REMAINS TO BE SEEN

US, 1953, 88 minutes, Black and white.
June Allyson, Van Johnson, Louis Calhern, Angela Lansbury, John Beal, Dorothy Dandridge.
Directed by Don Weis.

Remains to be Seen is a slight romantic comedy with a touch of murder mystery. It is the fifth co-starring film for June Allyson and Van Johnson (High Barbaree, The Bride Goes Wild, Too Young to Kiss). They work easily with each other, romantically, and with song.

There is a pleasant pun in the title. The film is based on a play by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse (who wrote such books as Anything Goes, The Sound of Music as well as films like Woman’s World). The film is quite stage-bound, most of it occurring in an apartment with some scenes in a restaurant.

Van Johnson is the manager of an apartment block and discovers a dead body. When the death certificate says that the victim died of natural causes, a knife is stuck in him, revealing a murder as well as a secret doorway.

Angela Lansbury is the villain, has only a few sequences, but one where she hypnotises a sleepwalking June Allyson with music, trying to get her to fall over a balcony to her death. She is interrupted several times by Van Johnson turning on jazz instead. There is also a comedy routing where June Allyson finds she has to be at two tables at once and the waiter gets completely mixed up.

There is a pleasant interlude where Dorothy Dandridge, as herself, sings a club number, Taking a Chance on Love. There is also Toot-Toot-Tootsie? Goodbye from June Allyson as well as Too Amorous For Words sung by the two leads.

A pleasant entertainment, nothing particularly startling.

1. The blend of romantic comedy? Murder mystery? MGM production values? The cast?

2. The film based on a play, confined to apartments and to restaurants? The black and white photography?

3. The songs, Dorothy Dandridge? The popular songs from June Allyson and Van Johnson? The jazz background?

4. The pun in the title? The dead body? The murder mystery?

5. The setup, Waldo playing the drums, managing the apartment block, Mrs West and her complaints? The janitor helping him? The package, discovering the dead body? Calling the police, the doctor? The death certificate? Natural causes? The fight on the television, the medical examiner wanting to get away?

6. The body with the knife in it? The audience seeing Valeska? Knowing that she was responsible? The mystery of the secret passage?

7. Benjamin Goodman, Jody’s mistake thinking he was Benny Goodman? Her disdain for her uncle and his money? Goodman as the kind lawyer, trying to persuade Jody to take the money? Involved in the death, making the arrangements? The comedy with the two undertakers coming as rivals? Cremation instead?

8. The restaurant sequence, Goodman and his guests, Jody with Waldo? Going from table to table, commenting on the high prices, hamburger or steak? The bewilderment of the waiter?

9. Jody, unable to sleep, Waldo playing the music? The songs? His admiration for her, having her record? Her sleepwalking? Valeska and the music box, luring Jody to her death? Waldo turning on the jazz? His proposing to her, thinking she was asleep? Waking up?

10. Jody and her phone calls to Peewee, her job, Waldo playing the drums, the audition, getting the job?

11. The doctor, his being unmasked as the villain? The false diabetes? His relationship with Valeska? Valeska wanting the dead man’s money? The doctor murdering her?

12. The police, scepticism? The shootout with the doctor? The former criminal and his presence? The resolution of the case?

13. A supporting MGM feature – but with a good cast and the light touch?