Lady on a Train (1945)
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92% of users liked it
(80 ratings)
Deanna Durbin offered her fans a change of pace in this mystery story seasoned with elements of comedy and music. Nikki Collins (Durbin) is a small-town girl visiting New York City to meet with Mr. Haskell (Edward Everett Horton), her family's attorney. As her train pulls into the station, she… More Deanna Durbin offered her fans a change of pace in this mystery story seasoned with elements of comedy and music. Nikki Collins (Durbin) is a small-town girl visiting New York City to meet with Mr. Haskell (Edward Everett Horton), her family's attorney. As her train pulls into the station, she looks out her window into a nearby office building. She's shocked by what she sees -- a man is being strangled to death, and while she can't see the face of the killer, she gets a good look at the victim. Terrified, Nikki immediately goes to the police, but they think that her story is simply the product of an overactive imagination and send her on her way. Nikki, however, is certain that she witnessed a murder, and she approaches mystery writer Wayne Morgan (David Bruce) to help her piece together the facts of what happened. Thanks to a newsreel, Nikki is able to recognize the victim as Mr. Waring, a wealthy man who made his fortune in shipping; she attempts to contact Waring's family, but they're convinced that Nikki is a nightclub singer with whom the tycoon was having an affair. Hoping to contact the chanteuse in question, Nikki visits the club where she works, only to discover that she's also been murdered. Nikki soon finds herself being trailed by both Jonathan (Ralph Bellamy) and Arnold (Dan Duryea), two members of Waring's family whom she believes may have been involved in the crime, and could be trying to silence her once and for all. Like most of Durbin's vehicles, Lady on a Train's plot stops every now and then to give her the opportunity to sing a song; Western fans may want to keep an eye peeled for future cowboy star Lash LaRue, who has a small role as a waiter. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Charles David
- Written By
- Edmund Beloin, Robert O'Brien
- Genres
- Classics, Comedy, Drama, Mystery & Suspense
- In Theaters
- Aug 24, 1945 Wide
Critic Reviews
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Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies
An enjoyable romp.
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Deanna Durbin sparkles in this farcical murder-mystery.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
No Featured Audience Ratings Found…
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Cast
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Deanna Durbin
as Nikki Collins
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Ralph Bellamy
as Jonathan Waring
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Edward Everett Horton
as Mr. Haskell
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Dan Duryea
as Arnold Waring
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George Coulouris
as Mr. Saunders
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David Bruce
as Wayne Morgan
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Allen Jenkins
as Danny
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Patricia Morison
as Joyce Williams
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Maria Palmer
as Margo Martin
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Elizabeth Patterson
as Aunt Charlotte
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Samuel S. Hinds
as Mr. Wiggam
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William Frawley
as Police Captain, Sgt. Christie
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Jacqueline de Wit
as Miss Fletcher
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Thurston Hall
as Josiah Waring
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Ben Carter
as Maxwell
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Mary Forbes
as Cousin
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Sarah Edwards
as Cousin
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Nora Cecil
as Woman with Umbrella
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Hobart Cavanaugh
as Drunk
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Eddie Acuff
as New York Cab Driver
- Jane Adams (II)
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Ernest Anderson
as Doorman
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Barbara Bates
as Hatcheck Girl
- Eddie Bruce
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Charles Cane
as New York Policeman
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George Chandler
as Customer
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André Charlot
as Man with Carnation
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Chester Clute
as Conductor
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Joseph Crehan
as Mr. Smith
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Robert Dudley
as Honeywell
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Eddie Dunn
as Clerk
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Al Ferguson
as Workman
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Clyde Fillmore
as Cousin
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Alice Fleming
as Mrs. Brown
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Mabel Forrest
as Wife
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Ethel May Halls
as Haughty Woman
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Dick Hirbe
as Newsboy
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Lash LaRue
as Waiter
- George J. Lewis
- George Lloyd
- Sam McDaniel
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Matt McHugh
as Drunk
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Bert Moorhouse
as Reporter
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Jack Norton
as Santa Claus
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Kathleen O'Malley
as Photographer
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Ralph Peters
as Taxi Driver
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Addison Richards
as Captain
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Bert Roach
as Fat Man
- Charles Sherlock
- Jean Trent
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Eddy Waller
as Mr. Brown
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Tom Dugan
as Turnkey
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Karen Randle
as Cigarette Girl
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Eddie Bartell
as Sound Track
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Charles Deschamps
as Hairdresser