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| James Franciscus and Jack Klugman |
ONE OF MY WIVES IS MISSING (1976 telefilm). Director: Glenn Jordan.
Daniel Corban (James Franciscus) is on his honeymoon in a small town when he tells Inspector Levine (Jack Klugman) that his wife walked out after a minor argument and hasn't been seen since. The laid-back Levine tries to be sympathetic but doesn't think there's much to worry about, especially when Mrs. Corban (Elizabeth Ashley) walks in and announces that she's back. The only problem is that Corban insists that he has never seen this woman before and that she is not Elizabeth Corban! Although Corban thinks of every way he can to convince the inspector that he's telling the truth, his "wife" counters his every move, and the situation truly begins to look desperate ...
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| Elizabeth Ashley |
Three good lead performances are at the heart of
One of My Wives, a twisty tale that has been told before and afterwards. Anne Baxter was the harried honeymooner in
Chase a Crooked Shadow (1958), then Janet Leigh in
Honeymoon with a Stranger (1969). In 1986 came yet another telefilm,
Vanishing Act, which starred Elliot Gould as the honeymooning husband. These were all official or uncredited versions of Robert Thomas' stage play "Trap for a Single Man." Like other versions,
One of My Wives is suspenseful and intriguing, bolstered by Klugman's pleasant cop, Ashley's increasingly sinister and witchy portrayal, and Franciscus' credibly mounting fear, confusion and alarm. There is also good work from Joel Fabiani as a priest, Milton Selzer as a grocer, and the ever-lovable Ruth McDevitt as a neighbor.
Verdict: Good version of this oft-told tale. ***.
I did see this on TV as a kid and enjoyed it then--would probably LOVE it now. I've never NOT loved Klugman in anything...he was one of the greats among character actors and charismatic enough to star in not one but two hit TV shows. James Franciscus is one of Hollywood's all-time handsomest blonds--and a better actor than Redford or even Brad Pitt. And Elizabeth Ashley--well, her smoky voice gives me the tingles and she's always so intense. I had the pleasure of seeing Elizabeth Ashley onstage in both Agnes of God on (off?) Broadway and as Martha in a production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf at the not defunct Coconut Grove Playhouse. She has star quality and stage presence!!
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Ashley was the real deal all right. I've almost forgiven her for "Windows," LOL! And I bet she made a hot and vivid Martha! I completely agree with you about Klugman and Franciscus. "Wives" is streaming on Amazon Prime, and it might even be on youtube, too.
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