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The Missing Corpse

  • 1945
  • Passed
  • 1h 2m
IMDb RATING
5.8/10
294
YOUR RATING
Paul Guilfoyle, J. Edward Bromberg, Frank Jenks, Isabel Randolph, and Eric Sinclair in The Missing Corpse (1945)
ComedyMystery

A feud between rival newspapermen Kruger (Bromberg) and McDonald (Guilfoyle) goes deadly when blackmailing McDonald ends up murdered and his corpse planted in the trunk of Kruger's car.A feud between rival newspapermen Kruger (Bromberg) and McDonald (Guilfoyle) goes deadly when blackmailing McDonald ends up murdered and his corpse planted in the trunk of Kruger's car.A feud between rival newspapermen Kruger (Bromberg) and McDonald (Guilfoyle) goes deadly when blackmailing McDonald ends up murdered and his corpse planted in the trunk of Kruger's car.

  • Director
    • Albert Herman
  • Writers
    • Raymond L. Schrock
    • Harry O. Hoyt
  • Stars
    • J. Edward Bromberg
    • Isabel Randolph
    • Frank Jenks
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.8/10
    294
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Albert Herman
    • Writers
      • Raymond L. Schrock
      • Harry O. Hoyt
    • Stars
      • J. Edward Bromberg
      • Isabel Randolph
      • Frank Jenks
    • 12User reviews
    • 1Critic review
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos164

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    Top cast20

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    J. Edward Bromberg
    J. Edward Bromberg
    • Henry Kruger
    Isabel Randolph
    Isabel Randolph
    • Alice Kruger
    Frank Jenks
    Frank Jenks
    • Mack Hogan
    Eric Sinclair
    Eric Sinclair
    • James Kruger
    Paul Guilfoyle
    Paul Guilfoyle
    • Andy McDonald
    Ben Welden
    Ben Welden
    • 'Slippery Joe' Clary
    Charles Coleman
    Charles Coleman
    • Egbert
    Eddy Waller
    Eddy Waller
    • Desmond
    Elayne Adams
    • Miss Ames
    • (uncredited)
    Mary Arden
    • Madge
    • (uncredited)
    Bess Flowers
    Bess Flowers
    • Office Worker
    • (uncredited)
    Charles Jordan
    • Draper
    • (uncredited)
    Anne O'Neal
    • Mrs. Swanaker
    • (uncredited)
    Jean Ransome
    Jean Ransome
    • Marie
    • (uncredited)
    John Shay
    • Jeffry Dodd
    • (uncredited)
    Lorell Sheldon
    • Phyllis Kruger
    • (uncredited)
    Ken Terrell
    Ken Terrell
    • Motorcycle Policeman
    • (uncredited)
    Joan Tours
    Joan Tours
    • Office Worker
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Albert Herman
    • Writers
      • Raymond L. Schrock
      • Harry O. Hoyt
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews12

    5.8294
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    Featured reviews

    6rsoonsa

    Pleasingly Done Example Of A "B" Film Hybrid.

    PRC produces an enjoyable item here with little funding, a comedic melodrama that successfully incorporates both verbal and visual humour, along with a dollop of suspense, in creating a picture notable for its rare featured performance by veteran supporting actor J. Edward Bromberg, skillful direction, and especially effective scoring, in addition to a clever scenario that benefits from perfect pacing to smoothly advance the action. A whimsical plot requires that scripting, acting, and editing combine equally to avoid mere giddiness, and that is the case here, with Bromberg cast as Henry Kruger, an ethical newspaper publisher who threatens Andy McDonald, his counterpart upon a rival big city (Los Angeles) tabloid, with physical harm after McDonald splashes a nightclub escapade involving Kruger's daughter upon his journal's front page. After the blackmailing McDonald is murdered by one of his victims, his corpse is chased from the unsuspecting Kruger's automobile trunk to a series of makeshift hiding places, with humorous perplexity resulting from Kruger's attempts to avoid being implicated in the homicide. Director Albert Herman, for his final feature film commission, ably leads his actors in the briskly gaited affair, and manages in fine fashion to balance comedy with sequences of suspense, aided throughout by a splendid score contributed by classically trained Karl Hajos, who adds pages to his prior work from studio stock, seamlessly blending the total into the narrative. Acting is of variable merit, with Frank Jenks winning the Thespic laurels in the role of Kruger's chauffeur and companion, a typically sharply defined performance from him, capitalizing upon his impeccable sense of timing.
    7Paularoc

    Delightful B murder/comedy

    I usually don't expect much from PRC movies. What a delightful surprise this was - it was funny, face paced, and entertaining. Also helping was that the print I saw was very good, from Amazon Instant Video. Henry Kruger (Bromberg), an honest and well-to-do newspaper publisher is ignored by his wife, son and daughter. Added to this is his ongoing dispute with a rival publisher who is a crook and a blackmailer. Angry over a photo the rival has published of his daughter, Kruger threatens him. Talking things over with his chauffeur, Mack Hogan (Jenks), Kruger decides to take a vacation and go to his hunting lodge. Unknown to him, the rival publisher is murdered by one of his victims and the murderer puts the body in the truck of his car. After arriving at the lodge, Kruger finds the body (thanks to the antics of a cute dog). There is a nosy highway patrolman hanging around and Kruger and Hogan struggle to keep the cop from finding the body. When the wife, son and daughter show up, the body is moved from room to room. Interestingly, Kruger's family keeps their knowledge about the body from the cop. Given this, the ending was a bit of a twist. I don't recall ever seeing Bromberg in a comedy role. He was excellent in the role as was Frank Jenks as the chauffeur. This movie is a lot of fun.
    6boblipton

    The Trouble With Andy

    Newspaper publisher J. Edward Bromberg has a running feud with fellow publisher Paul Guilfoyle. Bromberg doesn't like Guilfoyle publishing pictures of his daughter at nightclubs, and threatens the man, whom he calls a blackmailer. The next day he is to go duck hunting, and so spends the evening practicing with a rifle. The following morning, he is packing supplies in the car chauffeur frank Jenks will drive him in, and discovers Guilfoyle's corpse in there.

    It's from a story by Harry O. Hoyt (best remembered for directing the silent The Lost World), and it's a pretty amusing comedy as Bromberg tries to ditch the body with Jenks' help, and keeps failing. Bromberg's reactions are funnier for not being particularly jittery in the face of the nitwits he encounters, from wife Lorell Sheldon to cop Archie Twitchell. It's a nicely layered performance by one of the founders of the Group Theater, and director Albert Herman lets him have his head.
    8planktonrules

    Body, body....who's got the body?!

    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.
    5bkoganbing

    What to do with a body?

    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.

    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Kruger's car is a 1941 Buick convertible; the "A" sticker on his front windshield is a World War II era gasoline ration status. The "A" sticker was aimed at nonessential driving and was good for three gallons a week to be used for essential shopping and other uses.
    • Goofs
      When Officer Trigg sees Kruger speeding past, and sets out after him, his motorcycle has three headlights on. But just seconds later, before he catches up to Kruger, only two headlights are on. The next time we see him, still at night, none of the headlights are on.
    • Soundtracks
      Home, Sweet Home
      (uncredited)

      Music by Sir Henry Bishop (aka H.R. Bishop)

      Played under the opening and closing credits

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 1, 1945 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Stranger in the Family
    • Production company
      • Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 2m(62 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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