Lady Bodyguard (1943): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1943, Lady Bodyguard is a comedy film directed by William Clemens, running about 69 minutes. “He was worth $1,000,000 dead... and not a penny alive!” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. A.C.Baker, advertising executive for an insurance company, approaches test pilot Terry Moore with a proposition that in return for using his picture and endorsement he will get a paid-for-a-year $1000 policy. High-risk Terry agrees. George MacAlister fires his secretary, Miss Tracy, just as she is typing up the policy and she, for spite, changes the amount from a thousand dollars to one million dollars. A.C. delivers the policy, without noticing the difference, to Terry at a party at the Frolics Club, a cheap joint wedged between a burlesque house and a flop house hotel. Three characters, an elderly hat-check "girl" known as Mother Hodges; Avery Jamieson, a broken-down actor; and bartender Harry Gargan are named beneficiaries. When the company discovers the error, A.C. is sent to get back the policy and, pending that, don't let Terry make any test flights.

Who’s in it. Lady Bodyguard stars Anne Shirley as A. C. Baker, Eddie Albert as Terry Moore, Raymond Walburn as Avery Jamieson and Roger Pryor as George MacAlister, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.0/10, Lady Bodyguard has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Lady Bodyguard page.

If you liked it. Fans of Lady Bodyguard tend to enjoy Forrest Gump, Parasite, Life Is Beautiful and Fight Club.