Ever watch a movie that doesn't quite know what it wants to be? Lady on the Train 1945 is exactly that. It’s a mess, honestly. But it’s a beautiful, high-budget, Universal Pictures kind of mess that features Deanna Durbin trying to be a hard-boiled detective while looking like a literal angel.
Most people today have forgotten it. That’s a mistake.
If you’re a fan of film noir, you usually expect shadows, cigarette smoke, and a feeling of impending doom. You don’t expect a musical number. Yet, here we are. It’s 1945. The war is winding down. Audiences wanted escapism, but they also wanted that new, edgy "detective" vibe that was sweeping cinema. Enter Nikki Collins, played by Durbin, who witnesses a murder from a train window.
The catch? Nobody believes her.
The Bizarre Genre Mashup of Lady on the Train 1945
It’s a thriller. No, it’s a comedy. Wait, is it a musical?
Actually, it's all three. Universal was in a tough spot with Deanna Durbin back then. She was their biggest star—literally the woman who saved the studio from bankruptcy in the late 30s—but she was outgrowing her "little miss fix-it" persona. She wanted to do something darker. So, they gave her Lady on the Train 1945, directed by Charles David (who she actually ended up marrying later, fun fact).
The film starts with a classic Hitchcockian premise. Nikki is a mystery-novel addict traveling to New York. As her train pulls into Grand Central, she looks out the window and sees a man getting struck over the head with a cane in a nearby building. It’s brutal. It’s sudden. And because she’s a "flighty" young woman who reads too many books, the police think she’s just seeing things.
The lighting in these early scenes is pure noir. Woody Bredell, the cinematographer, was a master of the craft. He’s the same guy who shot The Killers (1946). You see those deep blacks and high-contrast whites that make the New York night look dangerous. But then, Nikki breaks into a song. It’s jarring. It shouldn’t work.
Does it work?
Kinda. It depends on how much you like Durbin’s operatic voice. If you can handle the shift from "who-dun-it" to "Broadway audition," it’s a blast.
Why Nikki Collins Isn’t Your Typical Heroine
Nikki is obsessed. She doesn't just call the cops and go to her uncle’s house. She stalks a mystery writer named Wayne Morgan (played by David Bruce) and bullies him into helping her.
She's relentless.
She breaks into a mansion. She pretends to be a nightclub singer. She manipulates an entire family of eccentric weirdos. In most 1940s films, the woman is either the victim or the femme fatale who leads the man to his ruin. Nikki Collins is neither. She’s the engine of the plot. She’s smarter than the guys, even if she is a bit impulsive.
Critics at the time were confused. The New York Times review from August 1945 basically called it a "slender" story. They didn't get the parody. This movie is poking fun at the very mysteries it’s emulating. When Nikki finds the murderer’s lair, it’s almost too perfect, like a stage set. That’s the point. It’s meta before meta was a thing.
The Production Quality and the "Universal Look"
You have to look at the budget. Universal didn't cheap out.
The sets are massive. The Grand Central Station recreation is stunning. Even the costumes, designed by the legendary Howard Greer, are top-tier. Durbin spent much of the movie in a shimmering white coat that makes her stand out against the grimy, murderous backdrop of the city.
It was a pivot point for the studio. They were moving away from the classic monster movies of the 30s and into the glossy technicolor era, but Lady on the Train 1945 sits right in that black-and-white sweet spot. It feels expensive. The supporting cast is a "who’s who" of character actors, including Ralph Bellamy and Dan Duryea. Duryea, usually a terrifying villain, gets to play with his image here too.
Let's Talk About the Music
You can't discuss this film without the songs. "Silent Night" appears. Yeah, a Christmas song in a murder mystery released in August. Why? Because the movie takes place during the holidays.
Then there’s "Gimme a Little Kiss, Will Ya, Huh?" and "Night and Day."
The performance of "Night and Day" is the highlight. Nikki sings it over the phone to her father to prove she's "behaving" while actually hiding in the office of a dead man. It’s a brilliant bit of staging. It uses the music to advance the tension rather than just stopping the movie for a concert.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Ending
People often complain that the mystery is too easy to solve.
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"The butler did it" vibes.
But Lady on the Train 1945 isn't trying to be The Maltese Falcon. It’s a "screwball noir." The mystery is just a clothesline to hang the gags on. If you go in expecting a gritty detective story, you’ll be disappointed. If you go in expecting a satire of 1940s tropes, it’s a masterpiece of the "B-plus" movie genre.
The climax involves a frantic chase through a construction site and a final confrontation that is surprisingly physical for a Durbin film. She’s not just standing there screaming; she’s in the thick of it.
The Legacy of 1945 Cinema
1945 was a weird year for movies. The war ended in August, right when this came out. The mood of the country was shifting from the grim resolve of the early 40s to a desperate need for fun. This film captures that transition perfectly. It has the darkness of the war years but the frantic energy of the post-war boom.
It also marked the beginning of the end for Durbin’s career. She’d retire just a few years later, moving to France and refusing to ever perform again. She hated the Hollywood machine. Looking at her performance here, you can see a woman who is trying so hard to show she has range beyond being a "sweetheart."
How to Watch It Today
Honestly, finding a high-quality stream can be a pain. It’s often tucked away on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) or available as a manufacture-on-demand DVD. But if you find it, watch the shadows.
Specifically, look at the scene in the circus-themed nightclub. The way the light hits the characters while the music plays is a masterclass in cinematography. It’s the kind of visual storytelling that modern directors like Guillermo del Toro still pull from.
Lady on the Train 1945 isn't a "perfect" movie. It’s lopsided. It’s weirdly paced.
But it’s also incredibly charming.
It’s one of the few films that manages to be genuinely funny while also having a body count. It treats its audience like they’re in on the joke.
Actionable Insights for Classic Film Fans
If you’re diving into the world of 1940s comedy-mysteries, don't just stop at Durbin. To really appreciate the context of this film, you should check out these specific elements:
- Compare the Cinematography: Watch The Killers (1946) right after this. Seeing how Woody Bredell used the same lighting techniques for a deadly serious noir versus a comedy like this is eye-opening.
- The "Witness" Trope: Look at how this film influenced later "accidental witness" movies. From Hitchcock’s Rear Window to the 1980s Shattered, the "girl who saw too much" started right here with Nikki Collins.
- Deanna Durbin’s Discography: Listen to the studio recordings of the songs from the film. They were huge hits on the radio in 1945 and give you a sense of why she was the highest-paid actress in the world at the time.
- Identify the Parody: Pay attention to the scenes with the mystery writer, Wayne Morgan. He represents the "hard-boiled" genre that was becoming popular in books by Raymond Chandler. The movie is making fun of how "cool" those writers thought they were.
Go into it for the visuals, stay for the bizarre tone shifts. It’s a time capsule of a year when Hollywood was trying to figure out what came next.