The Diplomatic Corpse (8 Dec. 1957)

Evan Wallace and his wife Janet take Janet's wealthy aunt on an sightseeing trip to Mexico. Janet's aunt suddenly dies in the back seat of their car. They cover the body and stop at a café;... See full summary »

Director:

Paul Henreid

Writers:

Robert C. Dennis (teleplay), Alec Coppel (story)

Stars:

Alfred Hitchcock, Peter Lorre, George Peppard

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Himself - Host
Peter Lorre	...	Tomas Salgado
George Peppard	...	Evan Wallace
Mary Scott	...	Janet Wallace
Isobel Elsom	...	Mrs. Tait, Janet's Aunt
John Verros	...	Police Chief Miguel Herrera
Orlando Rodríguez	...	Rafael
Harrison Lewis	...	Doctor Elliot
George Navarro	...	Cantina Proprietor
Sid Cassel	...	Border Inspector (as Sid Cassell)

Storyline

Evan Wallace and his wife Janet take Janet's wealthy aunt on an sightseeing trip to Mexico. Janet's aunt suddenly dies in the back seat of their car. They cover the body and stop at a café; for a soothing drink. When they return, they discover that the car has been stolen. Since they need the body to claim their inheritance, they hire a detective. The detective eventually finds the body at a funeral home. He says he will ship the body to Los Angeles for a small "fee". The Wallaces agree and pay him. Upon arriving in Los Angeles, a doctor pronounces the body dead but he notes that the body is not that of a woman, but an old Mexican Man.

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Plot Keywords:

missing corpse | tijuana mexico | siesta | sombrero | oversized book | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 December 1957 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Republic Studios - 4024 Radford Avenue, North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shamley Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Evan if finishing up his examination of the car at 13:30, the boom is reflected in the windshield.

User Reviews

Illegal Import.

A light-hearted story of George Peppard and his wife taking talkative and demanding Aunti on a tour of California's missions. Auntie is very annoying and insists on crossing the border to see Tijuana. (She probably wouldn't do it today.) She asleep in the back seat when they enter Mexico.

Except that when they try to wake her they discover she's dead. What to do? A corpse in a foreign country! The police, the red tape -- the inheritance! Peppard and wife do the sensible thing. The car lurches to a halt in front of a bar and they run in for a couple of shots of tequila while they figure out what to do. Upon emerging, they find the car has been stolen.

The rest of the plot has them haggling with Mexican private investigator Peter Lorre, who looks fatter, greasier, and more pop-eyed than ever. He knows everybody and everything in Tijuana. (I wonder if he knows that bar on Avenida de la Revolucion that's in a cellar and is entered on a sliding board.) Anyway, every step Lorre takes leads them closer to recovering Auntie's body, but it also costs them money -- in amounts that are puny by today's standards. Lorre seems to revel in his role.

It's an enjoyable diversion.