Film Snail

Lady on a Train
Lady on a Train

6.5

Lady on a Train

NR·1945·94m

Summary

While watching from her train window, Nikki Collins witnesses a murder in a nearby building. When she alerts the police, they think she has read one too many mystery novels. She then enlists a popular mystery writer to help her solve the crime on her own, but her sleuthing attracts the attentions of suitors and killers.

Cast

Deanna Durbin

Deanna Durbin

Nikki Collins / Margo Martin

Ralph Bellamy

Ralph Bellamy

Jonathan Waring

David Bruce

David Bruce

Wayne Morgan

George Coulouris

George Coulouris

Mr. Saunders, Circus Club Manager

Allen Jenkins

Allen Jenkins

Danny (Waring chauffeur)

Dan Duryea

Dan Duryea

Arnold Waring

Edward Everett Horton

Edward Everett Horton

Mr. Haskell

Patricia Morison

Patricia Morison

Joyce Willams, Morgan's Girl

Maria Palmer

Maria Palmer

Margo Martin, Circus Club Singer

Elizabeth Patterson

Elizabeth Patterson

Aunt Charlotte Waring

Samuel S. Hinds

Samuel S. Hinds

Mr. Wiggam, Waring Lawyer

William Frawley

William Frawley

Desk Sgt. Brennan

Jacqueline deWit

Jacqueline deWit

Miss Fletcher, Morgan's Secretary

Lash LaRue

Lash LaRue

Circus Club Waiter / Henchman

Jane Adams

Jane Adams

Circus Club Photographer

Thurston Hall

Thurston Hall

Josiah Waring

Ben Carter

Ben Carter

Maxwell

Mabel Forrest

Mabel Forrest

Wife

Barbara Bates

Barbara Bates

Hat Check Girl

Chester Clute

Chester Clute

Train Conductor (uncredited)

Joseph Crehan

Joseph Crehan

Train passenger (uncredited)

Fred Aldrich

Fred Aldrich

Ernest Anderson

Ernest Anderson

Carl Andre

Bobby Barber

Bobby Barber

Eddie Bartell

Eddie Bruce

Eddie Bruce

Charles Cane

Charles Cane

James Carlisle

Nora Cecil

Nora Cecil

George Chandler

George Chandler

André Charlot

André Charlot

Martin Cichy

Martin Cichy

Tom Coleman

Oliver Cross

Charles Dechamps

Charles Dechamps

Jack Deery

Robert Dudley

Robert Dudley

Tom Dugan

Tom Dugan

Eddie Dunn

Eddie Dunn

Jay Eaton

Jay Eaton

Sarah Edwards

Sarah Edwards

Harry Evans

Franklyn Farnum

Franklyn Farnum

Carl Faulkner

Al Ferguson

Al Ferguson

Clyde Fillmore

Clyde Fillmore

Sam Finn

Mary Forbes

Mary Forbes

George Golden

Ethyl May Halls

Sam Harris

Dick Hirbe

Stuart Holmes

Stuart Holmes

Jack W. Johnston

Jack W. Johnston

Philip Kieffer

Mike Lally

Mike Lally

Perc Launders

Ethelreda Leopold

Ethelreda Leopold

George J. Lewis

George J. Lewis

George Lloyd

George Lloyd

Lock Martin

Lock Martin

Sam McDaniel

Sam McDaniel

Matt McHugh

Matt McHugh

Bert Moorhouse

William H. O'Brien

William H. O'Brien

Frank O'Connor

Frank O'Connor

Kathleen O'Malley

Ralph Peters

Ralph Peters

Rose Plumer

Albert Pollet

Karen Randle

Karen Randle

Bob Reeves

Bob Reeves

Addison Richards

Addison Richards

Cyril Ring

Cyril Ring

Bert Roach

Bert Roach

Jeffrey Sayre

Jeffrey Sayre

Charles Sherlock

Charles Sherlock

Brick Sullivan

Jean Trent

Leo White

Leo White

Eric Wilton

Florence Wix

Florence Wix

Crew

Director

Charles David

Original Story

Leslie Charteris

Screenplay

Edmund Beloin

Screenplay

Robert O'Brien

Reviews

John Chard

John Chard

December 29, 2013

8

Genre blender of considerable worth.

Lady on a Train is directed by Charles David and adapted to screenplay by Edmund Beloin and Robert O’Brien from a Leslie Charteris story. It stars Deanna Durbin, Ralph Bellamy, David Bruce, George Coulouris, Allen Jenkins, Dan Duryea and Edward Everett Horton. Music is by Miklos Rozsa and cinematography by Woody Bredell.

Part murder mystery, part film noir, part comedy and part musical! And it’s a Christmas movie as well! Lady on a Train has a lot going on for sure. It’s a fun packed little movie that gives Durbin full licence to show her various talents before she retired out of the limelight three years later. In main essence it’s the murder mystery aspect that drives the picture forward. Durbin plays Nikki Collins, a spunky young woman who loves reading detective mysteries, so when she witnesses a murder being committed from her train window seat, she’s obviously all of a tingle. However, convincing the authorities of what she saw proves to be difficult and she decides to take up the case herself. Pretty soon she is up to her neck in intrigue and life threatening peril.

Things start getting twisty once Durbin meets the victim’s bizarre family, a veritable roll call of miserablists and shifty shysters. Aided by mystery writer Wayne Morgan (Bruce), Nikki has to run the gamut of bluffing and boldness to stay one step ahead of the game, including imitating a chanteuse singer. This allows Durbin to the chance to warble three songs, with a version of “Silent Night” beautifully tender and a sensuous and sultry rendition of “Gimme a Little Kiss, Will Yah, Huh?” Having us in the palm of her hand. It builds nicely to a darkly tinged last third, where Bredell’s noirish photography comes into its own and the resolution of the tale is most satisfactory. Good laughs, good suspense and good songs, well worth a viewing. Story was filmed as a straight British thriller in 1940 titled A Window in London, with Michael Redgrave starring. 7/10

Media

No Videos to show.

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Keywords

film noir
murder
inheritance
train
witness to murder
heiress
madcap comedy
crime fiction writer
mystery