Lady on a Train

Comic noir is usually not my bag, but I found this one a lot of fun. Durbin's singing voice isn't that great but she has some pretty good comedy chops, and the supporting cast is enjoyable. The movie isn't incredibly funny, but it is amusing and moreover, the script does a good job of blending the humorous and the crime thriller, surprisingly well photographed. Does it explore the darkest depths of humanity? No, but as light entertainment it hits the spot and sports some clever construction.

Ditzy blonde witnesses murder. When no-one believes her, she sets out to investigate! If you like that sorta thing, you can't do much better than this. A few too many music numbers, but Durbin is a delight.

Is it noir or comedy? It's hard to say, but regardless of genre definitions, what it is is infectious fun. It's clearly a vehicle for Durbin with a couple of musical interludes and plot geared towards her energy, confidence and and optimism. She's not the greatest actress but she's good and her screen presence does the rest. I'd follow her anywhere. The actual mystery is fun too, just solid enough to be believable and secondary enough that one is never compelled to pick at the holes.

Almost reads as a parody of murder mysteries. An over-simplified farce delivering clichés and self-gratuitous twists. Something to call both enjoyable and annoying.

Viewed December 22, 2020. An admirably weird comedy-noir starring Deanna Durbin about a woman who witnesses a murder while looking out of a train window, a fateful act that draws her into an increasingly convoluted mystery plot. The fun lies in its rapid-fire cycling through a variety of incongruous elements and tones — screwball comedy, musical, noir pastiche with visual style to match.

Almost like a spoof on a murder mystery which turns into a proper murder mystery. And in the middle we have sweet innocent Deanna Durbin lightly shaking off her baby feathers turning into a adult right in front of our eyes. You had to do it gentle for she was still the young little girl in most of the audience's eyes. But they could fool around like this in comic thrillers like this. Very playful, often silly, and even a little bit creepy. This one got me in a very good mood!