LouHomey From my favorite movies..

Claysaba Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.

AutCuddly Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

dougdoepke Ace combo of a bouncy Durbin, a complex murder mystery, noirish lighting, and of course, tuneful songs. I only hope Durbin survived that brain-sucking hat she wore to the snooty nightclub. It looks like it's about to consume her head. But then women of the time weren't considered well dressed without commanding headwear. And some are real doozys. Good thing fashions change. It's a complicated whodunit, with a houseful of suspects. Margo (Durbin) witnesses a murder and decides, in good 40's fashion, to do some amateur sleuthing, which takes her into the jaws of danger since bodies keep piling up. Durbin may get high-key lighting for her tunes, but otherwise she navigates a shadowy world worthy of Edgar G. Ulmer. I like that packed movie theatre that Margo sabotages with her constant seat changes. Takes me back to theatres of years ago.Director David keeps things moving such that the congested plot passes effortlessly. Too bad Durbin left the business so soon. Given half-a-chance, she's a sparkling presence, perfect for light entertainment, such as this. Too bad most folks don't know what a star she was for an all-too-brief period from the 30's to the 40's. Anyway, she shines here as a young adult in an entertaining blend typical of the time. Plus, it's one that still engages....

kapelusznik18 ***SPOILERS*** It's when San Francisco débutante Nicki Collins, Deanna Durbin, saw a murder being committed while in transit to the Big Apple or NYC she tried her best to get the NYPD who,in it being the Christmas holidays, had much better things on their mind to sliver it. While trying to get famed mystery writer Wayne Morgan, David Bruce, to find the killer in a local movie-house where his fiancée Joyce Williams, Patricia Morison, was on the screen Nicki to her both shock & surprise saw a newsreel about the tragic death, he fell from a step ladder, of shipping magnet Joseah Waring! That was the man she saw murdered at the train stop by an shadowy figure!It's when Nicki went to the Waring Estate in Long Island to check things out about the old man's demise she's mistaken for the old guys new flame night cub singer Margo Martin whom he left his entire fortune to. With old man Joseah Warings' relatives being left out of his will things start to heat up with all of them trying in one way or another to get Margo, or better yet Nicki, to give up her claim to her dead lover's money & personal property. As for Margo, the real one, herself she's later murdered at the night club that she works at by one of Waring outraged, in being left out of his will, relatives.***SPOILERS*** The pretty Canadian Nightingale Deanna Durbin was at her best as she belted out songs like "Silent Night" & "Night & Day" as well as being the damsel in distress but it was the final few minutes of the movie that really made things matter in the reason for old man Waring's brutal murder. Not only was he knocked off but everyone who suspected he was in fact murdered, not that he died in an accident, was to be knocked off as well by his killer. It was Nicki who in finding out who the killer was that put her life in mortal danger. Not just by the killer but the Keystone Kops and her boyfriend mystery writer Wayne Morgan who kept screwing things up and almost made it possible for the killer to not only get away with his crimes but add Niki, as his latest victim, to them.

PamelaShort Lady on a Train offers a change of pace for actress Deanna Durbin. A mystery story played with adequate elements of comedy, suspense and music. Miss Durbin plays a small-town girl visiting New York and as her train pulls into the station, looking out of her window she witnesses a man being bludgeoned. The police are notified but dismiss her story as the product of an overactive imagination. Amazingly she is able to acquire the help of a mystery writer ( David Bruce ) who helps her piece together the complicated facts of the mysterious murder. When this picture was made film noir was in full swing, and this story cleverly uses a screwball comedy approach that is most suitable for the lovely, young Deanna Durbin. The story of course allows the star most popular for her amazing singing ability to delight audiences with the songs " Silent Night " and a most sultry rendition of " Night and Day." There is also a good amount of suspense focused on the shady murder mystery, which involves a series of strange suspects and some very interesting ulterior motives. The film has an impressive assortment of actors of the time including, Ralph Bellamy, Dan Duryea, Edward Everett Horton, Allen Jenkins, Patricia Morison, and William Frawley all help to keep the story moving at a good pace. Although the film seems dated now, it's still worth a curious look at the talented Deanna Durbin who charms with a very sexy close-up to end the film.

jotix100 Nikki Collins loves mystery novels. When we first see her, she is finishing a book by her favorite crime author, Wayne Morgan. As she looks out the train's window at a stop, probably 125th Street, Nikki sees a murder taking place in a building across from her. She is horrified, but being a determined young woman, she will do everything possible in order to solve the puzzle.In fact, Nikki gets the thrill of her lifetime when she finds herself in the middle of the family of the man that was killed. Nikki enlists Wayne Morgan, who is reluctant to help, but he eventually comes around to assist her find the real culprit, who in fact, is closely connected with the Waring family. The final moments will find Nikki exactly in the same room where the original crime was committed. In the process of her solving the case she even gets the hunky Wayne Morgan! "Lady on a Train" seems to have been a sort of valentine from director Charles David, who was in fact the husband of the star of the picture, Deanna Durbin, and whose marriage to her lasted almost a half a century, something not quite usual among show biz folks. This film was a discovery when we first saw it because it has a lot going for it, and on second viewing still keeps our interest.Deanna Durbin stopped making films a few years after this picture was completed, a sad loss, indeed, for all her fans. Ms. Durbin projected a wholesome figure with a lovely voice to match. We are able to hear her sing three songs: "Silent Night", "Give Me a Little Kiss", and an amazing rendition of "Night and Day".The supporting cast does a good job for the director. Ralph Bellamy and Dan Duryea play a couple of brothers resentful of being left out of their murdered uncle's fortune. David Bruce appears as the mystery writer. Edward Everett Horton has a small part, but as usual, he was a welcome addition to everything he was asked to do. William Frawley, Allen Jenkins, George Colouris, and Elizabeth Petterson are also featured.Woody Bredell contributed with his excellent black and white cinematography and Miklos Rozsa composed the musical score that goes well with the action.An enjoyable film that should not be missed by fans of Ms. Durbin.