The Body Disappears

Last updated

The Body Disappears
The Body Disappears lobby card.jpg
Lobby card
Directed by D. Ross Lederman
Written by
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Allen G. Siegler
Edited by Frederick Richards
Music by Howard Jackson
Production
company
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release date
  • December 6, 1941 (1941-12-06)
Running time
72 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Body Disappears is a 1941 American comedy film directed by D. Ross Lederman and starring Jeffrey Lynn, Jane Wyman and Edward Everett Horton. [1] It was produced and distributed by Warner Brothers as a second feature. [2]

Contents

Plot

Unconscious after his bachelor party, Peter De Haven (Jeffrey Lynn) is transported by his friends to the college dissecting room as a practical joke. Professor Shotesbury (Edward Everett Horton) mistakenly injects him with a serum that makes him invisible. While invisible, De Haven learns that his fiancee, Christine (Marguerite Chapman), is only marrying him for his money. He also falls in love with Shotesbury's daughter, Joan (Jane Wyman). Meanwhile, Shotesbury is committed to a sanatorium by his colleagues for his claims about invisible monkeys and men. De Haven and Joan, by this time also invisible, go to release Shotesbury from the mental hospital, which they achieve by making him invisible as well. All the while time is running out for De Haven to receive an antidote. In the end, all receive the antidote, and De Haven ends up with Joan. [3]

Cast

Critical reception

Writing in AllMovie, critic Hal Erickson described the film as "an agreeably daffy comedy with science-fiction undertones," having "all manner of looney complications" and "still fresh and funny after nearly six decades." [4] A review of the film in TV Guide described it as a "funny B movie" with "fine special effects [that] highlight this variation of the 'invisible man' theme," noting further that "Horton and wide-eyed Best [give] fine comic performances." [5] Critic Dennis Schwartz described the film as a "delightful screwball comedy" and "the kind of old-fashioned comedy that can cheer you up with a few laughs if you are down, or if you are in a silly mood make you feel even sillier." [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Wyman</span> American actress (1917–2007)

Jane Wyman was an American actress. She received an Academy Award (1948), four Golden Globe Awards and nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards.

<i>Its a Great Feeling</i> 1949 film by David Butler

It's a Great Feeling is a 1949 American Technicolor musical comedy film starring Doris Day, Jack Carson and Dennis Morgan in a parody of what goes on behind the scenes in Hollywood movie making. The screenplay by Jack Rose and Mel Shavelson was based upon a story by I. A. L. Diamond. The film was directed by David Butler, produced by Alex Gottlieb and distributed by Warner Bros.

<i>Fireside Theatre</i> American anthology TV series (1949–1958)

Fireside Theatre is an American anthology drama series that ran on NBC from 1949 to 1958, and was the first successful filmed series on American television. Early episodes (1949-1955) were low-budget and often based on public domain stories. While the series was dismissed by critics, it remained among the top ten most popular shows for most of this period. For the 8th season (1955–1956) Jane Wyman became the host and producer making it only the second filmed prime time network drama anthology to be hosted by a woman. Later episodes (1955–1958) were written by important freelance television writers such as Rod Serling, Aaron Spelling and Gene Roddenberry. It predates the other major pioneer of filmed television production in America, I Love Lucy, by two years.

<i>I Married a Woman</i> 1958 film

I Married a Woman is a 1958 American comedy film made in 1956, directed by Hal Kanter, written by Goodman Ace, and starring George Gobel, Diana Dors, and Adolphe Menjou. The picture was produced by Gobel's company, Gomalco Productions. I Married a Woman also features John Wayne in a cameo role as himself. It was filmed in RKO-Scope and black and white except for one of Wayne's two scenes, which was shot in Technicolor. The film's original title was So There You Are. The film was a box-office disappointment, which hurt the careers of Dors and Gobel.

<i>Princess ORourke</i> 1943 film by Norman Krasna

Princess O'Rourke is a 1943 American romantic comedy film directed and written by Norman Krasna, and starring Olivia de Havilland, Robert Cummings and Charles Coburn. Krasna won the 1944 Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

<i>Incident</i> (film) 1949 film by William Beaudine

Incident is a 1948 American film noir directed by William Beaudine and featuring Warren Douglas, Jane Frazee and Robert Osterloh.

<i>The Aviator</i> (1929 film) 1929 film

The Aviator is a 1929 American Pre-Code Vitaphone comedy film produced and released by Warner Bros. Directed by Roy Del Ruth, the film was based on the play of the same name by James Montgomery and stars Edward Everett Horton and Patsy Ruth Miller. The Aviator is similar to the silent comedy The Hottentot (1922), where a hapless individual has to pretend to be a famous steeplehorse jockey. The Aviator today is considered a lost film.

<i>The Gangs All Here</i> (1939 film) 1939 British film

The Gang's All Here is a 1939 British black-and-white comedy-mystery, directed by Thornton Freeland and starring Jack Buchanan and Googie Withers. It was produced by Associated British Picture Corporation and released in the U.S. in 1943 as The Amazing Mr. Forrest.

<i>The King and the Chorus Girl</i> 1937 film by Mervyn LeRoy

The King and the Chorus Girl is a 1937 American romantic comedy film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Fernand Gravey, Joan Blondell and Edward Everett Horton.

