EssenceStory Well Deserved Praise

Solidrariol Am I Missing Something?

Bergorks If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Robert Joyner The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

weezeralfalfa The 3rd and final instalment of the Topper series of ghostly films, produced by Universal in 1937,'38, and '41. These were all inspired by several books written by Thorne Smith. The related film "I Married a Witch", filmed at Paramount, was also based on a Thorne Smith novel. The Topper series all involved one or more ghosts of a recently deceased person, who alternate between visible(mostly to Topper)and invisible. They may exert physical effects, as if they had a physical body. This provides the basis for mysterious and sometimes comical happenings. All these films were photographed in B&W, although a colorized version of the present film is available at YouTube. B&W may be preferable for murder mysteries of this era, providing a more sinister atmosphere. Unlike the first 2 Topper installments, this is a ghostly murder mystery. It's not billed as a comical mystery, although there is some humor here and there. Roland Young returns as the middle-aged Topper, and Billie Burke returns as his neurotic befuddled wife. But, Joan Blondell takes the place of Constance Bennet, as the main ghost. Also, there is no one comparable to Cary Grant's role in the first of this series. Joan, as the main ghost, helps solve the disappearance of her body, and who was responsible for her murder. Ann Carrington(Carole Landis) and her friend Gail Richards(Joan Blondell) arrive at the Carrington mansion after a near fatal crash of their taxi, caused by a gunman shooting out one of their tires. They had journeyed from the Far East, where Ann had spent her whole life, and where her mother, estranged from her father, had recently died from an accident. She had come in response to a letter saying her father was very ill, and she was the heir apparent of his estate. The girls met a sinister-looking collection of functionaries at the mansion, including Lilian: the housekeeper, Dr. Jeris: Mr. Carrington's personal physician, and Rama: the butler. Later arrivals include Cosmo Topper, his chauffeur: Rochester Anderson, his wife, his maid, and Bob: the cab driver. Also, several police spend much time trying to solve the murder case. Upon arrival, the massive central chandelier crashes, nearly hitting Ann. The girls are assigned their respective bedrooms, but Gail much prefers Ann's room, so Ann allows her to switch rooms the first night. This will prove fateful for Gail, as a man in all black enters her room and stabs her fatally during the night, escaping out her window. Gail's ghost travels to the nearby Topper residence and gets in Cosmo's bed, initially in invisible form. She asks Topper to accompany her to the Carrington's, to try to determine who killed her. Cosmo does this, and they find the body as before. However, when Cosmo goes downstairs to use the phone, various inhabitants converge on him. When he takes them to show the body, it's gone.Later, a man looking like the one that killed Gail, enters Ann's room at night and nearly knifed her, but screams brought a savior. Still later, the same person grabs Ann and takes her behind a secret panel. Again, someone saves her....I leave you to discover the remainder of this tale....Gail's killing may have been a random event. However, several happenings suggest probably someone was targeting Ann, and killed Gail by mistake, not knowing they had switched bedrooms for the night.The murder mystery itself, is fairly interesting, with a 'surprise' resolution. Joan and Rochester try to inject some humor there and there, with only modest success. Billie Burke, no doubt, comes across as more irritating than funny. To me, she's moderately amusing, with her inimical speech and frequent airhead remarks. Carole Landis serves mainly as eye candy, in one of her many supporting movie roles in the '40s. Ultimately, she was disappointed in the way her life was playing out, and took an overdose of pills, when not quite 30. Some of you may be uncomfortable with the idea that the spirits of the dead can appear in bodily or invisible form, manifesting physical abilities when invisible. In this respect, these ghosts are infringing on the characteristics of The Invisible Man, or Woman, who are not ghosts, but living people who have achieved reversible invisibility through special potions or electronics. They also exhibit physical capabilities, when invisible. The object of these fantasies is to imagine their unlikely existence, and the fun or sinister things these ghosts or people could do to drive the rest of us crazy.

