LADY ON A TRAIN

MOVIE INFORMATION:
Universal Studios – 1945
1 Hour, 24 Minutes
Black & White

MAIN CREDITS:
Producer…Felix Jackson
Director…Charles David
Screenplay…Edmond Beloin
Music…Edgar Fairchild

MAIN CHARACTERS:
Nicki Collins…Deanna Durbin
Wayne Morgan…David Bruce
Jonathan Waring…Ralph Bellamy
Arnold Waring…Dan Duryea
Saunders…George Coulouris
Margo Martin…Maria Palmer
Aunt Charlotte…Elizabeth Patterson
Danny…Allen Jenkins
Joyce Williams…Patricia Morison
Haskell…Edward Everett Horton

MOVIE SYNOPSIS:
It’s late December and Nicki Collins is travelling by train to New York from San Francisco to visit her aunt. While she is reading a mystery book she looks out the window and to her shock witnesses a murder. When Nicki arrives in New York, she is greeted by Haskell, who is one of her father’s employees. She quickly ditches him and heads straight to a police station. The officer behind the counter doesn’t believe she has just witnessed a murder, so she tries to get some help from mystery writer, Wayne Morgan. He tells Nicki to go back to the scene of the crime, but the advice doesn’t work. She then follows Wayne and his fiancée, Joyce Williams to a theatre where Nicki sees a newsreel about the death of Josiah Waring who is the same man she saw murdered. Nicki then goes to the Waring mansion where she meets Josiah’s nephew, Arnold Waring. He mistakes her for Margo Martin who was Josiah’s mistress and singer at the Circus Club which was owned by him. The Waring Family are gathered at the mansion for the reading of the Will. When Aunt Charlotte learns that everything has been left to Margo, she becomes angry. Meanwhile, the manager of the Circus Club, Saunders has been eavesdropping just outside the door. Nicki sneaks upstairs to Josiah’s bedroom where she discovers his bloodstained slippers. Knowing they are evidence, she throws them out the window on top of Arnold’s car. Afterwards, with slippers in hand, she gets a ride with Arnold back to the city, but not before Saunders sees them leave. He sends his assistant, Danny after her to retrieve the slippers. At Nicki’s apartment, Danny breaks in and hits Haskell unconscious. Nicki is unaware of his presence when she phones Wayne to come over. Danny discovers the slippers and takes them. As he is leaving the apartment he sees Wayne and also knocks him unconscious. Wayne regains consciousness and finds a matchbook from the Circus Club. When he tells Nicki what has happened, she finds that the slippers are missing. She goes to the Circus Club and locks Margo in a closet. Nicki then pretends to be Margo and performs in her place. Wayne arrives with Joyce and he sees Danny come in by the back entrance. Saunders calls Nicki to his office and she confirms that she knows that Josiah was murdered. Wayne comes in and punches Danny which gives Nicki the chance to take back the slippers. She escapes to the table where the Waring Clan are sitting. When Nicki performs her next song, Saunders and Danny wait for her backstage. Suddenly gunshots are heard and Saunders is found dead. Nicki escapes with the slippers to Wayne’s house and spends the night there. The next morning, the police arrive with Danny who claims that Wayne murdered Saunders. Nicki then tries to show the bloodstained slippers to the police, but Wayne’s servant has washed them clean. Wayne and Nicki end up in jail, but Arnold arrives and bails her out. He drives her to the Waring Office and he confesses that he hated his uncle. Nicki thinks that Arnold might be the killer so she runs off the first chance she gets. She bumps into Jonathan and he takes her to the very same room where Josiah was murdered. Nicki now realizes to her horror that Jonathan is the real killer. Arnold then enters the room and gets the gun off Jonathan, but then Wayne bursts in and mistakenly gives it back. The police rush in and arrest Jonathan much to the releaf of Nicki. Through it all, Wayne and Nicki have fallen in love. They get married and head off on their honeymoon by train.

THEATRICAL RELEASE DATE: 3 August 1945.

Nicki Collins (Deanna Durbin) witnesses a real murder from her train window.

Mr. Haskell (Edward Everett Horton) gets a black eye after Nicki plays a trick on him.



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Jonathan Waring (Ralph Bellamy) thinks the attractive Nicki is Margo Martin (Maria Palmer).



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Nicki sings Silent Night written by Josef Mohr & Franz Xaver Gruber to her father over the phone.



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Give Me A Little Kiss written by Jack Smith & Roy Turk & Maceo Pinkard is seductively sung by Nicki.

Nicki and Saunders (George Coulouris) battle for the blood stained slippers.



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The American classic Night And Day written by Cole Porter is brilliantly performed by Nicki.



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Nicki spends the night at the apartment of Wayne Morgan (David Bruce) after Saunders is murdered.

Arnold Waring (Dan Duryea) posts bail for Nicki to get her out of jail.



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Arnold drives Nicki to see the family.

Nicki runs from Arnold because she thinks he is the murderer.

To her horror, Nicki learns that Jonathan murdered Josiah Waring (Thurston Hall).



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Wayne faints after a struggle with Jonathan who almost shoots him.

MOVIE MISTAKES:

When Wayne Morgan is writing his new book, he demonstrates how he was wounded. When he is on the floor his right shirt sleeve is slightly pulled up, but the next camera shot shows the sleeve all the way down.

When Nicki is walking on the railway tracks, she is holding only a handbag in long camera shots, but in close-ups she is also holding a hat.

When Nicki is at the Waring mansion, before and after the reading of the Will, she uses a flashlight. In some camera shots she is holding a long black flashlight, but at other times she is holding a short silver flashlight.

When Nicki throws the blood stained slippers from the upstairs window onto Arnold's car, they stick together instead of separating.

Mr. Haskell's black eye disappears way too quickly.

Deanna enjoys playing with white kittens during a break in the filming of LADY ON A TRAIN:

A photo taken in San Francisco on September 9, 1945 of the Orpheum Theatre screening LADY ON A TRAIN:

Deanna Durbin with Edward Everett Horton and Charles David (Director) on the set of LADY ON A TRAIN:

This is a photo of Deanna Durbin with future husband Charles David during the production of LADY ON A TRAIN. The pyjamas that Deanna is wearing actually belonged to fellow actor David Bruce:

Charles David carefully directs Deanna Durbin during the singing of Silent Night:

MEMORABLE LINES:

Arnold Waring (Dan Duryea) says to Nicki when she arrives at the Waring mansion, "They won't bite you - I don't think there's a good set of teeth in the room."

Deanna Durbin with Dan Duryea and Ralph Bellamy on the set of LADY ON A TRAIN:

Deanna Durbin practices on David Bruce between shooting scenes:

A nice promotional photo of Deanna Durbin & Robert Bruce:

ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS:
Best Sound Recording