The Corpse Vanishes (1942)

Bela Lugosi plays the mad scientist Dr. Lorenz in this low budget horror movie from poverty row studio Monogram Pictures.  This time out Lugosi’s character is using his knowledge of science to put brides into a death like state so he can kidnap them.  Taking them back to his hidden lab he is then able to harvest a chemical from their glands that allows him to keep his wife young and beautiful forever.  To the public though someone is killing off the brides and stealing the bodies (thus the film’s title).  It isn’t until a female reporter named Patricia figures out how the brides are being poisoned and tracks down Lorenz that the good doctor’s plans are in danger.  Will Patricia stop Lorenz or will she too become a victim of the mad scientist?

Lugosi was in some pretty damn awful movies in his career and while this isn’t the worst it comes close.  Not only is the story just plain silly and full of plot holes, but it also manages to be incredibly slow and boring as well.  You have the dumbest reporters ever that continually miss clues and the most unobservant cops that manage to miss a hearse pulling up maybe fifteen feet away, loading up a body, and driving away noisily!  Oh and the cops believe Patricia enough to stage an elaborate trap to catch Lorenz, rather then just going to his house that has a basement full of bodies and arresting him.  Now I’m willing to suspend my disbelief to watch a horror flick, but the movie has to at least try.  The cast is made up of the normal Z grade actors that typically worked for the Poverty Row studios like Monogram.  Of course the one well-known actor in the cast is Lugosi.  But this is far from his best performance. 

This is a cheaply made movie and it shows.  The sets are clearly reused from another film and don’t really fit the story.  I’ve actually heard the music before.  In fact I’m pretty sure it was another Monogram produced Lugosi film.  Again the music doesn’t really fit what is happening on the screen.  When watching the movie I noticed that all of the shots were fairly generic.  Most of these movies were shot quickly and this one feels rushed.  The picture and sound are all right, but nothing special.  

I found the Corpse Vanishes to be cheaply made, slow, and poorly written.  Unless you are a big fan of Lugosi or are on a mission to see as many Monogram horror movies as you possibly can (which I am) there isn’t anything remotely interesting or worthwhile about this movie.  If you still want to check it out after reading my review the movie can be had on several of the budget sets from Mill Creek Entertainment.  Check them out at http://www.millcreekent.com/ for more information.

½ out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer

© Copyright 2008 John Shatzer