One Body Too Many
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Movie Reviews of One Body Too Many
Movie Review: What Evil Lurks...
Summary: 3 Stars
I borrowed my title from "The Shadow." I have no idea why, but since most of the action in this movie takes place at night, the phrase seemed appropriate. Anyway, insurance salesman Albert Tuttle (Jack Haley, whose career included the Shirley Temple movies "Poor Little Rich Girl" and "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm," and the role of the Tin Man in "The Wizard of Oz"), arrives at the home of Mr. Cyrus Wentworth, where he is supposed to be selling Mr. Wentworth an insurance policy. Unfortunately, Mr. Wentworth has already passed away.
Mr. Wentworth has specified that certain conditions must be met before his heirs get the goodies. On the other hand, if the conditions are not met, the terms of his will are to be reversed. Soon people are dying and disappearing, and Albert Tuttle ends up in a coffin in the pond. It is mostly in good fun with periodic humor thrown in. Bela Lugosi lurks about as butler Murkil. Since I knew of Bela Lugosi's history in horror I kept thinking that Lugosi was the bad guy in this movie. You will have to watch and see about that.
This movie has all the attributes of an Old Dark House type of movie. There are sinister locations and characters, and murders that seem to have been impossible. We do not find out who is doing all the deeds until the end of the movie, which is full of action. This movie is neither the best in this genre nor the worst. This movie did have some fun moments and I found myself glued to the television while waiting for events to unfold. Fans of 1940's murder mysteries will find this one to be interesting to watch with several very enjoyable scenes.
Enjoy!
Movie Review: Would You Like Some Coffee?
Summary: 3 Stars
Albert Tuttle (Jack "Tin Man" Haley) is an eager life insurance salesman on a mission. He's been trying to get an appointment with Cyrus Rutherford, a reclusive, eccentric millionaire for months. Tonight, he's finally done it! Unfortunately, his latest policy prospect has just died, leaving a mansion full of greedy relatives, waiting for their share of the inheritance. Tuttle arrives and is mistaken for a guy who was supposed to guard the old boy's body, so the relatives can sleep without worrying about who might bury uncle Cyrus (a stipulation in the will forbids burial). ONE BODY TOO MANY has plenty of mystery, murders, secret passages, and enough laughs to keep things fun. Jean Parker (Beyond Tomorrow) is the love interest. Bela Lugosi is his normal grumpy self as the butler who is constantly pushing coffee on people that just might be poisoned! Lyle Talbot (Plan 9 From Outer Space, Torture Ship) is suave, dapper, and in constant search of booze. All in all, a good flick for a cold, clammy night...Movie Review: Have some coffee
Summary: 3 Stars
Relatives and loyal servants are gathered to hear the reading of Mr. Cyrus Wentworth'S last wishes. As the layer reads the wishes Cyrus snubs everyone there. Then the sort of tontine plot is delivered. Some will be rich others may get $1.50. It all hinges on whether the deceased gets his wish and is laid to rest above ground so he can see the stars. Or wither some unscrupulous person(s) will bury him under ground thus reversing the will.
Not trusting each other and wanting to get some sleep they hire a guard. Instead an insurance salesman Albert Tuttle (Jack Haley) apaches and is mistaken for the guard.
The fun begins.
All the standard clichés and scenarios are played out in the proper fashion. The only exceptional part is waiting to see who will drink the coffee and Bela Lugosi's facial expressions.
Devil Bat
Movie Review: Forget a heart, Tin Man, get a script
Summary: 2 Stars
William Pine and William Thomas were two Paramount executives who joined together to produce some cheap little pictures with Paramount backing and distribution. They became known as the "dollar Bills" for churning out inexpensive pictures that always made money. At first, they specialized in aviation pictures (their first three films were POWER DIVE, FORCED LANDING, and FLYING BLIND, all released in 1941), but when the war began they broadened their screens to include military adventures, mysteries, and even musicals. Like many B outfits they had a stock company of directors (Frank McDonald, William Berke) and players (Richard Arlen, Chester Morris, Roger Pryor and others).
Late in the war, Pine-Thomas signed Jack Haley to star in musical-comedies, but the first one, TAKE IT BIG (with Ozzie and Harriet) was a disappointment, so they cast Haley in a mystery-comedy called ONE BODY TOO MANY.
Cyrus Wentworth, a crazy multi-millionaire, has died, leaving a will that insults his heirs and promises that half of them will get a lot of money and the other half will get piddle, unless the exact terms of his will aren't carried out, in which case the piddlers will become the piddlees and vice versa. And the terms of his will? He was an astrology nut (who built an observatory atop his decrepit old mansion) and he wants to be entombed with a skylight so he can look up at the stars. Also, everybody named as an heir has to stay in the house for three days until he's safely in his moon-roofed vault. Okay, so you can guess what happens: somebody has read the will, knows he (or she) is a piddlee, and decides to steal the old man's corpse so he can't be entombed, thereby making himself a piddler. Got that? And if anybody gets in his (or her) way, well, then, said anybody is gonna end up vault-shopping with Uncle Cyrus.
Okay, you'd think that would be enough plot, but NO! An eager insurance salesman named Tuttle (Jack Haley) shows up; it seems that he had an appointment with the recently deceased to sell him some life insurance (a little late, there, Tuttle). Haley immediately falls in love with one of the old boy's relatives, the delicious Jean Parker, and decides to stay and protect her. The problem is, he spends the rest of the film cowering, running, hiding, and in general doing everything he can to not impress her. Bob Hope he ain't. Funny he ain't, either. Neither?
Okay, lastly I will mention that there is a creepy butler and housekeeper (naturally), the former of whom is Bela Lugosi in a throw-away part. We see him getting a bottle of rat poison off the shelf ("Dere are too many rats in dis houssssse... dey should be done avay vith!") and then spending the rest of the film offering coffee to the assembled, with a look of chagrin when they all refuse (or what passes for chagrin on Lugosi's mug; it could've also been anger, humor, annoyance, horniness, or impatience that his giant bats hadn't arrived yet).
ONE BODY TOO MANY is one Jack Haley scare comedy too many. The Alpha DVD is okay, though, if you're gonna take the plunge anyway.