The Man Who Wouldn't Die

Synopsis: In the shadows of the night Dudley Wolff (Paul Harvey), his secretary Alfred Dunning (Robert Emmett Keane), and his doctor, Haggard (Henry Wilcoxon), bury a body in the estate cemetery. At the house, Wolff's daughter Catherine (Marjorie Weaver) arrives unexpectedly and tells her step-mother Anne Wolff (Helene Reynolds that she has just been married to Roger Blake (Richard Derr) who will be along in a few days. Cathy retires and is awakened by a mysterious assailant who fires a shot at her, but her parents tell her she was just dreaming. Wolff goes to the cemetery and finds the body missing. The scared Cathy calls in fast-talking private detective Mike Shayne (Lloyd Nolan) and, since her father doesn't like detectives, she introduces him as her husband. That evening Shayne hears a shot and finds that Haggard has been killed. While the police are questioning the family, the lights go out and a shot is fired from outside.
Genre: Crime, Mystery
Director(s): Herbert I. Leeds
Production: 20th Century Fox Film Corporation
 
IMDB:
6.7
PASSED
Year:
1942
65 min
38 Views


- Kay.

- Anna.

How are you, darling?

Gee, it's good to see you.

And you too, Kay.

- Where's Phillips?

- He's gone to the movies.

- They're giving away an automobile.

- With tires?

It was nice of you to let me in.

How did you know I was at the front door?

- I heard the bell.

- But I didn't ring it.

Didn't you? Well, then,

I guess it was my imagination.

- Let me have your coat.

- Thanks.

- Where's Dad?

- He's- He's gone to the village...

on an errand

with Dr. Haggard and Dunning.

- On a night like this?

- Would you care for something to warm you up?

Well, I was on the wagon, but I think I'll step off

and give my seat to a gentleman.

Make it a weak one.

Listen to that wind howl. Boy,

it's got my goose pimples popping overtime.

It's a perfect night for a nice, juicy murder.

- What's this about murder?

- Hi, Dad.

Hello, Doc. How are you, Dunning?

How are the three musketeers?

Where the devil did you come frrom?

Dad, that's no way to greet your prodigal daughter.

I thought you were supposed to be staying

with your aunt in Washington.

Well, I- I was, but,

uh, when I read about...

all the trouble you're having with that

mean old Senate investigating committee...

I thought I'd better come home

and see if I couldn't help.

All right. What's the catch?

Isn't it funny? Dad always thinks

there's a catch to everything.

Come on. Out with it.

What is it?

Well, all right.

Now watch your blood pressure.

- I'm, uh, engaged.

- Engaged. What, again?

Well, I'm not engaged exactly.

You see, I'm more than engaged really.

Now how can you be

more than engaged?

- Well, I'm married.

- Oh, well, make up your mind.

- What-Which is it?

- I'm married.

- Why, Kay, darling, that's wonderful.

- Married.

As if I didn't have enough trouble.

- Well, what's this idiot's name?

- Roger. Roger Blake.

Dunning, get my lawyer.

Dad, don't be silly. You can't sue a man

just because he married me.

He may have married you,

but it's my money he's after.

Oh. Give me that.

I suppose a man wouldn't marry me

unless I had money?

Not the last six no-account nincompoops

you've been engaged to.

Well, Roger's different.

He works.

- For the government.

- Dudley, why don't you at least meet Kay's husband?

- See for yourself what he's like.

- Why should I?

Perhaps you'd like

to give them a honeymoon.

To South America.

Maybe I will.

All right, Kay. Trot him out.

Where is he?

Well, I-I made him stay

in Washington.

I thought tomorrow he'd drive up,

and you could meet him then.

At least I'll have the pleasure

of insulting him personally.

You're an angel with a shining halo.

Thanks a million.

That's probably just about

what it's going to cost me.

I know you'll like him.

I'm going up and call him right away.

- Well, good night, everybody.

- Good night, Kay.

- It's good to have you home again, Kay.

- It's good to be home, Anna.

And if anyone ever tries to tell me

about how mean stepmothers are...

I'll just tell them

that I know better.

- Good night, Anna.

- Good night.

My daughter is to know absolutely nothing

of what happened in this house tonight.

- Is that clear?

- Yes, sir.

I told him, Roger, darling,

and he was an absolute lamb.

When? Oh, but that's

three whole days.

Can't it wait?

All right, hon. If you think your business

is that important.

Good night, sweetheart.

I love you.

Who's there?

Kay? Kay!

- What's the matter?

- Let us in, dear.

Yes, dear. Open the door. Let us in.

- What happened?

- What frightened you, Kay?

There! A ghost. I saw a ghost.

He tried to kill me.

- Oh, now, now.

- A ghost. I saw him.

He had a gun in his hand.

There isn't any ghost in there.

You must have been dreaming.

Oh, I wasn't dreaming. He had a gun

in his hand, and he fired at me.

- We didn't hear a shot.

- I tell you he fired at me. He did.

If he took a shot at you,

there'd be a bullet hole.

- And there's none here.

- There. You see, dear?

It's probably just the storm.

You go back to bed, Dudley.

I'll take care of her.

Come, dear. Try and get some sleep.

I wish you'd believe me. He was standing

right there in that doorway, and I saw him.

Don't leave me alone, please.

- You told me he was dead.

- But he was dead.

Then how the devil

did he get out of this grave?

Mike.

- Mike, please stop clowning. This is serious.

- You don't like it?

I couldn't tell you everything

over the telephone.

What's it this time? You tryin'

to snag a husband or unload one?

- It's worse than that. It's murder.

- Hmm?

- Well, anyway, an attempted murder.

- Well, go ahead. Let's have it.

All right.

I'll tell you on the way

up to the house.

Just climb right in, Miss Wolff.

And I told Dad I'd seen this ghost,

but he wouldn't believe me.

- What about the shot? Didn't he hear that?

- Nobody heard it.

Because just as the ghost fired at me,

there was a terrific crash of thunder.

Oh. What'd your dad say

when you showed him the bullet?

Well, that was the funny thing.

There wasn't a sign of a bullet.

Hey, now wait a minute. You say

that this ghost took a shot at you...

- and there was no sign of a bullet?

- Yes.

You sure it wasn't Cupid

with his little bow and arrow?

- Mike, I'm not kidding.

- Uh-uh.

I've handled a lot

of screwy scrapes for you.

But not this one.

No, thanks.

- Why not?

- For a very good reason. I don't believe in ghosts.

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Arnaud d'Usseau

Arnaud d'Usseau (April 18, 1916 – January 29, 1990) was a playwright and B-movie screenwriter who is perhaps best remembered today for his collaboration with Dorothy Parker on the play The Ladies of the Corridor. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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