User reviews

Night Train to Munich (1940)

This British movie was made in 1940 a year after German and Britain began WWII. It is set in the late summer of 1939, just as the declaration of war was on the horizon. And while the filming and post-production is going on, London is being bombed by the Nazi air force. (The film was released in December, several months after the first raids.)

The most memorable lead is Rex Harrison playing an agent and double agent, falling in love with and saving the scientist's daughter (Margaret Lockwood) as well as the scientist himself (while he's at it). And then as a competing suitor, the dubiously aligned German officer played by Paul Henreid, who a year later would play a kind of counterpoint in the American Nazi film, "Casablanca."

Director Carol Reed marshals all these forces and makes a surprisingly terrific movie. It's fast, smart, fanciful, and patriotic. It's also really really funny, and the more you catch the British humor the more you'll be glad--at times it's relentless even as its subtle. The little barbs against the Germans, both as German stereotypes and as Nazi buffoons, is highly calculated. The British come off as daring and dashing, even the bumbling travelers rise to the occasion. It's often been commented that Harrison makes a very fit precursor to James Bond, and there must be a backwards truth to that because Ian Fleming (who invented Bond) was a WWII British OSS worker. Art imitating life. Imitating art.

And yes, this is an homage and reference (if not sequel) to Hitchcock's "The Lady Vanishes," including use of the same writers, the same kind of comic suspense, the same leading actress, and even two comic side characters from one train to the other. Reed even acknowledged the connections, as if he could deny them, and wanted no doubt to coattail some of the movies huge success.

It taints a movie to call it propaganda, so I won't. It's not, really. What it does (just as "Casablanca" does) is strike one up for the good guys. You end the movie thinking the British might just win this thing. And at the time that wasn't a foregone conclusion--London was only sinking further into the terror of the Blitz. Of course, we know that British resolve and resourcefulness won the day, with a little outside help, and this is part of exactly that.

Great stuff.

Carol Reed directed this wartime spy-thriller. And though it may feel routine, there are individual scenes and performers who remain vivid: the flippant egoism of Rex Harrison's British agent; the vulnerability of Margaret Lockwood's wartime refugee; the naked sensitivity of Paul Henreid's villain. All in all, an interesting romantic triangle.

The story opens in 1938, as the camera tracks into Hitler's mountain retreat over Berchtesgaden, and we witness the dictator ordering the Czech occupation. Hitler desires not only territory, but the talented scientists within - geniuses such as Axel Bomasch, an industrial wizard who barely eludes capture, flying safely to England. There, he is safeguarded by a British Intelligence officer, code name "Gus Bennett" (Harrison). However, the Germans succeed in arresting Bomasch's daughter, Anna (Ms. Lockwood). imprisoning her in a concentration-camp where she befriends fellow inmate Karl Marsen (Henreid). They both successfully escape and sail a tramp steamer for England: Anna, to re-unite with her father; and Marsen, to make contact with those who share his real allegiance - to the Third Reich. With the help of a double agent (Felix Aylmer), Marsen abducts both Bomasch and Anna, who are transported to Berlin. Bennett, angry at his own lapse in security, volunteers to travel to Germany disguised as an officer of Hitler's High Command in order to retrieve the pair.

The film then accelerates into a series of tense confrontations between Bennett and those he hopes to dupe, in both Berlin and on a train to Munich. The action culminates in a skillfully directed chase scene climaxing on the Swiss border, where the term "cliff- hanger" takes on literal meaning. Along the way, there appear various secondary characters - the 'team' of Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne, for example, are thrown in for their droll underplaying ("No copies of Punch?! Hmmm. Must have sold out."). But the real comic relief is provided by Irene Handl as a German stationmaster who, in one scene, brushes off Radford and Wayne like so much confetti. Her expert scene-stealing marks the highest moment of levity in the film.