<i>My Love Came Back</i> 1940 American film

My Love Came Back is a 1940 American comedy-drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Olivia de Havilland, Jeffrey Lynn, Eddie Albert, and Jane Wyman. Based on the 1935 Austrian film Episode written and directed by Walter Reisch, the film is about a gifted young violinist who considers leaving a prestigious music academy to play in a jazz band to earn money. The academy's new president—a distinguished wealthy patron of the arts—convinces her to stay after secretly arranging a scholarship for her out of his own pocket, and the two begin attending concerts together. Complications arise when he asks his young business manager to take his place at one of the concerts. The film is notable for Heinz Eric Roemheld's musical direction and Ray Heindorf's unique swing orchestral arrangements of classical pieces. My Love Came Back was released by Warner Bros. Pictures in the United States on July 13, 1940.

Nanny and the Professor is a 1972 American animated comedy TV movie based on the sitcom by the same name. The series' original cast reprised their roles from the live action series. Unlike in the television series, Nanny openly performs magic, while in the TV series it was only implied. The film was broadcast on September 30, 1972, as part of The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie.

<i>One Woman to Another</i> 1927 film

One Woman to Another is a lost 1927 American silent comedy film directed by Frank Tuttle and written by J.L. Campbell and George Marion Jr. based upon a play by Frances Nordstrom. The film stars Florence Vidor, Theodore von Eltz, Marie Shotwell, Hedda Hopper, Roy Stewart and Joyce Coad. The film was released on September 17, 1927, by Paramount Pictures.

<i>Public Wedding</i> 1937 film by Nick Grinde

Public Wedding is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Nick Grinde and written by Roy Chanslor and Houston Branch. The film stars Jane Wyman, William Hopper, Dick Purcell, Marie Wilson, Berton Churchill and Archie Robbins. The film was released by Warner Bros. on July 10, 1937.

<i>Doughnuts and Society</i> 1936 film by Lewis D. Collins

Doughnuts and Society is a 1936 American comedy film directed by Lewis D. Collins and written by Karen DeWolf, Robert St. Claire, Wallace MacDonald, Matt Brooks and Gertrude Orr. The film stars Louise Fazenda, Maude Eburne, Ann Rutherford, Edward Nugent, Hedda Hopper and Franklin Pangborn. The film was released on March 27, 1936, by Republic Pictures.

<i>The Ghost Goes Wild</i> 1947 film by George Blair

The Ghost Goes Wild is a 1947 American comedy film directed by George Blair and written by Randall Faye. The film stars James Ellison, Anne Gwynne, Edward Everett Horton, Ruth Donnelly, Stephanie Bachelor and Grant Withers. It was released on March 8, 1947 by Republic Pictures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marguerite Chapman filmography</span>

This is the complete filmography of actress Marguerite Chapman.

<i>The Sap</i> (1929 film) 1929 film

The Sap is a 1929 American sound part-talkie comedy film directed by Archie Mayo and written by De Leon Anthony and Robert Lord. In addition to sequences with audible dialogue or talking sequences, the film features a synchronized musical score and sound effects along with English intertitles. The soundtrack was recorded using the Vitaphone sound-on-disc system. The film is based on the 1924 play The Sap by William A. Grew. The film stars Edward Everett Horton, Alan Hale Sr., Patsy Ruth Miller, Russell Simpson, Jerry Mandy and Edna Murphy. The film was released by Warner Bros. on November 9, 1929. This film was the last "part-talkie" produced by the studio.

<i>Model Wife</i> (film) 1941 film directed by Leigh Jason

Model Wife is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Leigh Jason and written by Charles Kaufman, Horace Jackson and Grant Garett. The film stars Joan Blondell, Dick Powell, Charlie Ruggles, Lee Bowman, Lucile Watson, Ruth Donnelly and Billy Gilbert. The film was released on April 18, 1941, by Universal Pictures.

The Spirit of Stanford is a 1942 American drama film directed by Charles Barton and written by Howard J. Green, William Brent and Nick Lukats. The film stars Frankie Albert, Marguerite Chapman, Matt Willis, Shirley Patterson, Kay Harris and Robert Kellard. The film was released on October 8, 1942, by Columbia Pictures.

<i>No Living Witness</i> 1932 film

No Living Witness is a 1932 American pre-Code crime film directed by E. Mason Hopper and written by Norman Houston. The film stars Gilbert Roland, Noah Beery Sr., Barbara Kent, Carmel Myers, Otis Harlan, Dorothy Revier, J. Carrol Naish, Ferike Boros and John Ince. The film was released on September 15, 1932, by Mayfair Pictures.

References

  1. Erickson, Hal (2014). "The Body Disappears". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . Baseline & All Movie Guide. Movies. Archived from the original on December 8, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  2. Dick p.40
  3. "The Body Disappears (1941) – Full Synopsis" . Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  4. Erickson, Hal. "The Body Disappears (1941)". AllMovie. Netaktion LLC. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  5. "The Body Disappears Reviews". TV Guide. TV Guide. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  6. Schwartz, Dennis. "Body Disappears, The". Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews. Retrieved September 6, 2023.

Bibliography