The Corpse Came C.O.D. (1947)

86-87 mins | Mystery | June 1947

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HISTORY

In 1944, according to a HR^ news item, director Fritz Lang sought the film rights to the Jimmy Starr novel on which this film was based. No further information has been found about Lang's involvement in the pre-production history of the film. A Jan 1947 HR news item noted that H. D. Hoover of Ciro's nightclub was hired as an advisor on scenes involving the reproduction of the famous nightclub. According to an Aug 1946 Columbia News and Notes news item, Veronica Lake was considered for the female lead. ...

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In 1944, according to a HR^ news item, director Fritz Lang sought the film rights to the Jimmy Starr novel on which this film was based. No further information has been found about Lang's involvement in the pre-production history of the film. A Jan 1947 HR news item noted that H. D. Hoover of Ciro's nightclub was hired as an advisor on scenes involving the reproduction of the famous nightclub. According to an Aug 1946 Columbia News and Notes news item, Veronica Lake was considered for the female lead.

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PERSONAL & COMPANY INDEX CREDITS
CREDIT
HISTORY CREDITS
CREDIT TYPE
CREDIT
General (mod):
Personal note credit:
SOURCE CITATIONS
SOURCE
DATE
PAGE
Box Office
13 Sep 1947
---
Daily Variety
10-Jul-47
---
Hollywood Reporter
5 Jul 1944
p. 2
Hollywood Reporter
7 Jan 1947
p. 8
Hollywood Reporter
10 Jul 1947
p. 3
Independent Film Journal
4 Jan 1947
p.34
Motion Picture Herald Product Digest
23 Aug 1947
---
New York Times
19 Aug 1947
p. 27
Variety
16 Jul 1947
p. 20
CAST
PRODUCTION CREDITS
NAME
PARENT COMPANY
DISTRIBUTION COMPANY
NAME
CREDITED AS
CREDIT
DIRECTORS
Asst dir
PRODUCER
WRITERS
Dwight Babcock
Scr
Contr to scr const and dial
Contr to scr const and dial
PHOTOGRAPHY
Dir of photog
ART DIRECTORS
Stephen Goossón
Art dir
Art dir
FILM EDITOR
Film ed
SET DECORATORS
Set dec
Set dec
COSTUMES
Gowns
MUSIC
Mus score
Mus dir
SOUND
Sd rec
VISUAL EFFECTS
SOURCES
LITERARY
Based on the novel The Corpse Came C.O.D. by Jimmy Starr (Culver City, CA 1944)
LITERARY SOURCE AUTHOR
SONGS
"He's Got a Warm Kiss," music and lyrics by Allan Roberts and Doris Fisher.
SONGWRITER/COMPOSER
DETAILS
Release Date:
June 1947
Production Date:
16 Dec 1946--25 Jan 1947
Copyright Info
Claimant
Date
Copyright Number
Columbia Pictures Corp.
11 June 1947
LP1046
Physical Properties:
Sound
Western Electric Recording
Black and White
Duration(in mins):
86-87
Country:
United States
PCA No:
12210
SYNOPSIS

While relaxing at her Hollywood mansion, film star Mona Harrison receives a package from Palisades Pictures Studio. Expecting to find a dress in the large box, Mona is shocked to discover that it contains the murdered body of costume designer Hector Rose. Instead of calling the police, Mona calls her old flame Joe Medford, a reporter. Joe arrives in time to notice Mona disposing of the bolts of cloth in which Hector was wrapped, and he immediately calls the police. Police Lieutenant, Mark Wilson begins an investigation into the murder by calling the coroner, taking fingerprint samples and tracing the delivery man. When Rosemary Durant, an attractive columnist for the Daily Register , asks to team up with Joe on the murder story, Joe tells her that he does not need her help. Rosemary, who suspects that Joe is really in love with her, ignores his rejection and insists on following him around town. A short time later, Joe learns that before Hector was murdered, he and Mona had a fight, and that Hector fell into a pile of cloth when Mona struck him. While looking for clues at Hector's house, Joe is assaulted by Maxwell Kenyon, Hector's business manager, and a fistfight ensues. After knocking Kenyon unconscious, Joe searches through his pockets and finds a check from Mona. Later, at the studio, Joe sees a man fleeing, and, after locking the meddling Rosemary in a closet, chases after him. Rosemary manages to free herself from the closet, and when Joe fails to capture the man, he chases Rosemary instead. Joe kisses Rosemary and proposes marriage, but remains resolute ...

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While relaxing at her Hollywood mansion, film star Mona Harrison receives a package from Palisades Pictures Studio. Expecting to find a dress in the large box, Mona is shocked to discover that it contains the murdered body of costume designer Hector Rose. Instead of calling the police, Mona calls her old flame Joe Medford, a reporter. Joe arrives in time to notice Mona disposing of the bolts of cloth in which Hector was wrapped, and he immediately calls the police. Police Lieutenant, Mark Wilson begins an investigation into the murder by calling the coroner, taking fingerprint samples and tracing the delivery man. When Rosemary Durant, an attractive columnist for the Daily Register , asks to team up with Joe on the murder story, Joe tells her that he does not need her help. Rosemary, who suspects that Joe is really in love with her, ignores his rejection and insists on following him around town. A short time later, Joe learns that before Hector was murdered, he and Mona had a fight, and that Hector fell into a pile of cloth when Mona struck him. While looking for clues at Hector's house, Joe is assaulted by Maxwell Kenyon, Hector's business manager, and a fistfight ensues. After knocking Kenyon unconscious, Joe searches through his pockets and finds a check from Mona. Later, at the studio, Joe sees a man fleeing, and, after locking the meddling Rosemary in a closet, chases after him. Rosemary manages to free herself from the closet, and when Joe fails to capture the man, he chases Rosemary instead. Joe kisses Rosemary and proposes marriage, but remains resolute about keeping her from working with him on the story. Joe eventually suspects the shady Rudy Frasso, whom he believes is Mona's ex-husband, to be mixed up in a jewelry scheme and a series of murders at the studio. At Mona's home, while Rosemary questions Mona about her love life, Joe finds some jewels in a bolt of cloth and hides them. When Joe later finds Frasso waiting for him in his apartment, a fistfight ensues and Frasso escapes. Meanwhile, Rosemary, angry that Joe has stymied her attempt to get near the story, tells Wilson about the jewels that Joe found. When Joe and Rosemary arrive at Mona's, they learn that Wilson is a corrupt detective who is involved in the jewel smuggling operation and killed Hector. Following a gun battle, in which Wilson is shot to death by his partner, Detective Dave Short, Rosemary and Joe turn in the stolen jewels and plan a life together as husband and wife.

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Legend
Viewed by AFI
Partially Viewed
Offscreen Credit
Name Occurs Before Title
AFI Life Achievement Award

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The American Film Institute is grateful to Sir Paul Getty KBE and the Sir Paul Getty KBE Estate for their dedication to the art of the moving image and their support for the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and without whose support AFI would not have been able to achieve this historical landmark in this epic scholarly endeavor.