The one element in Carol Reed's storytelling that always distinguished him as a director was a quality he shared with Jean Renoir - the generous feeling he conveyed toward all of his characters. Human flaws and defects such as professional incompetence and blind allegiance are noted but tolerated. The rigid bureaucracy of a dictatorial government is deftly satirized in the character of a German civil servant (Raymond Huntley) who, when confronted with a forged document, is asked by his Nazi superiors if he knows what this means. The bureaucrat politely replies, "Yes. It means I shall have to sack my secretary."

And in "Night Train's" final frame, we observe Henreid's Nazi, jilted in more ways than one; yet Reed frames him sorrowfully, as if he were a sort of Universal Everyloser. Reed's sympathy, again, extends to all. Such unusual compassion on the part of a director is what finally separates "Night Train" from other war propaganda films.

I disagree with the user who commented that these two fine characters are a couple of "English Dolts". English they most certainly are and that is the point. Dolts they are most certainly not. The writer uses them as comic relief and to parody the British Middle and Upper Class mentality that ignored Facisim in Europe for so long. Their preoccupation with cricket, tennis and golf is but a tool. Mistaking "Mein Kampf" for a marital aid is both a joke and a jab at English ignorance of matters concerning the Continent. One can almost here them make that classic comment attributed to another Englishman; "the Wogs begin at Calais." Their bumbling actions are an example of English self deprecating humor. I have enjoyed these two characters in a number of films and only wish they had appeared in more.

If you have seen the captioned film and enjoyed it, take the trouble to see "Night Train to Munich"(1940).Filmed 2 years later when Britain was at war, it again stars Margaret Lockwood on a European train this time with Rex Harrison as her co-star.If you have read my synopsis of the captioned film dated 29/9/06, you will note that I am a cricket fan and wanted to see what my two heros, Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne were going to do on the Munich train.They are once again assisting the hero Rex Harrison by helping to fight the beastly "Bosch" and playing the same characters "Charters and Caldicott" with a straight bat that they played in the captioned film.

After an insulting experience in the corridor - "Don't you know to stand when a German officer speaks to you?" Charters explains he is English."No you don't need to stand you should be at our feet" sneers the Nazi.This insulting remark so incenses Charters that he rapidly gets the approbation of Caldicott to help Harrison,(posing as a German major), that "they,(the Nazis),are on to him.I loved their wisecracks.

Funny to see Paul Henreid playing a rabid Nazi after all the heroic roles one is used to seeing him play.

Rex Harrison plays against type to great effect in Sir Carol Reed's NIGHT TRAIN. the atmospere of the film is suitable foggy and dismal and the screenplay keeps you on edge. Harrison demonstrates a keen sense of underplay that until this point he never had a chance to play on screen. A film to be savored.

An intrepid British spy boards the NIGHT TRAIN TO MUNICH in a desperate attempt to rescue a scientist & his beautiful daughter from the Nazis.

Here is an excellent wartime thriller, with just the right amount of puckish humor to keep the film from becoming too heavy. Very fine acting & excellent production values add tremendously to the success of the film, with director Sir Carol Reed showing hints of the style which would distinguish his postwar crime classic, THE THIRD MAN, a decade hence.

Margaret Lockwood is lovely, but she is given remarkably little to do outside of looking anxious or scared. Not to worry, the action is carried admirably by the male side of the cast, most notably Sir Rex Harrison as the British agent. Whether glibly singing silly songs or engaged in deadly gun battles in the Bavarian Alps, he carries off his role with his characteristic aplomb.

Paul Henreid completes the quasi-romantic triangle. Menacing & sophisticated, he is an excellent example of Nazi determination & evil. Sir Felix Aylmer, very effectively playing against type, wraps his unique voice around the small part of a German spy master. Roland Culver, Torin Thatcher & Ian Fleming - the character actor, not the author - might be glimpsed in cameo roles.

Fans of Sir Alfred Hitchcock's splendid THE LADY VANISHES (1938) will be heartened at seeing the return of the characters Charters & Caldicott, those criquet-mad twits, played by the original actors, Basil Radford & Naughton Wayne. Their initial performances had proved so successful that they were given the opportunity to reprise the roles several times, this being the most successful of their reappearances. Their inclusion here, about two-thirds into the story, gives the film a decided lift, making the whole procedure jolly good entertainment.

