LADY ON A TRAIN (1945)

 

A delightful combination of comedy, music and mystery, LADY ON A TRAIN was created primarily as a vehicle for Deanna Durbin, Universal Pictures' number one box office star from 1936 until her retirement in 1948. From her beginnings as a teenage operatic prodigy, Miss Durbin had matured into a beautiful and talented young woman in possession of more warmth and charisma than most female stars of her era. This is one of her best films. Directed by Charles David, who would later become Miss Durbin's husband, the film also stars David Bruce, Ralph Bellamy, Edward Everett Horton, Dan Duryea, Elizabeth Patterson, Patricia Morison, George Coulouris and Allen Jenkins. Based on an unpublished story by Leslie Charteris.

LADY ON A TRAIN is included in the book Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference To The American Style, edited by Alain Silver and Elizabeth Ward. It may be considered an odd choice for such a classification, given the overall lighthearted nature of the movie. However, there are many moments of Noir sensibility throughout the film, thanks in part to the striking cinematography of Woody Bredell, who shot the low budget classic PHANTOM LADY at Universal in 1944.

Nikki Collins (Durbin) is on a train pulling into Grand Central Station when she witnesses a man being murdered in a nearby office building. But she doesn't see the face of the killer. When she is unable to get the police to believe her, she enlists the help of mystery writer Wayne Morgan (Bruce). Nikki learns that the murder victim was a man named Waring, a shipping magnate. She goes to his mansion and meets his rather bizarre family, headed by crusty old Aunt Charlotte (Patterson). She also meets Waring's nephews, Jonathan (Bellamy) and Arnold (Duryea). The plot from there is a combination of mistaken identity, broad physical comedy, and three musical numbers performed by Miss Durbin, one of which is a stunning rendition of Cole Porter's Night and Day.

It shouldn't be surprising that the same studio that had produced so many marvelous, atmospheric horror films would be able to add convincingly dark sequences even into their best comedies. And that is the case with LADY ON A TRAIN, mainly at the beginning and toward the end of the film. The scene where Nikki looks out of her window and witnesses the murder, which occurs right after the opening credits, could easily have been the beginning of a serious Noir crime thriller. The fact that Nikki was reading a pulp crime novel, and her overstated reaction to the murder, add a comic veneer to the scene.

At the film's climax, however, when Nikki learns the identity of the murderer, the atmosphere turns exceedingly dark and serious. Trapped in the exact location of the murder, Nikki is confronted by both of the Waring brothers, played convincingly by Ralph Bellamy and Film Noir regular Dan Duryea. Which one is the killer? The revelation is expertly played out in the darkness of the deserted building. There is one memorable shot of Miss Durbin's face as a ghostly reflection in a glass door as she gazes in terror at the killer. And there is also a nice bit of psychological weirdness thrown in as the killer, addressing Nikki, alludes to a twisted, incestuous relationship between old Aunt Charlotte and himself that began in his childhood. Some pretty heavy stuff for a 1940's comedy with music!

A thoroughly engaging film on so many levels, LADY ON A TRAIN is highly recommended. And I dare you not to fall madly in love with Deanna Durbin!