History Film / TheCorpseVanishes

IntrepidReporter Patricia Hunter is following the case of the Vanishing Brides, where dozens of young brides have suddenly been struck dead at the altar and their bodies mysteriously vanish en route to the morgue. The idiotic photographer who accompanies Patricia happens to find the flower given to one bride shortly before she walked down the aisle; it is an orchid that has the effect of putting anyone who inhales its scent into a comatose, death-like state.

* IntrepidReporter: Is what Patricia wants to be. In reality, she's more a "society" reporter, i.e., weddings/engagements, who visited whom, etc. Ironically, this puts her in perfect position to get hot on the trail of the "bride killer", and her editor gives her rein to do so.

* TheBluebeard: We see a variant of the trope in this movie. About halfway through, Patricia, while snooping around Dr. Lorenz's mansion, discovers a morgue in which the dead bodies of the brides, still dressed in their wedding gowns, are being kept; she opens several drawers to reveal the surprisingly well-preserved bodies. It's never disclosed exactly how the unfortunate young ladies, who were actually still alive though in a comatose state upon arrival at Lorenz's lair, were killed. An alternative interpretation suggested by some fans and reviewers is that the brides are not, in fact, actually dead, just still unconscious - which explains why, after presumably having spent weeks in the morgue drawers, they're still in perfect condition - and are all revived offscreen after the movie ends.

* ConvictionByCounterfactualClue: One of the clues that leads Patricia to Dr. Lorenz is that the dead brides all wear corsages made from an orchid with a distinctive smell. The implication is that orchids with a smell are unusual. Apparently the screenwriters have never heard of ''vanilla''.

* ILoveTheDead: Implied: After Patricia discovers the brides' bodies in Lorenz's morgue, she hides while Lorenz's Igor-like assistant comes in, spots the lovely corpses (assuming they're actually corpses - see TheBluebeard entry above), and caresses one of them. Unfortunately for him, Lorenz comes in at that point and is not at all pleased, plying his whip to send the assistant fleeing.
* IntrepidReporter: Is what Patricia wants to be. In reality, she's more a "social events" reporter, i.e. weddings/engagements, who visited whom, etc. Ironically, this puts her in perfect position to get hot on the trail of the "bride killer", and her editor gives her rein to do so.
* OminousPipeOrgan: When Patricia and Dr. Foster arrive at Dr. Lorez's mansion, he is playing a dirge-like rendition of "Ave Maria" on a pipe organ to his very peculiar household.

* GoLookAtTheDistraction: Dr. Lorenz's henchmen set up a car fire to distract the police escort away from a hearse so they can steal the body.

* TheBluebeard: We see a variant of the trope in this movie. About halfway through, Patricia, while snooping around Dr. Lorenz's mansion, discovers a morgue in which the dead bodies of the brides, still dressed in their wedding gowns, are being kept; she opens several drawers to reveal the surprisingly well-preserved bodies. It's never disclosed exactly how the unfortunate young ladies, who were actually still alive though in a comatose state upon arrival at Lorenz's lair, were killed. An alternative interpretation suggested by some fans and reviewers is that the brides are not, in fact, actually dead, just still unconscious - which explains why, after presumably having spent weeks in the morgue drawers, they're still in perfect condition - and are all revived offscreen after the movie ends.

* ActorAllusion: Implied; at one point Patricia confides in Dr. Foster in a brief midnight meeting, but the next day he claims no memory of it. They both immediately assume that [[Creator/BelaLugosi Dr. Lorenz]] must have hypnotized him.

* TheBluebeard: We see a variant of the trope in this movie. About halfway through, Patricia, while snooping around Dr. Lorenz's mansion, discovers a morgue in which the dead bodies of the brides, still dressed in their wedding gowns, are being kept; she opens several drawers to reveal the surprisingly well-preserved bodies. It's never disclosed exactly how the unfortunate young ladies, who were actually still alive though in a comatose state upon arrival at Lorenz's lair, were killed. An alternative interpretation suggested by some fans and reviewers is that the brides are not, in fact, actually dead, just still unconscious, and are all revived offscreen after the movie ends.

* TheBluebeard: We see a variant of the trope in this movie. About halfway through, Patricia, while snooping around Dr. Lorenz's mansion, discovers a morgue in which the dead bodies of the brides, still dressed in their wedding gowns, are being kept; she opens several drawers to reveal the surprisingly well-preserved bodies. It's never disclosed exactly how the unfortunate young ladies, who were actually still alive though in a comatose state upon arrival at Lorenz's lair, were killed.

* ILoveTheDead: Implied: After Patricia discovers the brides' bodies in Lorenz's morgue, she hides while Lorenz's Igor-like assistant comes in, spots the lovely corpses, and caresses one of them. Unfortunately for him, Lorenz comes in at that point and is not at all pleased, plying his whip to send the assistant fleeing.

** The hunchback servant could count too, but he at least has the figleaf of being mentally stunted.

* TooDumbToLive: A series of brides fall over dead at the alter. Do other soon-to-be brides postpone their own weddings until a cause is figured out? No, they just go along as planned and add their names to the list of victims.