Sat 13 Aug 2016
A Movie Review by Walter Albert: LADY ON A TRAIN (1945).
Posted by Steve under Mystery movies , Reviews[9] Comments
LADY ON A TRAIN. Universal Pictures, 1945. Deanna Durbin, Ralph Bellamy, Edward Everett Horton, Allen Jenkins, David Bruce, George Coulouris, Patricia Morison, Dan Duryea, William Frawley. Based on an original story by Leslie Charteris. Director: Charles David. Shown at Cinevent 16, Columbus OH, May 1984.
If She [reviewed here ] satisfied our taste for romantic adventure, several films were of interest to the crime addict. The first film of the weekend was Universal’s Lady on a Train, a somewhat ill-fated at tempt to create a sexier, more adult image for Deanna Durbin.
She’s a rich girl from California who sees a murder from the window of her train and spends the rest of the movie tracking down the victim and then, the killer. Universal kept a number of good contract players busy trying to distract the audience from the fairly irritating Nancy Drewhistronics of star Durbin, but the chief distinction of the film is probably the fine score by Miklos Rosza and the handsome photography.
This is a classy production, and it’s never classier — and phonier — than in the carefully staged musical interludes, one of which accomplishes the not inconsiderable feat of eroticizing a performance of “Silent Night” by Durbin.
The plot is devious, and there are several boxes to be opened in this Chinese puzzle before the final revelation. Add a mystery writer with a tin ear for language, Edward Everett Horton looking puzzled at finding himself playing second-banana to Durbin, and Dan Duryea and Ralph Bellamy as candidates for unlikely suitors of the year. Neither one of them approaches his role with any conviction, but Duryea displays an appealing off-hand, casual charm. The script is based on a story by Leslie Charteris.
August 13th, 2016 at 2:32 pm
The opening as outlined here sounds suspiciously like 4.50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie where someone sees a murder committed from the window of a train. It was filmed as Murder, She Said, with Margaret Rutherford,
August 13th, 2016 at 3:12 pm
I’ve not seen this movie — have always intended to — but the thought same occurred to me, Randy, noting of course that the Christie novel came along much later, in 1957. I have no idea of how much similarity there is between the two beyond the basic opening scenes.
August 13th, 2016 at 4:06 pm
4:50 From Paddington has also been done as part of the Miss Marple series from the BBC. Joan Hickson was the lady in the best, my opinion, re-telling.
August 13th, 2016 at 5:57 pm
Charteris also turned this story into a book which only appeared as a Bonded Mystery paperback in 1945. It’s buried somewhere on Mount TBR.
August 13th, 2016 at 6:51 pm
You’re right, Jerry. Here it is:
I remember seeing this at paperback shows, but I don’t believe I’ve ever owned a copy.
August 13th, 2016 at 9:13 pm
I had and read the book which makes a bit more sense than the film. I enjoyed both though, particularly seeing Duryea in a different role.
I think we were all struck by how close it was to Christie’s story. Of course the actual story is quite different, only the setup is the same.
August 13th, 2016 at 10:11 pm
Checking to see if I could obtain a copy of the Charteris paperback without costing me an arm and a leg, I discovered that the cheapest copy offered for sale on abebooks is $40. Ouch.
August 14th, 2016 at 9:44 pm
Given Durbin’s squeaky-clean public image and Duryea’s inability to be anything but sleazy, this sounds like an interesting pairing.
August 15th, 2016 at 4:14 am
I actually found this book on the rack at a moribund drugstore in the mid-1960s.
The film is lively, trickily-shot in the noir style, and there’s even a hint of kink toward the end.