I Love a Mystery (1945)

In the foggy streets of San Francisco, a gruesome discovery sets the stage for a riveting tale of mystery and suspense. A decapitated body, identified as socialite Jefferson Monk, is delivered to the city morgue following a fatal car crash. Rewind to days prior, Monk's tale begins to unfold at a vibrant Russian dance club where he encounters the famed detective duo, Jack Packard and Doc Long. A seemingly uninvited woman, Miss Jean, clings to Monk's arm, her identity as elusive as the shadows dancing on the club's walls. In the midst of the pulsating music and swirling dancers, Monk confides in Packard and Long about a chilling prophecy and his stalker, a peg-legged man carrying a small black bag – a harbinger of death he believes. A year before, Monk and his adoring wife Ellen crossed paths with a mystic philosopher, Mr. G, connected to their Far East adventure. G, believing Monk to be the reincarnation of their order's eternally youthful founder, extends an eerie offer to buy Monk's head post-mortem for $10,000. The refusal of this proposition, G warned, would lead to a series of horrific events—a prophecy that came true as Ellen turned into an invalid and Monk's life was foretold to end on the anniversary of this meeting. As the clock ticks, Monk's sanity teeters on the edge, haunted by the impending doom. Intrigued and resolved, Packard and Long take up the challenge to protect Monk and unveil the truth. A string of unexplained deaths and a convoluted trail of clues lead them deep into the heart of an enigmatic Oriental cult, a world of vast fortunes, cryptic women, and deadly secrets. With the morgue's cold slab bearing a headless victim, one question looms large - is the deceased truly Monk, or is this part of an elaborate scheme? As the plot thickens, the detectives find themselves in a race against time to decipher the reality behind the prophecies, the peg-legged stalker, and the true identity of the decapitated victim. This gripping narrative promises to keep viewers on the edge of their seats, questioning the line between truth and illusion until the very end.

I Love a Mystery is a crime movie featuring Jim Bannon.

I Love a Mystery is currently streaming on DIRECTV.