City of Missing Girls

Dull but well acted story of young women that have turned up missing that have one thing in common - they have been attending the Crescent School of the Arts in pursuit of getting into show biz. I enjoyed watching a young John Archer, pretty Astrid Allwyn, crusty HB Warner, and devious Phil Van Zandt give their all in what had to be a pretty inexpensively made film. Also look for Herb Vigran, who amazingly was unaccredited, as one of Phil Van Zandt's henchmen. This an okay time waster but don't seek it out.

Girls are going missing and a DA and veteran cop team up to expose the rackets that are set up to lure young girls in to a life of shame.

This film is more a curiosity than anything. My guess it was cheaply made and ran on the exploitation circuit for years. The music isn't even stock music, but is supplied by an organ that pumps out bridges between scenes.

How best to describe this movie? Its the type of movie that insomniacs prayed not to find on the Late Late Show because it was just interesting enough to keep them awake while it un-spooled. It wasn't good enough to actually wake them up, but it wasn't bad enough to put them out, rather its a film of the twilight between asleep and awake.

I'm of a similar mind, its not bad, but its not good. Its the sort of thing that just is. If you should run across it on TV you might want to try it, but I can't suggest searching it out.

5 out of 10

Having seen H. B. Warner as a character player in dozens of films, i was pleasantly surprised to see him starring in this crime-exploitation film about the white slave trade. I was also deeply impressed with his ability to carry the complex role of a poetic, philosophical police captain on the verge of retirement with such presence during the course of what otherwise would seem to have been destined to be a routine crime drama.

Alas, being a post-code movie, the white slave trade aspect of the plot is only understandable as a subtext, but there are plenty of other intriguing moments in the movie that will make B-film enthusiasts sit up and say, "Wow." For me, the gymnastic dance featuring a pair of uncredited twin teen girls was one such moment. Where did they FIND such unusual talent? Who were those young, incredibly athletic, giggling twins? We'll probably never know.

And then there was the scene in which H. B. Warner, previously seeming to be frail, distracted, and ready for the scrap heap of life, suddenly LEAPED INTO THE AIR and jumped into his bed feet first! What the heck!? That was truly replay-worthy.

This is not a great film, of course, but since it is available at bargain prices, old film buffs will certainly get their money's worth if they take the time to seek it out and watch it.

A cadaverous H.B. Warner hovers on the fringes of this crime thriller which boasts better-than-average production values for a Poverty Row production but plods along at a dreary pace.

"A string of mysterious deaths and disappearances of young women have all been traced to a drama school, where all the girls were students. The district attorney suspects the school may be a front for a prostitution ring and sets out to investigate it. After the D.A. is blackmailed into dropping the investigation, a female reporter decides to go undercover to learn the truth," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.

Writer/director Elmer Clifton manages to squeeze a few drops of blood from this stone. A scene between villain Philip Van Zandt (as King Peterson) asking "Do you mind if I smoke?" and hero John Archer (as Jimmy Horton) replying "I don't care if you burn" piques interest. Mr. Clifton and H.B. Warner (as "Mac" McVeigh) were bigger names during the silent film era (look for Walter Long, also).

Mr. Archer was a fine actor, who did not get the parts he deserved; and it shows, in this film. Teenage Gale Storm (as Mary Phillips), who unexpectedly became a 1950s TV and rock 'n' roll era recording star, is irresistibly cute; she, and brief pair of vivacious dancing girls, give the film some much-needed oomph. In spite of some strengths, "City of Missing Girls" remains oblique and recumbent.

**** City of Missing Girls (3/27/41) Elmer Clifton ~ John Archer, H.B. Warner, Gale Storm