(1943)***
Naïve schoolgirl Mary Gibson is informed by the administrators of her all-girl school that her sister Jacqueline is missing. The administrators appear nonchalant about this news, only expressing concern that Mary’s tuition is 6 months overdue. Puzzled by this news, Mary heads to Manhattan, her sister’s last known whereabouts. Once in the city, she learns that her sister inexplicably sold her cosmetics business. Her investigation leads to an attorney, Hugh Beaumount. Yep, that’s right, Mr. Cleaver from Leave it To Beaver. Despite filling out a form at the Missing Persons Bureau, nothing is done. Adding to the mystery is the fact that no one appears too bothered by Jacqueline’s disappearance. Beaver’s father gets Mary a job as a kindergarten teacher so that she is able to finance her investigation while remaining in Manhattan. Other characters are introduced including Dr, Judd, Jacqueline’s psychiatrist, and Jason Hoag, a washed up poet who becomes infatuated with Mary. After a startling murder, the trail leads to a group of bourgeois devil worshippers.
I really enjoyed this film. It’s kind of a precursor to The Wicker Man, kinda. The mystery is eerie and the theme is pretty dark for 1943. The ending is wrapped up much too quickly and there’s a rushed romance in the film that makes no sense whatsoever. Still, this is a good, noirish, devil worshipping story. I’m a sucker for stories that involve people stumbling into cults.
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