One of My Wives Is Missing

It's not a bit surprising that this movie is based on a play, since it's rather theatrical: except for a couple of scenes tacked onto the beginning and end, it's a one-set mystery, and a rather gimmicky one at that. What makes it involving, however, is the subtext and Elizabeth Ashley's amazingly sexy performance. The film is really about art of deception and the seduction of play-acting. In one especially weird scene, the ever-bland Franciscus and a white-hot Ashley (those eyes!) almost get busy by poolside. You know at least one character is about to succumb to a lie. Later, the Klug-man has his most believable (and least mannered) moment when he embraces a deception and hollers at Franciscus, "where you come from, are all cops HONEST?" I've never considered Elizabeth Ashley a babe -- then again, most of what I've seen her do are lame made-fors and cheesy thrillers. But she won a Tony nomination for playing Maggie in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" so maybe she saved all her sensuality for these two roles.

At first glance, this looks like another here today, gone tomorrow made for TV thriller, but this is one that will stay with you. There are twists and turns that you'd never expect, and the denouement is very clever. There's a terrific atmosphere of mystery and terror throughout, and the cast is perfect. Jack Klugman never solved a mystery this good as Quincy, that's for sure.

Very clever.

Klugman is excellent in this classy TVM from that glorious year, 1976. The remake came a decade later, "Vanishing Act", with Elliott Gould and while good, was not a patch on this.

Great plot. Keeps you guessing.

Finally got to see [and record] it this week

8/10

The high (7.7/10) rating and almost unanimously positive user-comments around here caught my attention. Finding the film was quite difficult, but eventually I watched "One of my Wives is Missing" via a copy that is available on YouTube. The picture and sound quality were very poor, but I couldn't care less because it was one of the most captivating, intelligent and addictive TV-mystery/thrillers I ever beheld! It's a must-see in case you're a fan of convoluted whodunit stories, like Agatha Christie's novels, for instance. You might occasionally think you figured out the plot, or feel confident about knowing what the characters are up to next, but the script somehow always outsmarts you anyway. Those are the best thrillers that exist, but unfortunately extremely rare. "One of my Wives is Missing", based on a stage play, is such a unique gem, and moreover blessed with great acting performances and witty humor. Barely three days into their honeymoon at a remote mansion in a sleepy village, corporate business executive Daniel Corban (James Fransiscus) reports his wife Elizabeth missing. Local head of police Levine (Jack Klugman) seemingly doesn't take the case all too serious, because the wife ran off with her car after a quarrel. And see, Elizabeth does return to her husband, ... except that Corban swears that the woman who returned isn't his wife. This two-line synopsis is only the tip of the iceberg, I assure you, but it would be a shame to reveal too much. Klugman's lines and clever remarks are often downright genius, while the confrontations between the perplexed Corban and the stoic Elizabeth are tense and chilling. The film doesn't receive a perfect 10-rating because the denouement requires a little too much suspension of disbelief, but "One of my Wives is Missing" nevertheless is an astounding 70s TV-treasure.

I was channel surfing one day and found this movie minutes after the opening credits. I thought it was a Quincy episode and started watching. I soon realized it was a move.

As the movie progressed I said "ah ha!" that I knew who did what. Minutes later I was proved wrong but THEN thought that I knew what was up. Again I was proved wrong. Soon I realized that I was being led down the primrose path. This back and forth happened throughout the movie.

By the end of the movie I realized how well it had been crafted. I felt is was a good choice of cast members too.

I highly recommend this movie if you can find it!