One of My Wives Is Missing

This is a thriller made with all of the best ingredients. Just enough information is given in the beginning to pull the viewer into the plot. Critical information about the characters is withheld, however, to give viewers a chance to bond with the villain, not knowing who he is. The numerous changes in direction of the plot provide roller coaster swings and turns for the pleasantly confused viewer. As the final scenes tumble into the open, the viewer becomes torn in his loyalties to the main character and the supporting actor. At last, the truth of the matter comes into full view as the final scenes breeze by. The viewer is left holding his breath, waiting for permission to exhale! Excellent!

No-one seems to have mentioned yet that there are many similarities in the plot of this teleplay to the 1946 Humphrey Bogart movie "Conflict", whose main theme is almost identical. Check it out!

It's not a bit surprising that this movie is based on a play, since it's rather theatrical: except for a couple of scenes tacked onto the beginning and end, it's a one-set mystery, and a rather gimmicky one at that. What makes it involving, however, is the subtext and Elizabeth Ashley's amazingly sexy performance. The film is really about art of deception and the seduction of play-acting. In one especially weird scene, the ever-bland Franciscus and a white-hot Ashley (those eyes!) almost get busy by poolside. You know at least one character is about to succumb to a lie. Later, the Klug-man has his most believable (and least mannered) moment when he embraces a deception and hollers at Franciscus, "where you come from, are all cops HONEST?" I've never considered Elizabeth Ashley a babe -- then again, most of what I've seen her do are lame made-fors and cheesy thrillers. But she won a Tony nomination for playing Maggie in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" so maybe she saved all her sensuality for these two roles.

The high (7.7/10) rating and almost unanimously positive user-comments around here caught my attention. Finding the film was quite difficult, but eventually I watched "One of my Wives is Missing" via a copy that is available on YouTube. The picture and sound quality were very poor, but I couldn't care less because it was one of the most captivating, intelligent and addictive TV-mystery/thrillers I ever beheld! It's a must-see in case you're a fan of convoluted whodunit stories, like Agatha Christie's novels, for instance. You might occasionally think you figured out the plot, or feel confident about knowing what the characters are up to next, but the script somehow always outsmarts you anyway. Those are the best thrillers that exist, but unfortunately extremely rare. "One of my Wives is Missing", based on a stage play, is such a unique gem, and moreover blessed with great acting performances and witty humor. Barely three days into their honeymoon at a remote mansion in a sleepy village, corporate business executive Daniel Corban (James Fransiscus) reports his wife Elizabeth missing. Local head of police Levine (Jack Klugman) seemingly doesn't take the case all too serious, because the wife ran off with her car after a quarrel. And see, Elizabeth does return to her husband, ... except that Corban swears that the woman who returned isn't his wife. This two-line synopsis is only the tip of the iceberg, I assure you, but it would be a shame to reveal too much. Klugman's lines and clever remarks are often downright genius, while the confrontations between the perplexed Corban and the stoic Elizabeth are tense and chilling. The film doesn't receive a perfect 10-rating because the denouement requires a little too much suspension of disbelief, but "One of my Wives is Missing" nevertheless is an astounding 70s TV-treasure.

I love this movie! It is very rarely seen, however. I've seen it once and wish it were available on video. It's a wonderful mystery that I promise you will never figure out. A real plot twister, it will make you sit on the edge of your seat.

The acting is great on all fronts. You'll always be guessing, wondering and halfway not wanting the film to end because it is so good. I could watch this movie in its entirety and sit right back down and watch it again. Don't miss this one, it's great!