One Body too Many (1944)

This was definitely one of the better dark house movies with Lugosi. As a matter of fact everything I actually like about the genre seems to be in this movie. There is plenty of atmosphere, a good mystery, lots of humor, likable characters… Lugosi has a better than usual role as a butler who wants to give everybody coffee but nobody will take it. We find out at the end that the coffee was perfectly fine.

This is the only movie I know of from Jack Haley outside of Wizard of Oz. There are a few great scenes such as some people putting Haley into a pool with a bunch of fish and the ending when the villain opens a trap door causing people to fall through it into the kitchen. There’s just a lot to like about this one.

This would also be one of the last half decent Lugosi movies. After 1944 horror movies would start to disappear and be gone until a couple of years after the end of Lugosi. This would also be the beginning of the end or start of the great decline for Lugosi but it’s really nice to know that he had one last decent, enjoyable movie with this one. Two thumbs up for this.