The Corpse Vanishes [PG]

When a string of brides drop dead at the altar and their bodies later vanish without a trace from the site, the city papers are alive with fearful headlines. One such reporter, Pat, stumbles upon a clue during another wedding where the bride dies: a strange orchid that has a sweet scent. Eager to pick up the trail of the mystery, she travels to the home of eccentric European doctor and horticulturist Dr. Lorenz, hoping to get some information about the orchid. But she gets more than she counted on when she gets stranded there for the night and discovers a series of hidden passages leading to secret rooms; one of which contains the bodies of the deceased brides. 

This movie has just enough of predictable motive, slightly clichéd characters, and eccentricity to make it rather enjoyable. A mad scientist being villainous for love, a keen-minded and suspicious newspaper reporter, the handsome love interest, and a host of beautiful brides; what more does a solid horror movie need? 

One thing that immediately stood out for me was the editing and the flow of this movie. We begin with a death, right from the off, and then it’s the adrenaline-inspiring montage of headlines spinning onto centre screen letting the audience in on the increasing body count. All within the first ten minutes. From there, each scene is put together so smoothly, almost seamlessly, and it keeps the suspense and excitement of the audience continuously piqued just enough without becoming too ham-fisted. There’s one particularly good scene where our heroine is being followed, unbeknownst to her, by the dumb brute of a henchman of the doctor, and the shots of her walking briskly and then him following in the same shot composition are put together so well that it really does feel as though a chase is on. 

Luana Walters as our leading heroine plays the role of the eager journalist well, I mean it’s a predictable and clichéd sort of character, but she did the role with the right amount of determination, cynicism, and sass. 

Bela Lugosi as our eccentric doctor is great, playing the role with the right amount of charm, manners, and eccentricity. Bela’s got a great screen presence for these sorts of characters. 

There’s a great amount of suspense that gets built-up, namely thanks to the sometimes light and funny, sometimes dark and sinister score by Charles Dunworth (uncredited). Basically everything in this movie just works well enough to make a film that’s solid as a horror movie: intriguing and exciting without being over-the-top and never really aiming to ‘scare’ scare. It’s just a fun little one to sit down and watch. 

Starring Tristram Coffin, Elizabeth Russell, Minerva Urecal, Angelo Rossitto, Joan Barclay, Kenneth Harlan, Gwen Kenyon, Vince Barnett, Frank Moran, and George Eldredge, The Corpse Vanishes is a lightly exciting and spooky little movie filled with mystery, eccentricity, romance, action, and comedy. Whilst it’s nothing inherently or cinematically special, it’s just a good little one to watch and while away some time, as I’m doing struck in bed with a cold.