THE CORPSE VANISHES (1942). Director: Wallace Fox.
A series of young brides collapse and apparently die in front of the altar on their wedding days, and then their bodies -- taken away by a hearse -- completely disappear. Could Dr. Lorenz (Bela Lugosi) be the culprit? A reporter named Patricia Hunter (Luana Walters) discovers that each woman was wearing a special kind of orchid at her wedding. Patricia's editor is so stupid that he doesn't seem to think this is any kind of a clue! Tristram Coffin (billed as Tris Coffin), the King of the Rocket Men himself, plays the Lorenz' family doctor, while Elizabeth Russell from The Seventh Victim, Weird Woman, and others, plays Lorenz' aged wife who needs, shall we say, frequent beauty treatments. This holds the attention but it isn't one of Bela's better latter-day features. An interesting idea isn't well developed. Lugosi is good, as usual.
Verdict: Hold the orchids if you dare. **.
Oooh, this one looks like it’s right up my alley. Love Lugosi, and these early 40s horror films. Seventh Victim is one of my all time faves.
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Seventh Victim is a good film, but you might find this one quite disappointing. Poor Bela!
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