Night Train to Munich

Released Dec 29, 1940

1h 33m

Mystery & Thriller

List

89%

Tomatometer

18 Reviews

73%

Audience Score

500+ Ratings

When the Nazis take Prague, Dr. Bomasch (James Harcourt) escapes, but his daughter, Anna (Margaret Lockwood), is taken to a concentration camp. There she meets Karl (Paul Henreid), a Czech man who helps her escape. She flees with Karl to England where her father is already working for the Royal Navy, guarded by undercover agent Dickie Randall (Rex Harrison). No sooner are they reunited when Karl, actually an SS agent, steals father and daughter back to Germany. It is up to Randall to save them.

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Steven D. Greydanus

Decent Films

Takes awhile to catch fire. It's always engaging, though, and builds by stages to a riveting climax at the Swiss border that would have done the Master of Suspense proud.

Rated: B+

Sep 5, 2010

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

Yarn is not only told without a single letdown, but it actually continues to pile up suspense to a nerve-clutching pitch.

Jul 6, 2010

Full Review

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

The cast and script are fine, but Reed fatally lacks Hitchcock's light, witty touch and his effortless ability to create suspense out of ordinary circumstances.

Jan 26, 2006

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

Although Margaret Lockwood is merely a stock version of the usual damsel in distress, Reed's Night Train to Munich features a winsome Rex Harrison and should certainly interest aficionados of WWII propaganda cinema.

Rated: 3.5/5

Sep 30, 2020

Full Review

Tyler Smith

Battleship Pretension

A thoroughly engrossing movie that welcomes its audience to thrill at the ever-shifting character loyalties and small victories of its heroes.

Jul 9, 2019

Full Review

Christopher Lloyd

The Film Yap

A cheeky comedy caper with the Nazis as the fall guys. I like the idea of this movie more than the one they made.

Rated: 3.5/5

May 20, 2019

Full Review

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Steve D

Fine story clunky script

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/19/24

Full Review

acsdoug D

A decent wartime thriller that does generate a decent amount of suspense. I'm not rating it higher because of the appearance of a couple of Englishmen that seemed rather contrived.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/09/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The movie was made in Britain in 1940 and takes place in 1939, when Hitler's forces moved into Czechoslovakia. In Prague, there is an industrial scientist with a possible revolutionary method of armor plate whom the Nazis want to work for them, and British agents smuggle him out, but leave his daughter behind. She is taken to a concentration camp (when they were still prisons rather than centers of genocide) and escapes with another inmate and gets to Britain to reunite with her father. Unfortunately German agents are at work in Britain, and they are forced back to Germany. A British agent poses as a German army officer to try to get them back out. The movie is effective in showing the harshness and danger of the Nazi regime with relative subtlety (shown by the scenes of people in trouble for saying the wrong things), but it shows the Gestapo as being a little too careless and inept, and the scene with the mountain tram cars being rather unconvincing. Still entertaining as a period piece.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

matthew d

Fascinating to see the English perspective right as WWII broke out. Carol Reed's romantic comedy spy thriller Night Train to Munich (1940) is a blast with cheeky British humor making fun of stuffy and cruel Nazis, while depicting the harsh changing world at the start of World War II as Germany had invaded Poland and occupied Czechoslovakia. Reed's direction demonstrates how far reaching Adolf Hitler's violent and hateful policies and beliefs had spread through Germany as well as how his invasions fundamentally changed the countries around him. Carol Reed accomplishes much with real footage of soldiers marching, neat mini models, heavy atmosphere, tense suspense, and a good sense of humor as he spoofs The Third Reich and espionage thrillers. Reed brings an English dry wit to his perilous film noir. Margaret Lockwood is lovely and fun as Anna Bomasch, the daughter of a Czech scientist working on new armor plating that would change the tides of the war for either side. While James Harcourt is very serious as the Axel Bomasch the scientist, protesting working for the Nazis and trying to save his beloved daughter. Lockwood is endearing as a mindful lady sick of the Nazis after her concentration camp experiences. She's quite funny alongside the hilarious and talented Rex Harrison. Rex Harrison's English spy Gus Bennett sings, spies, and goes undercover as a German Major and SS officer. His effortless versatility is certainly impressive as he bravely leads the charge into Germany to extract the captive Lockwood and Harcourt before they are taken to Hitler in Munich. Harrison is hilarious speaking with a cavalier English accent and strict German accent alike. His ruse is particularly poignant opposite the shrewd and cunning Paul Henreid as SS agent Karl Marsen. The mental games being played in Night Train to Munich is entertaining and thought provoking as Rex Harrison sneaks his way through German ranks. I should mention I very much enjoyed the two English buffoons Charters and Caldicott, played well by Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne. Their comedy relief efforts have excellent timing with a pleasantly foolish average Englishman feel. R. E. Dearing's editing cuts swiftly from Prague to English to the Swiss Alps for a fast espionage adventure across Europe for 96 minutes. Otto Kanturek's cinematography captures train cars and ski lifts with equal dedication to that film noir mystique. His wide shots are filled with fog or nighttime disquiet. Alex Vetchinsky's art direction uses cute mini models and believable sets for a worldly backdrop to this spy thriller. Night Train to Munich really has it all. In short, I enjoyed the endless humor Carol Reed finds in lambasting the Nazis, while finding myself enamoured with Margaret Lockwood's performance and highly entertained by Rex Harrison.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A very light film, not unenjoyable but not great

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

05/06/19

Full Review

Audience Member

Lot's of plot holes by todays standards, but still retains some entertainment value

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

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Carol Reed

Director

Margaret Lockwood

Anna Bomasch

Rex Harrison

Gus Bennett

Paul Henreid

Karl Marsen

Basil Radford

Charters

Naunton Wayne

Caldicott

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Synopsis

When the Nazis take Prague, Dr. Bomasch (James Harcourt) escapes, but his daughter, Anna (Margaret Lockwood), is taken to a concentration camp. There she meets Karl (Paul Henreid), a Czech man who helps her escape. She flees with Karl to England where her father is already working for the Royal Navy, guarded by undercover agent Dickie Randall (Rex Harrison). No sooner are they reunited when Karl, actually an SS agent, steals father and daughter back to Germany. It is up to Randall to save them.

Director: Carol Reed
Screenwriter: Sidney Gilliat, Frank Launder, Gordon Wellesley
Distributor: Kino Video, 20th Century Fox, The Roan Group
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox, Gaumont
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 29, 1940, Wide
Release Date (DVD): Jun 29, 2010
Runtime: 1h 33m
Sound Mix: Mono