Midnight Mysteries-One Body Too Many (1944)
Eager beaver insurance salesman, Albert Tuttle, thinks he’s
landed a dream appointment with eccentric millionaire, Cyrus Rutherford. He arrives at the Rutherford estate only to
find his hot prospect is stone cold dead with a house full of conniving
relatives, suspicious servants and a slippery lawyer. As stipulated in Rutherford’s will, none of
the potential heirs may leave the premises until the next morning. It could be the opportunity of a lifetime for
Tuttle…if he lives through the night.
One Body Too Many is the typical creepy mansion flick
complete with secret rooms and hidden passages as well as a comic twist. While likeable Tuttle is hardly the typical
stoic, square-jawed hero he stammers, stumbles and scrambles from one
situation to the next. Though the large
cast makes it tough to distinguish the cut-throat relatives from one another,
the flick is well-worth a watch.
Fun facts:
Director Frank McDonald worked on the railroad prior to his
directing career. He directed more than 100 films including action movies and
Westerns.
Albert Tuttle was played by Jack Haley who is best known for
his role as the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz.
Bela Lugosi appeared in a supporting role as Merkel the
butler.
