Not sure why the BBC are doing it again, but I'll give it a go.
Last made for TV/film adaptation is around the late 90's I think.
The picture in my head says circa 90's anyway.
Our 'hero' seems to have a bit of backstory I don't remember from other adaptations anyway.
I do hope Charters and Caldicott are involved and provide a bit of humour.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00szx2w

Beautiful and wealthy young socialite Iris Carr is used to being at the heart of her social group, but when her friends' raucous and unsociable behaviour escalates whilst on holiday in the Balkans she resolves to seek out some tranquillity and travel home alone.
But her expectations of peace are short-lived when, at the railway station, Iris wavers in the scorching heat and constant jostle of passengers, fainting suddenly on the platform. She wakes in time to be rushed onto the train, but with a pounding head and a feeling of being almost in a dream. Whilst in this malaise she is comforted by an older English lady called Miss Froy, but when Iris falls asleep she awakes to find Miss Froy has gone and her fellow passengers denying she ever existed.

Prince, according to imdb.com, there have only been 3 versions of The Lady Vanishes - the 1938 (Hitchcock) and 1979 (which was on Film4 this afternoon) cinema versions, and this BBC TV film...

Well the 'picture' in my head is a few years off then
I've seen the Hitchcock version recently, might be in my mini Hitch archive.
Suitable excuse to mention BBC Films then, remind people what they've been up to, had a hand in.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfilms
Africa United was on this week IIRC.

I'm looking forward to this!

I will watch it , I hope they have the two old cricket loving chaps on,they were great in the 1979 version. Dad,s army chap who, name now escapes ..me ...

Charters and Caldicott, can't remember who played them in either the 40's or 70's, but they're good value as characters and provide some light.

Will it be on bbc iplayer on sky?

There was a good spin off series featuring and named after them on BBC in 1985, but set in the present (i.e. 1985) day. Wish it would be released on DVD.

Says: 'Not currently available on BBC iPlayer' on the link upthread, assume it'll be on Iplayer later.
What Sky does, I don't know, I don't have any time for the evil empire myself.

I don't remember that.
They (C and C) bring to mind PG Wodehouse's The oldest member, who views the world via the prism of Golf.

Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne were a well-known double act through to the 50s, they appeared in quite a few British pictures of the period

I think they're the ones billed as Charlie and Freddie, early 30s....

Apparently Charters and Caldicott are not in this version.

(In the 1979 version it was Arthur Lowe as Charters and Ian Carmichael as Caldicott.)

Apparently they don't exist in the book on which the first Hitchcock film was based, "The Wheel Spins".


I'm sure the original thinking behind the double act was sound, both films would have been rather tedious without the duo.

Nothing worse than a "everyone thinks I'm crazy!" film without some comedy in it.

I'll be watching it sounds good, I haven't see the Hitchcock version

Tom Hughes is in it.
That's a good enough reason for me to watch any old tat

Hah - yes funny I've just re-watched the seventies version this afternoon - love that film! I'm taping the new one at this minute and will watch it tomorrow, or whenever....and see how it compares. I love old fashioned Agatha Christie-type stories!

Here we go ....

Oops: if that death was in Europe, the trains were on the wrong side....

When I first saw this advertised I thought, not again, how many times can they remake this. Funny how the mind works, I was sure there were more versions than that!

People often think it's an Agatha Christie...

I suppose the 1979 remake does have a slight Agatha Christie feel to it.

I can't watch this now as I have to get some stuff done. I'll come back to the thread tomorrow to decide whether it's worth a go on iplayer so keep the comments coming in.

I'm not getting the option to watch it.My other 'arf is dominating the telly with his bloody x box wargames.
I'll have to drool over Tom Hughes tomorrow on iplayer.

Oh I loved that, Michael Aldridge and Robin Bailey, two great scene stealing character actors.

Not too sure about this version, heroine rather unsympathetic so far, but best not to judge until the end...

Arthur Lowe? And I think that was the version with Ian Carmichael. Best bit IMO!