Thanks for the memories!

Sorry, this movie sucks

Fresh and Exciting

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

There is always a lot of fun for old Topper and this movie is no exception. Along for the ride here is Joan Blondell (always a great addition to any movie), Billie Burke, Paty Kelly, and some classic comedy bits from Eddie (Rochester) Anderson. This Hal Roach produced film is a delight from start to finish.There of course are some strange goings on, with cars having blowouts and a woman sitting on Toppers lap. Of course Topper gets dragged into this while kicking and screaming trying to stay out of it. This time Rochester is Toppers driver. A brand new tire blows out to start the film.This one has enough spooky happenings that it could be really serious but the great thing about any Topper film is the button down comedy of old Topper being hounded by Ghost and spirited ones. All the Topper Films and the classic TV Series are great to put a smile on your face. This film entry is no exception to that.

This is definitely still a worth-to-watch film if you are into the comedies from this era, but while the first Topper movie was a true classic, this is not much more than a lovely little time-passer. But what makes it really different from the first two Topper films is that, instead of doing another romantic comedy, this time they ventured into murder mystery territories. With mixed results.The plot is simple: Carole Landis, a girl in her early twenties returns from the Far East where she grew up, to meet his father for the first time and to inherit the family fortune. Which, of course makes her a target for a mysterious killer, who, after two failed attempts finally kills... her friend Gail (Joan Blondell) who accompanied her on the trip and switched rooms with her for the night. After this, her ghost approaches Mr. Topper, whom they met on their way to the mansion and they team up to figure out who the killer is. And then the usual madness ensues, which just gets even crazier when the police and Mrs. Topper shows up at the scene as well.But by this time the story is already a mess and it isn't getting any better later. We don't even really know why Gail goes to Mr. Topper's house right after she was murdered and that's just the first of the many things that doesn't get explained properly (or at all). Including the end. Which has a great, really unexpected twist, which could easily save the movie if played out well, but instead it just disappoints and actually leaves more questions open than what it solves.But despite all these gaping plot holes and the very routine and seemingly very rushed mystery script, there are several things that still makes this fun to watch. First of these are the great effects, that sometime really makes you wonder about who they managed to do them. And then, there is the great set of character actors: Joan Blondell as the lively American city girl (who, obviously doesn't seem to care much that she was just killed and remains almost disturbingly cheerful), George Zucco as the suspicious friend-of-the-family, Donald MacBride doing a great job as usual as the dumb police sergeant, and Eddie Anderson (as the Toppers' chauffeur) doing the Mantan Moreland part, getting scared and trying to run away all the time, but eventually taking an active part in solving the case. And the best of all, Billie Burke as Mrs. Topper, who, while a total airhead, is still by far the most lovable character of all and serves some of the best jokes as well. And that's the other thing that saves the movie: the great jokes and the comedy parts.And actually that is why I think, that (while I just love murder mysteries) the Topper series should stayed what it was: pure comedy. As the movie shines when we get to the fun parts, but the mystery part of he story is so half assed that it does not add anything to the whole, just distracts and annoys the viewer.

The second TOPPER film – TOPPER TAKES A TRIP (1938) – is curiously unavailable for appraisal (unless you happen to be one of those born-lucky U.S. residents who have the privilege of a TCM connection) but it seems to have followed the same route as its predecessor…except for the non-reappearance of Cary Grant which, following the release of one of the peaks of the Screwball genre THE AWFUL TRUTH (1937), he had become a bona-fide film star in his own right and his services had evidently become too expensive for Hal Roach's limited pockets! The third entry in the series, then, gave the formula an ingenious twist by marrying it with the popular old dark house-type of film. While I wouldn't go so far as to say that Topper's presence within this context is redundant, it does feel a bit contrived and, at times, he seems reduced to a supporting player in his own star vehicle. Still, the film (scripted by future noir expert Jonathan Latimer and Gordon Douglas, who would become a director of some distinction and had actually just helmed the minor Laurel & Hardy comedy SAPS AT SEA [1940]) is a deft combination of various familiar yet irresistible elements which render the mix all the more pleasing.And so it is that, for the next 90 minutes or so, we are in the company of a ditzy blonde (Joan Blondell who's killed off early and becomes the ghost in this case), a put-upon heiress (ill-fated Carole Landis), a mysterious masked assailant (whose identity when revealed proves quite clever), an ailing father (H.B. Warner), an enigmatic maid (Raffaela Ottiano from THE DEVIL-DOLL [1936]) a sinister doctor (horror regular George Zucco), a frightened manservant (hilarious Eddie "Rochester" Anderson who actually steals the film – with even an in-joke about his long-running collaboration with comedian Jack Benny on radio), a dumb cop (a typically flustered Donald MacBride), etc. For the record, the best gag has Rochester falling repeatedly through a hole in the ground to the riverbed beneath the old house, and then being persistently kept from re-emerging by a playful seal!

I must I admit that the other two installments are very funny screwball comedies, but this one tops them all.The mainstays of Roland Young and Billie Burke are back as the tentative couple who are always one-part bumbler and the other-part clueless. Their scenes are always funny as Young tries so hard not to let on to his clueless wife what is really going on! But the star who carries this one is none other than that bombshell comedienne herself, JOAN BLONDELL. Just when you think she is only going to be a sidekick, she turns into THE kick. Her comic flair and range serve her well. As do the talents of the Donald MacBride as the Police Captain. (It's amazing how many defenders of the law he actually played during his long career - which by the way goes all the way back to the silents.) [1914]. The other star in his own right is Eddie "Rochester" Anderson. He shines numerous times in this outing as the Topper driver. Every comedy needs a great last scene or last line. And this time, it belongs to Rochester. Many people do not know that he became a wealthy man and lived in the "Hills" alongside many of the film star greats of the time. No mean feat for a "man of color" in those days. What a great talent he was! All in all, so many others also bring this ensemble work to work...notably the always underused Patsy Kelley, whose frumpish comedic gifts rounded out this wonderfully funny movie.Sit back and enjoy this ghostly screwball gem!