One Body Too Many is yet another Old Dark House film from the 30s and 40s. This genre, along with the pure and simple murder mystery, were very popular during this time. Another genre this film would fall into would be the Chiller genre. Basically a Chiller is a movie that is absent of anything that is too violent or upsetting and aims to do just what the title says: send chills up and down the audiences spine. I personally adore the chiller genre and wish we could see more films in this vein coming out today. It isn't that I dislike the slasher movies, filled with gore galore. I obviously love that sub-genre as well. Its just that we don't get hardly any horror films in the chiller sub-genre anymore. The last one that I can honestly say fits the category is The Others. And that film wasn't that great.
So, I am determined to go back into the annals of film history to find good chiller films. One of the ones I recently watched was One Body Too Many. It is advertised as staring Bela Lugosi, even thought Lugosi has a minimal--almost non-existent--role. Additionally, I didn't feel a whole lot of "chills" during the film.
The credits begin with creepy music and a semi-creepy looking house in the background. It has some promise for being chilling but not much. Then, the first shot of the film is of a busy city street. Needless to say I was less than thrilled. I realize this is the beginning of the film, and I also realize I am judging harshly from the start. However, I expect a chiller movie to invoke a certain sense of the macabre right from the beginning.
So, I am determined to go back into the annals of film history to find good chiller films. One of the ones I recently watched was One Body Too Many. It is advertised as staring Bela Lugosi, even thought Lugosi has a minimal--almost non-existent--role. Additionally, I didn't feel a whole lot of "chills" during the film.
The credits begin with creepy music and a semi-creepy looking house in the background. It has some promise for being chilling but not much. Then, the first shot of the film is of a busy city street. Needless to say I was less than thrilled. I realize this is the beginning of the film, and I also realize I am judging harshly from the start. However, I expect a chiller movie to invoke a certain sense of the macabre right from the beginning.
So, I decide the movie deserves more of a chance. After all, some of my favorite chiller/comedy films--Hold That Ghost and The Ghost and Mr. Chicken--don't start out by being creepy right from the start. So we meet this quirky insurance agent named Leo and I realize that this will probably be a more comedic chiller film like the others ones I enjoy. So I relax and give it more of a chance.
Leo is determined to sell an insurance policy to a billionaire who lives in a creepy house at the top of a hill. It will be his biggest sell and will set his career for life. So he travels up to the house only to be mistaken for a private eye. It turns out that the eccentric billionaire I dead and all of the family is there for the reading of the will. (It's classic plot fodder for films like this.) The will claims that no one can leave the house until the "sky burial" is complete. If the body is buried in the ground and not in the sky chamber at the top of the house the will is compromised. So they ask Leo to guard the body through the night. After that there isn't much to tell. There is quirky chase scenes around the old house, the power goes out, Leo gets lost--in his bath towel--in a secret passage, people are murdered throughout the house, etc. In the end Leo is expected of stealing the body and murdering the other house guests. So it is up to him to struggle to reveal the true murderer before the police arrive in the morning.
The fun haunted house antics are enjoyable and Leo has some funny scenes--my favorite being the one where the dark figure sneaks into the coffin room and hits Leo on the head. But overall the movie isn't my favorite. There are much better creepy house films out there, and better chiller films to boot.
Leo is determined to sell an insurance policy to a billionaire who lives in a creepy house at the top of a hill. It will be his biggest sell and will set his career for life. So he travels up to the house only to be mistaken for a private eye. It turns out that the eccentric billionaire I dead and all of the family is there for the reading of the will. (It's classic plot fodder for films like this.) The will claims that no one can leave the house until the "sky burial" is complete. If the body is buried in the ground and not in the sky chamber at the top of the house the will is compromised. So they ask Leo to guard the body through the night. After that there isn't much to tell. There is quirky chase scenes around the old house, the power goes out, Leo gets lost--in his bath towel--in a secret passage, people are murdered throughout the house, etc. In the end Leo is expected of stealing the body and murdering the other house guests. So it is up to him to struggle to reveal the true murderer before the police arrive in the morning.
The fun haunted house antics are enjoyable and Leo has some funny scenes--my favorite being the one where the dark figure sneaks into the coffin room and hits Leo on the head. But overall the movie isn't my favorite. There are much better creepy house films out there, and better chiller films to boot.
Summing it Up
This movie is just missing something. It needed more of the generic ominous storm outside. There was hardly any thunder, or rain, or wind--not that the stormy night makes a good movie. I guess it was the atmosphere and mood that were lacking. It didn't feel macabre enough, the murders weren't sinister enough, and the house and environment were overall forgettable. It wasn't a bad movie--it entertained me for a while--but I wouldn't call it good either.
Deaths: 3
Language: 0
Gore Factor: 0
Sex Factor: 1
Scare Factor: 1
Fun Factor: 3
Overall Rating: 2
Deaths: 3
Language: 0
Gore Factor: 0
Sex Factor: 1
Scare Factor: 1
Fun Factor: 3
Overall Rating: 2
To learn more about my rating system click here.