Entertaining enough film involving espionage and suspenseful action on the eve of WWII in Germany.

Only about the third quarter of the film actually occurs on the train.

It features a very lovely Margaret Lockwood, and a very young looking Rex Harrison, who team well together.

It also amusingly reunites Lockwood with comedy duo Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne, who pretty much reproduce their schtick from Hitchcock's far superior film The Lady Vanishes.

Given that the film was actually made during WWII, it's quite a decent effort.

The scenes showing Rex Harrison's character taking advantage of German bureaucracy are particularly entertaining.

It appears to have heavily influenced Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel, particularly the scenes involving the cable car.

Its a good film, but if you enjoy pre-50's train intrigue films, check out the aforementioned The Lady Vanishes, Sleeping Car To Trieste, or Sherlock Holmes' Terror By Night first, as I find that they are all more enjoyable than this.

"Night Train to Munich" (1940) is a smaller and lighter Carol Reed film, a little uncharacteristic, but nevertheless very good. The stars are Margaret Lockwood, Rex Harrison, Paul von Henreid, Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne. A Czech scientist is taken to England for safety so the Nazis won't get him or his work when the Czechs invade, but his daughter Anna (Lockwood) is captured and sent to a concentration camp. While there, she meets Karl Marsen (Paul Henreid as Paul von Henreid) who recognizes one of the Nazi officers at the camp as someone he knew, and the man helps both of them to escape. Once in England, she contacts her father through a performer, Gus Bennett (Harrison), in reality a government agent. Unfortunately, she and her father again fall into enemy hands, and Randell disguises himself as a Nazi officer in order to return to them England.

Very suspenseful with great chemistry between the two stars. What helps make this film, though, are Radford and Wayne of "The Lady Vanishes" fame, who are hilarious as two airhead train passengers, one of whom recognizes Harrison as British, though he's in Nazi regalia. The two were an extremely popular pair and appeared together in several films.

Very good.

Night Train To Munich is a political thriller with a well-rounded cast, including a lot of the same actors (and screenwriters) directly involved in Alfred Hitchcocks' The Lady Vanishes. It takes place around the beginning of World War II, and the main plot centers around the nazis and their interest in a czechslovakian scientist and his daughter, Axel and Anna Bomasch. Meanwhile, the british intelligence assign an officer to go undercover to locate the Bomaschs' and bring them to safety.

While the story is good, it isn't particularly captivating. It did however have a good bit of comedy thanks to Radford and Wayne as Charters and Caldicott. The legendary bumbling idiots duo who get a chance to truly shine here. Rex Harrison is a highlight in his role. Its very well cast is a big thumbs up and also includes Margaret Lockwood and Paul Henreid.

It is also accurate for its time depicting the beginning of the war and displays the fear and anger people had at the time concerning Germany, the nazis, the gestapo and Hitler.

Its wonderfully directed by Carol Reed who would go on to make The Third Man and Odd Man Out. 7/10.

"Night Train to Munich" is a rather conscious attempt by director Carol Reed to imitate the style of Alfred Hitchcock, and it succeeds much better than do most such movies. It is an entertaining blend of suspense and humor, with a good cast and some enjoyable scenes.

Margaret Lockwood stars as the daughter of a Czech scientist pursued by the Nazis. She escapes their clutches once, but is again captured, and a British spy (Rex Harrison) has to go undercover to try to save her and her father. Lockwood and Harrison are joined by Paul Henreid, and also by Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne, who had appeared with Lockwood in Hitchcock's "The Lady Vanishes" and appear here playing the same humorous pair of English travelers.

There are a lot of action sequences and a couple of good twists, with the crucial action taking place on a train. It's all done nicely, with an exciting finale as well. Some parts of it may be rather implausible, but the same could have been said of a few of Hitchcock's films, and this is only slightly less polished than his are. "Night Train to Munich" is quite entertaining in its own right, and is definitely worth seeing.

