NIGHT TRAIN TO MUNICH (1940) Rex Harrison, Margaret Lockwood & Paul Henreid | Drama, Thriller | B&W

Night Train to Munich is a 1940 British thriller film directed by Carol Reed and starring Margaret Lockwood and Rex Harrison. Written by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder, based on the 1939 short story Report on a Fugitive by Gordon Wellesley, 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 pretending to woo the daughter over to the Nazi cause.

SYNOPSIS
As German forces invade Czechoslovakia, scientist Axel Bomasch, renowned for his breakthroughs in armor-plating technology, becomes a target for both German and British intelligence agencies. Fleeing with his daughter Anna, their journey is fraught with danger as they navigate through enemy territory. Anna's capture by the Nazis and subsequent escape alongside Karl Marsen, who poses as a sympathetic fellow prisoner, adds to the tension.

Meanwhile, in Britain, Axel's arrival prompts a covert operation led by intelligence officer Dickie Randall. Anna's attempt to contact her father through a coded newspaper advertisement sets off a chain of events that brings her into contact with Randall, who poses as an entertainer to maintain cover. Their paths converge, leading to a daring rescue attempt orchestrated by Randall.

However, Marsen's infiltration of British intelligence complicates matters, leading to a tense confrontation during their escape to Switzerland. With the aid of British civilians Caldicott and Charters, Randall navigates through treacherous terrain, facing off against Marsen and his cohorts in a dramatic showdown that determines the fate of the Bomasches and their quest for freedom.

CAST & CREW
Margaret Lockwood as Anna Bomasch
Rex Harrison as Dickie Randall / Gus Bennett / Ulrich Herzog
Paul Henreid as Capt. Karl Marsen (credited as Paul von Hernried)
Basil Radford as Charters
Naunton Wayne as Caldicott
James Harcourt as Axel Bomasch
Felix Aylmer as Dr. John Fredericks
Wyndham Goldie as Charles Dryton
Roland Culver as Roberts
Eliot Makeham as Schwab
Raymond Huntley as Kampenfeldt
Austin Trevor as Capt. Prada
Kenneth Kent as Controller
C. V. France as Admiral Hassinger
Frederick Valk as Gestapo Officer (credited as Fritz Valk)
Morland Graham as Teleferic Attendant

Directed by: Carol Reed
Screenplay by: Sidney Gilliat, Frank Launder
Based on: "Report on a Fugitive" (1939 short story) by Gordon Wellesley
Produced by: Edward Black
Cinematography: Otto Kanturek
Edited by: R. E. Dearing
Music by: Louis Levy
Production company: 20th Century Productions
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Release dates: July 26, 1940 (UK), December 29, 1940 (USA)
Running time: 95 minutes
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English

NOTES
Production
The film is based on a short story by Gordon Wellesley, though Sidney Gilliat claims that the story only provided material for the first ten minutes of the film, with the remainder being developed by him and Frank Launder.

This was the final collaboration between Margaret Lockwood and Carol Reed, as their professional relationship ended after she declined the female lead role in Reed's film "Kipps."

Release
The film premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on July 26, 1940. It holds an 89% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 18 critic reviews with an average rating of 7.3/10. Variety praised the film for its compact, propulsive screenplay and razor-edge direction, highlighting the atmospheric and comedic touches that add flavor and zest.

Simon Abrams of Slant Magazine commented, "Come for Carol Reed's name, stay for Rex Harrison's performance and a few good cheap shots at the Nazis." Stephen Mayne of PopMatters noted the film is "more than just a rerun of 'The Lady Vanishes,'" stating it "overcomes wobbly moments by being so persistently fun."

Comparison to "The Lady Vanishes"
"The film has been compared to 'The Lady Vanishes,' with Princeton academic Michael Wood describing it as an 'ironic remake.' Publicity at the time of release mistakenly claimed it was a sequel. Both films are set in war-torn continental Europe and feature scripts by Launder and Gilliat. The characters Charters and Caldicott, two eccentric and cricket-mad English travelers, appear in both films. Additionally, both films have similar lead character types: a damsel in distress and an eccentric upper-class British gentleman spy. In 'The Lady Vanishes,' these roles are filled by Iris (Margaret Lockwood) and Gilbert, while in 'Night Train to Munich,' they are portrayed by Anna Bomasch (also Lockwood) and Dickie Randall.