinkable in films (they share a pyjama!). The characters were so popular that they appeared in another two war films ("Night Train to Munich", 1940, "Millions Like Us", 1943). Even the inferior 1979 remake was very enjoyable, because of the always wonderful Angela Lansbury and the sparkling comedic timing between Elliot Gould and Cybill Shepherd (two actors not usually praised).
In contrast, the characters in this latest version remained insufferably dull. I kept thinking that hero Max Hare (Tom Hughes) and the Oxford Professor (Alex Jennings) should have been one single character. Watching them saying their dialogues, sitting side by side, I could not help but thinking that one was redundant. Ten minutes before the ending, we still had all the story lines to wrap up. They concluded in a too rushed way, only to be followed by an overlong and unnecessary epilogue.
The opening scene at the hotel was also totally expendable. However, I am happy they did not remove it, as it gave me the chance to see handsome Hungarian actor Tamás Lengyel as waitress Julij. The scarce ten minutes he was on screen were the only ones I enjoyed in the film. He was so charismatic that I kept wishing he were the hero (unfortunately, my wish was not granted). I hope he gets to play in many more productions.