We're told right at the start that the events shown in the film occur in september of 1939, just prior to the world war two coming to england. Both germany and england want the armor plating expert doctor bomasch working for their side, and go to great lengths to have him there. Lots of interesting, actual wartime footage in the film, which was happening almost in real time. Some big names in this... margaret lockwood, paul henreid, and the larger than life rex harrison. The story is basically sound, in spite of numerous small technical errors along the way. Interesting to see the footage of german soldiers so early in the war. It's pretty good. Not the biggest budget film, for the uk twentieth century fox. Directed by carol reed. This was nominated for best story. Reed himself would later win the oscar for oliver.

A wonderful spy thriller, has Margaret Lockwood as Anna

Bomasch, the daughter of a Czech scientist, who is whisked off to England for safety, when the

Germans invade. Lockwood is imprisoned in a concentration

camp. Later she meets up with Karl Marsen (Paul Henreid ) and

they engineer an escape together and meet up with her father in

England. When the Germans recapture them, Gus Bennett (Rex

Harrison a M.I.5. agent) is assigned to bring them back. Lockwood and Harrison spark off each other wonderfully well, and

in a small role is Irene Handl, but the film is almost stolen by Basil

Radford, and Naunton Wayne, as the two cricket loving Englishmen, who were such a big hit in Hitchcock's ‘Lady

Vanishes'. After seeing this film for the umpteenth time, it is every bit as good

as ‘Lady Vanishes' and well worth recommending.

It was so similar to THE LADY VANISHES that some cinemas marketed it as a sequel. Apart from Mr Hitchcock who's replaced by Mr Reed, we've got the same sort of spy story, the same writing team, producer, musical director, leading lady and of course Charters and Caldicot.... but one thing is different: we were now at war when this one was made. You'd think that might make it more serious but no, in true British style, it's even more cheerful, upbeat and optimistic.

With the hostilities now officially started, to many people it felt like the lid of the pressure cooker had been kicked away. A peculiar release of tension befell the country as we knew now what was happening and what was needed to do. The fear and anxiety of the unknown was gone. War was a known commodity - or so they thought in those early days. Whilst to many the war was inevitable, a huge proportion of the population, especially at the top of society had chosen to bury their heads in the sand and as the corollary of September 1939 were a complete surprise to them. Jean Renoir's RULES OF THE GAME and less effectively (because it was a bit rubbish), MGM's IDIOT'S DELIGHT portrayed this attitude. In this film that "active ignorance" is perfectly reflected by the Caldicot and Charters characters who just like during their last train journey are oblivious to what's happening around them, thinking only of cricket.

These comic relief characters from Hitchcock's classic are just as absurd in this but now their stubborn denial of reality is much more poignant. In Carol Reed's film they're kicking British society up the bum saying: for goodness sake wake up! But like last time, when the chips are down our two bumbling heroes step up to the crease and save the day - they are to some extent representing England itself.

But back to the film. It would be facile to compare it with THE LADY VANISHES because it's clearly not going to be as good. It is however impossible not to and that's why this is often ignored today - it's considered an inferior version - but an inferior version of a classic doesn't make this inferior to most films. If Hitchcock hadn't made his film a year earlier, this might be seen as a classic espionage thriller. It is beautifully made, the pacing which accelerates eventually to breakneck speed grabs you and pulls you along. It's super fun, it's fast moving and exciting with some wonderful twists and turns. I've never found Rex Harrison to be the most endearing actor but I have to admit he's perfect in this. Margaret Lockwood, the posh totty, is as always faultless as and her remarkable acting skill provides an emotional hook in what without her could have just been another boys own type adventure.

It's not quite James Bond or Ethan Hunt but if you like that sort of thing, you'll enjoy this.

Carol Reed's wonderful and interesting style of suspenseful film (seen in all its glory in 'The Third Man') is evident in this early spy flick. Rex Reed is an OSS operative who must journey deep into the heart of the Third Reich to rescue an important scientist before the Nazis can make full use of him. The characters are not just two-dimensional although they may seem that way; they use every trick and opportunity to get through their sticky situation. The sudden appearance of two of the characters from Hitchcock's 'The Lady Vanishes' is a real treat, too!

