Bureau of Missing Persons: Bette Davis in a weirdly brisk mystery

Is it worth your time?

If you like movies that move at the speed of a caffeinated squirrel, sure. It’s perfect for people who miss the era of 70-minute mysteries where nobody stops to explain why they’re doing anything. If you need logic or people behaving like actual humans, you’ll probably find this infuriating.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Bureau of Missing Persons (1933) through its definitive frames.

Bette Davis is here before she became the legend we all know, and honestly, she’s the only reason this thing holds together. She plays the ‘distraught wife’ role with that specific kind of nervous energy that makes you wonder if she’s crying or just about to snap. Mostly, she’s just trying to keep up with the script.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Bureau of Missing Persons (1933) through its definitive frames.

The whole plot hinges on this wildly unethical plan by the police to trick her. It’s the kind of scheme that would get a detective fired instantly in any other movie, but here, it’s just how they do business. They just toss logic out the window and hope you don't notice.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Bureau of Missing Persons (1933) through its definitive frames.

Pat O'Brien plays the tough cop, Butch Saunders. He’s got that classic, punchy delivery that sounds like he’s shouting across a busy newsroom. Watching him try to navigate the weird twists of the story is like watching someone try to assemble IKEA furniture without the instructions. He’s determined, sure, but he’s definitely winging it.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Bureau of Missing Persons (1933) through its definitive frames.

Some random notes:

• The pacing is frantic. I swear, the movie doesn't even take a breath.
• The dialogue is so snappy it feels like they’re trying to set a record for lines spoken per minute.
• There’s a scene in the office that drags just enough to make you look at your phone, and then—boom—everything changes.
• It feels a lot more like a weird stage play than a real movie sometimes.

I couldn't help but compare the frantic energy here to some of the silent-era pacing you see in The Lightning Express. It has that same 'don't look back' attitude. Everything happens because it needs to happen for the plot, not because any person would actually do it.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Bureau of Missing Persons (1933) through its definitive frames.

There's a moment about halfway through where I realized I stopped caring who actually did the crime. I just wanted to see if the movie would finally acknowledge how absurd the whole setup was. It never really does. It just keeps barreling forward.

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s barely a coherent story half the time. But there’s a certain charm to how blunt it is. No fancy camera work, no deep themes—just a bunch of people running around an office trying to figure out a missing person case before the credits roll. 🕵️‍♂️

If you have an hour to kill and want to watch something that doesn't demand you use your brain, this is it. Just don't ask too many questions.