<https://forums.tcm.com/topic/144373-daily-dose-8-cooling-our-heels-opening-scene-from-the-lady-vanishes/page/7/#comment-1535092>
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"I was out of town, so please excuse the late response: \n1. Using specific examples, describe how Hitchcock opens The Lady Vanishes. What tone, mood, or atmosphere is Hitchcock establishing for the audience very early on in this picture? Pay particular attention to the music.  \nMy first reaction was to that of the music. The folk music is so light, one would think it the introduction to a comedy, not a thriller. The atmosphere is almost light-hearted, different from other opening scenes we've seen so far. There are also little things that introduce humor to the film, such as the old woman. First, we see her come down completely happy, contrasted with the train-goers just sitting around watching her in the lobby. Then, as she tries to leave, it takes two men to wrangle the door from the wind just so she can get out. With the two foreign gentlemen entering and arguing and the obviously distraught man in the desk paired with the cuckoo clock, there is almost a feeling of the absurd. \n2. Discuss the characters of Caldicott and Charters in this scene. What do the performances of Caldicott and Charters add to this scene.  \nIn a way, they kind of remind me of Laurel and Hardy, with the back and forth banter. They offer a subtle humor outside the main characters, and with the their banter, keeps the audience interested in what's going on outside the stars. \n3. From their doorway entrance to their staircase exit, describe how Hitchcock uses dialogue, camera movement, and the placement of characters in the frame to establish Iris (Margaret Lockwood) as the star of this scene.  \nFirst off, the hotel manager completely bypasses everyone else to talk to her and her friends, despite the fact that he had just told all the stranded passengers that they needed to register immediately in order to get a room. As a star, she gets preferential treatment. Iris also has the impertinence to correct Boris on his pronunciation, something she wouldn't have gotten away with had she not been the star. Boris also doesn't make Iris and her friends register for a room, meaning either she is special enough just to claim a room, or that she is important enough to have a standing reservation. As all this is going on, the other passengers are just staring and watching them. They become the center of attention. "
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