It was Darryl F. Zanuck who demanded Bette Davis be given her first "over the title" billing for "Ex Lady", a remake of Barbara Stanwyck's "Illicit", with a promotional tagline of "We Don't Dare Tell You How Daring It Is"!!! Bette Davis didn't like it, nor did the public. In spite of that, Warner's still considered her a rising star and she was again top billed in "Bureau of Missing Persons", originally titled "Headquarters". She was originally to be starred opposite George Brent who, because of his heavy workload, was replaced by Pat O'Brien who was fast making the glib, fast talking newspaper man character his own. Davis had already co-starred with him in the poverty rower "Hell's House". This less than entertaining film was littered with excellent players (so that wasn't the problem) including my own favourite, Glenda Farrell, who proved again and again that she was Warner's most under appreciated star.
Detective "Butch" Saunders (Pat O'Brien) is disgusted at being transferred to what he refers to as a "kindergarten" - the Bureau of Missing Persons. He has been transferred because he is hot headed and too strong armed and it is hoped a stint in B of M.P., under the calm influence of Capt. Webb (Lewis Stone, who else!!) will bring out Butch's sensitive side!!! Among the many cases that come through the bureau is Caesar Paul (Tad Alexander), a boy violinist, who has gone missing just days before his Symphony Hall concert. His parents are frantic, they see their meal ticket disappearing!! In another case, a business man, Mr. Kingman has disappeared, his wife and children are frantic but Joe (good old Allen Jenkins) thinks he is living with a blonde (gorgeous Noel Francis, why didn't she become a star, she was typecast if ever an actress was). "Butch" gets involved and almost bungles it through his rough handling of the blonde but Joe, however, plays it cool and brings in Kingman!! "I guess if there's any chance to do things the wrong way and you overlook it, it's because the day's too short and you didn't have the time"!! that's Webb's advice to Butch. When he uses his brain instead of his fists he finds little Caesar hiding out and trying to be a regular fellow, although when he sees the reunion between the boy and his parents he wishes he had left him at his hideout!!!
Bette Davis makes a very belated appearance and despite Butch's calling her beautiful, I thought she had very unflattering makeup. She is Norma Roberts, a worried wife who wants her husband found. Of course, being the love interest, Butch falls for her hard but she is not who she claims. She is also a missing person, Norma Williams, who has absconded from a charge of murdering her employer Thelm Roberts (Alan Dinehart). She has a fantastic tale - Thelm had a twin brother, a gibbering idiot, who is kept out of sight but when Thelm finds he is wanted for fraud and tax evasion he kills his brother and positions him at his office desk - suspicion naturally falls on his secretary, Norma, who escapes so she can find evidence to convict Thelm.
One of the highlights for me is the ever welcome Glenda Farrell as Belle, the money grubbing, bigamous wife of "Butchie Wutchie"!!!
Detective "Butch" Saunders (Pat O'Brien) is disgusted at being transferred to what he refers to as a "kindergarten" - the Bureau of Missing Persons. He has been transferred because he is hot headed and too strong armed and it is hoped a stint in B of M.P., under the calm influence of Capt. Webb (Lewis Stone, who else!!) will bring out Butch's sensitive side!!! Among the many cases that come through the bureau is Caesar Paul (Tad Alexander), a boy violinist, who has gone missing just days before his Symphony Hall concert. His parents are frantic, they see their meal ticket disappearing!! In another case, a business man, Mr. Kingman has disappeared, his wife and children are frantic but Joe (good old Allen Jenkins) thinks he is living with a blonde (gorgeous Noel Francis, why didn't she become a star, she was typecast if ever an actress was). "Butch" gets involved and almost bungles it through his rough handling of the blonde but Joe, however, plays it cool and brings in Kingman!! "I guess if there's any chance to do things the wrong way and you overlook it, it's because the day's too short and you didn't have the time"!! that's Webb's advice to Butch. When he uses his brain instead of his fists he finds little Caesar hiding out and trying to be a regular fellow, although when he sees the reunion between the boy and his parents he wishes he had left him at his hideout!!!
Bette Davis makes a very belated appearance and despite Butch's calling her beautiful, I thought she had very unflattering makeup. She is Norma Roberts, a worried wife who wants her husband found. Of course, being the love interest, Butch falls for her hard but she is not who she claims. She is also a missing person, Norma Williams, who has absconded from a charge of murdering her employer Thelm Roberts (Alan Dinehart). She has a fantastic tale - Thelm had a twin brother, a gibbering idiot, who is kept out of sight but when Thelm finds he is wanted for fraud and tax evasion he kills his brother and positions him at his office desk - suspicion naturally falls on his secretary, Norma, who escapes so she can find evidence to convict Thelm.
One of the highlights for me is the ever welcome Glenda Farrell as Belle, the money grubbing, bigamous wife of "Butchie Wutchie"!!!