classicsoncall Now I'm sorry I haven't watched this picture sooner. It's entertaining on a number of different levels, but I particularly got a kick out of Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson proclaiming that he's going back to Jack Benny! And this, in 1941! Along the same lines, taxi driver Bob (Dennis O'Keefe) makes reference to an Orson Welles radio broadcast, and later brings up the name of Charlie Chan. All the name dropping is very cool if you like these old flicks from the Forties, allowing you, the viewer, to be on the inside of all the clever references.Before the picture got under way, I was surprised to see Joan Blondell's name above the title character in the credits. You would think Roland Young as Topper would be top billed, but you get to see why once the story unfolds. Blondell's Gail Richards is murdered in a case of mistaken identity in the story, and returns as a ghost seeking out Topper's help to solve the crime. I probably shouldn't have been so incredulous that Cosmo recognized Gail as a ghost following her death, since this wasn't the first picture in the series. But I haven't seen the others, and I wondered how he could be so nonchalant about it.The picture is backed up with a fine cast of supporting players, with Carole Landis as the heir to the Carrington estate, Billie Burke as Mrs. Topper, Patsy Kelly her maid, and George Zucco in a bit of a red herring role as the creepy Dr. Jeris. Close your eyes when Clara Topper speaks and you'll swear she's channeling one of the munchkins from Oz, which wouldn't be too far off considering she was the Good Witch from that earlier classic. Even the animals get into the act, with a comical magpie landing on Rochester's shoulder at one point, and a sea lion pushing him back into the water after each fall from the rigged chair. That actually got a little annoying after a while, but Rochester seemed up to the challenge.But, and this is a big but - what's with the huge disconnect at the end of the story with the Henry Carrington impersonator (H.B. Warner)? He killed Gail Richards, and attempted to kill Ann Carrington, but after he died in the car crash and became a ghost himself, his character pooh-poohed his role in the story as if nothing happened? I just didn't get that, and neither I think, will you.NOTE*** After seeing this picture last night, I watched a Roy Rogers Western this morning whose plot went like this - A young woman about to turn twenty one the next day arrives to collect her inheritance. Her father died in a mine cave-in twenty years earlier, and the dead man's partner then faked his identity to take control of the estate. The picture, from 1948, is "Night Time in Nevada". The young woman even has a girl friend who accompanies her on the trip. She doesn't die, but is suddenly dropped from the story without mention. You have to love this stuff.

annmason1 I like ghost movies and such, and I do watch "Topper Returns" when I am in the mood. BUT it is getting more difficult, as the rampant racism is increasingly tough to stomach. "Rochester" was a pleasant memory from my youth; a valued cohort of Jack Benny. I didn't like to see him denigrated in this film. I tell myself that all of these fine actors did their best in denigrating roles, but Rochester more so than the others.And Joan Blondell! How irritating can one person get? I know this was the age of the "give as good as she got" female, but she utters not one humorous thing and grates on one's nerves.This movie is a waste of fine talent. It does, however, have redeeming virtues. The black and white photography is perfect for the effects it wishes to create. I think the scene of the "spirit" leaving the mansion to find Topper, is spectacular. The light and motion of the scene is better than I have ever seen in movies.I couldn't get into the ghost's still having a "body" capable of climbing into bed with Topper, getting drunk, getting her toe stepped on, etc.Carol Landis was beautiful and somehow managed to get through this turkey. Another waste of talent- and beauty.If you haven't seen this flick, you must do so if only to experience the eye movements of the doctor- the Boris Karloff wannabe. It is a queasy-creating performance...eee gads.But my dissatisfaction boils down to this: did the studio run out of money, or what? The end drops you off a cliff; so what was the whole scheme and how were the assorted nuts in the castle involved, and did Dennis O'Keef ever get his $26 dollars, and why in the heck do I care? Well, I don't, so I'm going to make some coffee.

Jay Raskin This is a ghost comedy wrapped in a murder mystery. It works because of the funny ensemble cast. Billie Burke (Mrs. Topper), Eddie Anderson (the chauffeur), Donald McBride (the police detective) and Joan Blondell (the ghost) produce a nice steady stream of laughs. Roland Young (Topper) and Carol Landis (Ann Carrington) play it straight and that provides a nice balance, so the comedy does not overwhelm the mystery.The film won an academy award for special effects. They were nice, but they were similar and not much better than 1933's "Invisible Man." I haven't seen "Topper" or "Topper Takes a Trip," so I cannot compare them. I was a fan of the 1950's "Topper" television show as a child. It seems to me that that show set the formula for "Bewitched," ""My Favorite Martian" and "I Dream of Jeannie," three of the best supernatural comedies of the 1960's.