The Missing Corpse

For a PRC film with limited production values The Missing Corpse isn't too bad of a film. It also stars the tragic J. Edward Bromberg in one of the films you'll find this character player top billed.

Bromberg and Paul Guilfoyle are rival tabloid publishers and Guilfoyle has printed some nasty stuff about Bromberg's daughter. Reacting like an outraged father, Bromberg promises to do him harm if any more should be printed.

Then Guilfoyle winds up dead and in Bromberg's car trunk. They discover it when Bromberg goes up to his hunting cabin for a short vacation. They being Bromberg and chauffeur Frank Jenks.

Not much suspense here since we know who killed Guilfoyle. Still a few laughs from the cast especially Bromberg and Jenks.

Not bad considering it's a PRC cheapie.

PRC was a tiny studio that rented space at larger studios and made their films on a shoestring budget. Generally, when I see a film was made by PRC, I either avoid it or expect it to be, at best, a time-passer. Imagine my surprise when I found I not only liked "The Missing Corpse" but would highly recommend it. It's hard to believe...especially since there are no big name actors and the film is clearly a B-movie, clocking in at only 62 minutes in length!

Henry Kruger owns a newspaper and his greatest nemesis is a rival newspaper owner who takes delight in slandering Kruger. Because of this, Kruger has been known to threaten the guy if he didn't stop harassing him. Imagine Kruger's surprise, then, when he discovers the guy in his trunk...dead! Who did it and how is Kruger going to get rid of the body? Watch this clever film and find out for yourself.

As I said, I really liked this one. This was helped by having Frank Jenks in a supporting role. While few would remember his name, he was very adept at this sort of film and helped make it fun.

Body, body, where's the dead body. Seems a non-breathing one gets around better than a breathing one. Then too, the murdered corpse is never where you'd expect it to be. And so, for better or worse, a nomadic corpse just about amounts to the plot. Good thing the narrative's full of colorful characters, and a fast moving director who never lets things drag. I like the way the amusing parts are under-played such that the acting never gets sappy. Cast-wise, It's a paunchy Bromberg, a smirking Jencks, a fluttery Randolph, and a sinister Weldon; together, they lift the skimpy narrative into a pleasantly entertaining programmer. Seems Bromberg's business rival turns up dead and the newsman's got to hide the body before others pin the murder on him. But can he, since new people keep turning up and turning things over in his mountain lodge. And when was the last time a paunchy, middle-aged short guy got the leading part in a flick. It does happen here and no camera tricks try to hide it. I guess my only gripe is the relative absence of shapely girls in that nifty 1940's attire. All in all, the flick's the kind of fun escape meant to ease wartime audiences. And dare I say it, fun too, even for a new millennium.

This is an Alpha Home Entertainment DVD. It looks worse than a VHS copy, if you remember or herd of VHS, with that Blair Witch steady hand. Everything is really scratchy. You will recognize most of the actors such as J. Edward Bromberg from "Charlie Chan on Broadway" (1937). The story at least the presentation had those holes that you can drive a truck through. It gets slapstick at all the weirdest times.

A newspaper owner, Henry Kruger, threatens to dispatch a rival newspaper owner over an article. The one mistake making this threat was right in front of his chauffeur/friend, Andy McDonald, and the other newspaper owner's assistant/patsy 'Slippery Joe' Clary.

And you guessed it a corpse turns up in Henry's car trunk. Then it is not there. Then it is here and there and not here and there. Now each person sees it and is kind enough not to tell everyone. We know he did it, but no one listens to us.

Mack Hogan (Frank Jenks) as the cabin caretaker is the comic relief as if we needed relief.

The story sorts of works around Egbert (Charles Coleman), a snickering butler that seems to know something but never tells.

Anyway, the film is worth a quick look. If you miss this one you will not be missing much.

If you love bodies being moved, then two better movies are: Arsenic et vieilles dentelles (1944).

And Mais qui a tué Harry? (1955).

Great old movie....if you want humor and a twist in the story, this is a movie to see! Clean in todays standards. Not a waste of time. A peek into the past. A treasure!