SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 1 Hr.
Released by Pathe Pictures, Ltd., in 1946, The Missing Lady was the last of its three black-and-white Shadow adaptations starring the same primary cast that year. The preceding films were The Shadow Returns and Behind The Mask. From an original story penned by screenwriter/associate producer George Callahan, Phil Karlson directed this film.
Note: The obscure Pathe Pictures, Ltd. was evidently associated with Monogram Pictures. Of interest is that The Missing Lady’s noir mystery-wacky comedy formula is reminiscent of a previous Monogram release: 1943’s The Mystery of the 13th Guest.
Murdering wealthy art dealer John Douglas (Lessey) in his home, a nocturnal killer then pilfers the prized statuette dubbed ‘The Jade Lady’ from a display cabinet. Specifically, the jade statuette is of Quan Yin, the Chinese goddess of mercy. Lamont Cranston (Richmond), the police commissioner’s crusading nephew, suspects the unknown culprit has stashed the so-called ‘Missing Lady’ somewhere within the city.
After a month, the Douglas murder remains unsolved. Cranston’s (Richmond) amateur sleuthing has produced few leads, as his undercover stint in a seedy men-only motel leads to a clash with tough-guy mobster Ox (Overman). As multiple femme fatales become involved, Cranston is subsequently framed for murder twice the same night in his own apartment building. Compounding Cranston’s probe is a cantankerous and often-befuddled police inspector (Flavin), who would gladly arrest him rather than consider other suspects.
Cranston (and his masked “Shadow” alter ego) must trace the elusive statuette first to catch the killer (or then again, perhaps there’s multiple killers). Supporting Cranston are his bumbling valet, Shrevvie (Chandler), and, for their own reasons, the duo’s suspicious girlfriends: Margo Lane (Read) and Jennie Delaney (Kent). Inevitably, others in pursuit of ‘The Jade Lady’ won’t mind resorting to deadly gunplay to possess this valued artifact.
Lamont Cranston / The Shadow: Kane Richmond
Margo Lane: Barbara Read
Shrevvie: George Chandler
Jennie Delaney: Dorothea Kent
Police Inspector Cardona: James Flavin
Police Commissioner Weston: Pierre Watkin
Rose Dawson: Claire Carleton
“Ox” Walsh: Jack Overman
Gilda Marsh: Jo-Carroll Dennison
Terry Blake: James Cardwell
Anne Walsh: Frances Robinson
Miss Effie (Elevator Operator # 1): Almira Sessions
Miss Millie (Elevator Operator # 2): Nora Cecil
Jan Field: George Lewis (aka George J. Lewis)
Lefty (Ox’s Associate): Anthony Warde
Harry the Bartender: Dewey Robinson
Waldo (Bar Drunk): Bert Roach
John Douglas: George Lessey
Alfred Kester: Douglas Wood
Motel Clerk: Tom Plank
Motel Guests: Hank Worden & Ted Billings
Cardona’s Plainclothes Cops/Interrogators: Lee Phelps, Eddie Dunn, & Ray Teal
Bar Patrons: Uncredited
Additional Motel Guests: Uncredited.
REVIEW:
This film’s opening credits playfully tease a fun Republic Pictures-style caper, like that rival studio’s serial cliffhangers were known for. In that decade, Republic Pictures was adept at adapting comic book and pulp heroes (i.e. Captain Marvel/Shazam and Zorro) into campy three-to-four-hour epics. Pathe Pictures, Ltd. instead ensures sixty minutes with their Shadow ends up a middling waste of an hour. Peddling a Dashiell Hammett wanna-be mystery as its premise, The Missing Lady is, in other words, a standard-issue cheapie of its time. That much Pathe’s paltry Shadow knows.
For instance, despite the setting of an unidentified big city, contrivance doesn’t explain how the major players seemingly live in the same high-end apartment building where multiple murders occur. More so, this film’s blend of deadly Maltese Falcon noir and insipid screwball comedy (i.e. Margo & Jenny’s vapid ‘jealous girlfriend’ antics; the wacky elevator ladies) doesn’t mesh as a formulaic substitute for a live-action Shadow thriller. It’s a shame to a degree, as the film’s watchable mystery elements are sabotaged by an excess of goofy comedy relief.
Though Kane Richmond is game to play both action hero and Cary Grant, the movie’s lackluster script strands him (along with a decent cast), with little elsewhere to go. His vigilante ‘Shadow,’ aside from a black mask and appearing a few times in (where else) the shadows, contributes too little to the storyline. Given how Richmond’s Cranston makes little effort to disguise his voice, it’s an eyeroll that this Shadow’s less-than-terrified targets fail to deduce his alter ego.
Hence, the supernatural eeriness viewers should expect emanating from the vintage radio show and the pulp stories is devoid from this bland cliché-fest posing as a Shadow caper. And perhaps the less said about Barbara Read’s silly Margo Lane the better.
This Missing Lady, unfortunately, proves a weak whodunnit for Lamont Cranston and his Shadow.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 3½ Stars
Note: For a dose of slam-bang viewing from that era, at least two of Republic Pictures’ black-and-white cliffhanger serials are recommended. One would be 1939’s Zorro’s Fighting Legion, and another treat is the first live-action super-hero film: 1941’s Adventures of Captain Marvel.
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