The story itself is very intricate, with crosses and double-crosses and random occurances causing problems in our hero's way. The film is successfully able to weave genius storytelling, great acting, and effective cinematography to make it an intriguing spy film that is surely ahead of its time! And the finale is certainly an indicator of what the James Bond films would bring us years later.

Even though it was filmed in the beginning of WWII, it is not a stereotypical, or dull, film. A must-see!

Carol Reed is a truly wonderful director, his CV boasts the likes of The Third Man, Oliver and Odd Man Out, all great films for sure, which only makes it more infuriating that a gem like Night Train To Munich is incredibly hard to get hold of. I have only managed to catch it myself because of the unearthing of VHS tapes long thought to have been lost years ago, and it's just like finding hidden treasure I can tell you! Based on a story by Gordon Wellesley, and scripted by the adroitly talented teaming of Sydney Gilliat and Frank Launder, Night Train To Munich is a lesson in how to not over blow your subject, all the sequences flow without boring the viewer, with Reed astutely approaching the material with subtlety instead of blunderbuss bluster.

Another highlight of the movie to me is that it could have so easily been a propaganda bore, the Germans being the devil incarnate, but here it feels that an equality of characterisations was the order of the day - something that many other genre pieces lost sight of further down the line. Rex Harrison, Margaret Lockwood and Paul Henreid are all excellent here, whilst wonderful comedic relief comes courtesy of Naunton Wayne and Basil Radford's English cricketers (fans of The Lady Vanishes will identify right away). Although this picture is script driven above all else, the action sequences are a joy to behold, with the final third of the picture an unadulterated pleasure, spies and stooges, plants and treachery, oh it's all here folks, enjoy, if you can get a good print of it that is! 9/10

A British spy (Rex Harrison) must get a important Czech scientist (James Harcourt) and his daughter (Margaret Lockwood) out of Germany before World War II starts.

Night Train to Munich is a completely charming film, reminiscent of The Lady Vanishes. Honestly, it's surprising that Hitchcock didn't direct this.

Rex Harrison and Margaret Lockwood are great, and Paul Henreid is good as the Gestapo agent. However, the film is completely stolen by Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne, reprising their roles as Charters and Caldicott from The Lady Vanishes.

The film is well directed by Carol Reed, and there's some nice model work. There's an excellent shootout at the end as well.

Rewatch. 4/5

Night Train to Munich (1940) : Brief Review -

Loved Argo in 2012? Then see how Carol Reed played with audiences' nerves 7 decades ago. Just to make it relatable to today's audiences, I'd like to mention classic thrillers like Argo (2012) and Baby (2015). Argo was based on a true story, and then Baby Indianized the same idea with fictional surroundings. It might be shocking to you that a master director like Carol Reel had done so in 1940, and that too with the reference to World War 2. It's not just because the film was made in that period but also because it is set in Hitler-occupied places and deals with the escape that might have broken the nerves of common audiences at that time. When you see Baby and Argo now, you know these things aren't happening in the country right now, nor were they happening when the films were running in cinemas. Now, imagine a film like "Night Train to Munich," when Hitler was actually occupying European countries. The film becomes very important with the relatability factors as such. So, the film is about an inventor and his daughter, who are kidnapped by the Gestapo after the Nazis march into Prague in the prelude to the Second World War. A British secret service agent follows them, disguised as a senior German army officer and pretending to woo the daughter over to the Nazi cause. Will he succeed? Well, let's not spoil things, even if they look a little predictable. I never really imagined Rex Harrison would play such a vibrant yet thrilling character with such ease. I mean, this came much before his most acclaimed works like "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" and "My Fair Lady." Indeed, a pleasant thing to know. Loved Margaret Lockwood's beauty and Paul Henreid's impeccable performance as the German officer. Reed was playing in a different game altogether. If I ever say so, count this film as one of the proofs.

RATING - 7.5/10*

By - #samthebestest.