| “ | I've heard of ambulance chasin', but this is something new! | ” |
| - Sandy |
- For the episode, see MST3K 105 - The Corpse Vanishes.
The Corpse Vanishes is a 1942 American mystery/thriller film starring Bela Lugosi. It was directed by Wallace Fox, and written by Harvey Gates.
Plot[]
The Corpse Vanishes
On the day of her wedding, debutante Alice Wentworth collapses at the altar. The mad scientist Dr. Lorenz had sent Alice a poisoned orchid, the scent of which places the young woman in a state of suspended animation. He then takes her body away to the basement laboratory of his isolated mansion. There, Lorenz extracts her bodily fluids to inject into his wife (who is aged and vain) in order to renew her youth and beauty.
Journalist Patricia Hunter investigates the case and discovers evidence of the unusual orchid. She is directed to Lorenz, a known expert on orchids, and visits his mansion. Lorenz tries to convince her to leave, but she is forced to spend the night when a storm begins. During the night, Patricia discovers Lorenz's basement laboratory. In the morning, she hurries back to her newspaper offices.
Hunter and her colleagues make an attempt to trap Lorenz but he evades them. He chloroforms Hunter and takes her to his laboratory to use her bodily fluids upon his wife. During the injection procedure, Lorenz is stabbed by an angry servant woman who holds Lorenz responsible for her sons’ deaths. Lorenz strangles her, then collapses and dies. The servant rallies weakly and stabs Lorenz‘s wife to death. The police arrive and Hunter is rescued.
Cast[]
- Bela Lugosi as Dr. George Lorenz
- Luana Walters as Patricia Hunter
- Tristram Coffin as Dr. Foster
- Elizabeth Russell as Countess Lorenz
- Minerva Urecal as Fagah
- Angelo Rossitto as Toby
- Joan Barclay as Alice Wentworth
- Kenneth Harlan as Keenan
- Gwen Kenyon as Peggy Woods
- Vince Barnett as Sandy
- Frank Moran as Angel
- George Eldredge as Mike
Notes[]
- Bela Lugosi starred in the horror film Bowery at Midnight, also released in 1942. That film includes a scene set outside a cinema in which a poster for The Corpse Vanishes featuring Lugosi's image and name can be seen.
MST3K Connections[]
- Bela Lugosi also portrayed Dr. Zorka in The Phantom Creeps and Dr. Eric Vornoff in Bride of the Monster.
- Luana Walters also portrayed a party guest in The She-Creature.
- Tristram Coffin also portrayed Security Chief Meidel in The Crawling Hand, Michael in Radar Secret Service, and a police lieutenant and a radio announcer in The Brute Man.
- Angelo Rossitto also portrayed the second dwarf in The Magic Sword.
- Pat Costello (attendant at Alice's wedding) also portrayed the Car 22 patrolman in The Brute Man.
- Joe Gilbert (wedding guest) also portrayed a bar patron in Jungle Goddess, a tourist in line in Invasion USA, and a party guest in The She-Creature.
- Dick Gordon (wedding guest) also portrayed the judge in X Marks the Spot.
- Sol Murgi (restaurant patron) also portrayed a bar patron in Teen-Age Crime Wave
- Frank O'Connor (policeman) also portrayed the policeman at Helen's apartment in The Brute Man.
- Paul Power (wedding guest) also portrayed a nightclub patron in I Accuse My Parents.
- Producer Jack Dietz was also producer for The Black Scorpion.
- Producer Sam Katzman (who also portrayed a man in the newspaper office) was also producer for Teen-Age Crime Wave.
- Associate producer Barney A. Sarecky was also production supervisor for Undersea Kingdom and producer for Radar Secret Service.
- Art director Dave Milton was also art director for The Rebel Set and World Without End.
- Costume jeweler Eugene Joseff was also costume jeweler for The Mad Monster and I Accuse My Parents.
- Stock music composer Charles Dunworth also composed stock music used in Undersea Kingdom.