BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.

FrogGlace In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

Cissy Évelyne It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

dougdoepke Silly mystery that almost compensates with a white-knuckle finale. Ruggles plays an addled "deflector" who can't seem to get his sayings right—"The early worm gets the bird"! All in all, he's an imaginative twist on the usual sleuth in that he bumbles his way before getting moments of brilliance. Sort of like a mix of Sherlock Holmes and Inspector Clouseau. Too bad his shtick is not funnier. At the same time, the incoherent mystery part is submerged beneath Ruggles and two loud blondes Merkel and Carlisle who keep the decibel level peaking. They're cute, of course, and understandably get most of the screen time. Overall, I'm not sure what MGM was reaching for, but the parts don't blend that well. Still, the bang-up finale is worth the price, with scares galore and no models for the runaway trains. I'm not sure how they did it with real locomotives and passenger cars, but it comes as a stunning surprise after 50-or-so minutes of blah. Anyway, much of the cast—Ruggles, Merkel--thankfully went on to better material. Meanwhile, no more trains for me, I'll be taking air travel from now on, for sure.

masercot I was expecting a quick murder mystery set on a train. Instead, I got to see Charles Ruggles as a romantic lead. For those who don't know the man, he was Major Applegate in the farce Bringing up Baby.But, in this movie, he was a little less formal, but with the same halting delivery. He spends the better part of this movie successfully seducing one of the women. And, why not? Mild-mannered people have to reproduce as well.Plot-wise, this movie is kind of confusing. I got the impression that the movie just kind of stopped because they ran out of film or one of the actors had to go on vacation or something. It definitely wasn't bad.And, it definitely wasn't great, either.

TomInSanFrancisco I watched this one mostly to see Charlie Ruggles and Una Merkel, two of my favorites.The plot has many a twist and turn -- it's not bad as a straight mystery aboard a train.But why throw in a circus train wreck and an escaped gorilla? I can mention this without it being a "spoiler" because the circus train wreck and the gorilla have nothing to do with the intricate mystery plot.The bad person trying to kill the good people has many tricks up his sleeve, but the circus train wreck was purely coincidental. It allows for a single scene with a menacing gorilla, but then it's back to the murder mystery!

goblinhairedguy This is a fast-paced and highly enjoyable comedy-thriller from the MGM B-movie mill. The plot concerns a pretty switchboard operator who discovers that she is the long-lost daughter of a wealthy industrialist. On a cross-country train trip to visit him, a mysterious villain threatens her and her entourage with murder through messages and the occasional disembodied voice.The first two-thirds of the movie are played mainly for laughs, with sharp, witty dialog and goofy situations. This leads to a frantic no-holds-barred climax as a runaway railway car hurtles down a mountain line, narrowly missing speeding trains coming its way.Charlie Ruggles creates another wonderfully eccentric character, a "deflector" -- something like a detective, but instead of solving crimes he uses his savvy to prevent them from occurring. He mangles many an old aphorism, and has some terrific exchanges with the equally incisive Una Merkel. He even gets to interact with some circus animals in amusing fashion. Pre-code buffs will enjoy some of the subtly racy asides (listen for Ruggles' full name, for instance), but modern viewers may be dismayed by the racially insensitive material to which "Snowflake" is subjected as the frightened porter (he has a larger role than usual, and certainly plays the demeaning stereotype with aplomb).Definitely worth an hour of any buff's time, and a "keeper" for railway aficionados.