In 2013, the BBC made a splendid version of The Lady Vanishes with an obviously all English cast headed by Rebecca Hall. It was a ravishing production which somewhat expanded on the Alfred Hitchcock version. The 1979 thriller directed by Anthony Page has one great thing going for it. It's the magnificent Angela Lansbury. To use Americans Elliot Gould, whom I find rather odd and Cybill Shepherd who can't act at all, among the English leading players was something I found totally puzzling and rather moronic, to be polite! There was no sense whatever in this remake. Thinking of the remarkable Margaret Lockwood from the 1939 original and 2013's Rebecca Hall as the female leads only made matters pretty grim to see Cybill Shepherd trying to pull off this role. And I was not at all impressed with Elliot Gould taking on the part of the majestic Sir Michael Redgrave. The whole thing is a bit of a joke.
When a colleague turned up with this 1979 version, now out of circulation, I believe, I had to see it knowing all along it would be pretty much a stinker. The good was to have witnessed two damn fine interpretations of the film. The bad news, as with most re-makes, is that they always let us down. I would love to know who the " genius " casting director was for the 1979 version.
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