A British agent risks all to save a brilliant scientist and his daughter, who have been captured by the Nazis. [ Night Train to Munich credits: Dir: Carol Reed/ Rex Harrison, Margaret Lockwood, Paul Von Henreid, Basil Radford, Naunton Wayne/ 94 min/ Comedy, Thriller/ Britain/ Escape from Socialism]
“Night Train to Munich is basically an escape-from-socialism story, but woven into this often exciting background is one absolutely hilarious scene after the next.”
There’s no great philosophical statement here, but libertarians will enjoy this film for the treatment National Socialism gets at the hands of British comedy writers.
The story begins with the 1938 German annexation of Czechoslovakia. As German troops enter the country, a Czech scientist who is on the verge of developing a new, much stronger type of steel manages to escape. However, his daughter isn’t so lucky. She’s caught and sent to a concentration camp. The Nazis get the idea of releasing her as part of a trick to locate and kidnap her father, since he’s the one they really want. The trick works, and soon both father and daughter are in the hands of the Gestapo. It’s up to a heroic British agent, operating under the guise of a second-rate professional songwriter, to get them both to safety.
Night Train to Munich is basically an escape-from-socialism story, but woven into this often exciting background is one absolutely hilarious scene after the next. Hardly a moment passes without some comic misunderstanding or exchange of humorous barbs. The terrific cast includes the comedic duo Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne, who steal the show as the characters Charters and Caldicott (the same characters they played earlier in Hitchcock’s The Lady Vanishes), and the delightfully witty script gives them plenty of good dialogue. This is a must-see for fans of British humor especially.
How to See It
Netflix
Amazon (DVD)
Amazon (Instant Video)
YouTube Video Search
Online Video Search
