The Missing Juror (1944)

Director:

Budd Boetticher

Writers:

Charles O'Neal (screen play)
Leon Abrams (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

16 November 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery

Plot Keywords:

Hospital | Juror | Antique Dealer | Wrongful Conviction | Diner

Cast

Jim Bannon	...	Joe Keats
Janis Carter	...	Alice Hill
George Macready	...	Harry Wharton / Jerome K. Bentley
Jean Stevens	...	Tex Tuttle
Joseph Crehan	...	Willard Apple aka Falstaff
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
George Anderson	...	Wharton Attorney (uncredited)
Walter Baldwin	...	Town Sheriff (uncredited)
Trevor Bardette	...	Tom Pierson (uncredited)
Al Bridge	...	Depuity Sheriff Ben (uncredited)
Nancy Brinckman	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Cliff Clark	...	Inspector Davis (uncredited)
Edmund Cobb	...	Police Detective Cahan (uncredited)
Danny Desmond	...	Newsboy (uncredited)
Sam Flint	...	Judge (uncredited)
Jack Gardner	...	Reporter at Trial (uncredited)
Jesse Graves	...	Train Porter (uncredited)
William Hall	...	Officer Garrett (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Bailiff (uncredited)
Dell Henderson	...	Train Conductor (uncredited)
Ernest Hilliard	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Stuart Holmes	...	Juror (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee	...	Joe, Train Engineer (uncredited)
Pat Lane	...	Court Clerk (uncredited)
Carl M. Leviness	...	Police Detective (uncredited)
George Lloyd	...	George Szabo (uncredited)
Carole Mathews	...	Marcy aka Cherry Blossom (uncredited)
Mike Mazurki	...	Cullie - Masseur (uncredited)
Forbes Murray	...	District Attorney (uncredited)
William Newell	...	Wally, Counterman (uncredited)
Frank O'Connor	...	Train Conductor (uncredited)
Pat O'Malley	...	Priest (uncredited)
Shelby Payne	...	Marie 'Sugar' Chappel (uncredited)
Jack Perry	...	Albert Leonard aka Lichter (uncredited)
Edwin Stanley	...	Prison Warden (uncredited)
Harry Strang	...	Police Sergeant Murphy (uncredited)
Ray Teal	...	Chief of Detectives at Line-Up (uncredited)
Victor Travers	...	Clem Poskins (uncredited)
John Tyrrell	...	Sergeant Regan (uncredited)
Cecil Weston	...	Ellen Jackson (uncredited)
Charles C. Wilson	...	Mac Ellis, Newspaper Editor (uncredited)

Directed by
Budd Boetticher		(as Oscar Boetticher Jr.)

Writing credits
Charles O'Neal		(screen play)
Leon Abrams		(story) &
Richard Hill Wilkinson		(story)

Produced by
Wallace MacDonald	....	producer

Cinematography by
L. William O'Connell		(as L.W. O'Connell)

Film Editing by
Paul Borofsky

Art Direction by
George Brooks

Set Decoration by
George Montgomery

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ivan Volkman	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Jack A. Goodrich	....	sound (as John Goodrich)

Camera and Electrical Department
Irving Klein	....	second camera operator (uncredited)

Music Department
Mischa Bakaleinikoff	....	musical director (as M.R. Bakaleinikoff)
Daniele Amfitheatrof	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
W. Franke Harling	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Werner R. Heymann	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Friedrich Hollaender	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
John Leipold	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
William Grant Still	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Juanita Lopez	....	research director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1944) (USA) (theatrical)
• Hosh Posh Video (2005) (UK) (DVD)
• Hosh Posh Video (2005) (USA) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (DVD-R)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

66 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Quotes:

Harry Wharton:Why don't they hang me? What are they waiting for? Hang me! Hang me!
[He sobs]

Nice Thriller Even If You Catch the Twist

Missing Juror, The (1944)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Interesting thriller from Columbia has a jury wrongly convicting a man to death. Soon after wards members of the jury begin dying in weird ways so it's up to a reporter (Jim Bannon) to try and figure out if it's a ghost or someone simply seeking revenge. Even though this film isn't a complete success it still has enough going for it to make it worth viewing and especially if you're a fan of the genre. I think Boetticher does a very good job with the material and he handles everything quite nicely and that includes the, at times, dark subject matter. There's one major flaw in the film and that's an early flashback sequence, which tells us about the trial, the evidence and the man sent to death. This is a nice little sequence but there is one brief segment that pretty much gives away who the killer is. I'm not sure how many will pick up on it but it was rather obvious when this scene in question first came up. It turned out that my guess was correct but this actually didn't kill too much of the fun. I still thought the film moved at a very good pace and that director Boetticher made for some very interesting scenes including some dark death sequences and a very good scene inside a steam room. This scene also features an actor who very much looks like Anthony Quinn but the IMDb doesn't list him nor does any other movie guide but to my eyes and ears it was him. The performances are a mixed bag but Bannon does a pretty good job in the lead even if it isn't the strongest actor in the world. The main role isn't written overly well but he handles everything nicely. Janis Carter plays the juror who the reporter falls for and she too is nice, if nothing too special. George Macready, Jean Stevens and Joseph Crehan all add nice support. While the film isn't any type of masterpiece, I must admit that I'm a little surprised it hasn't gotten more attention over the years. This might be due to it never getting an official release but fans of mysteries should really enjoy this thing. There are also a few early touches of what would become film noir so I think the film offers up enough that most people will find it pleasantly entertaining.