What a waste of my time!!!

Disturbing yet enthralling

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

Now that I've seen "Topper Takes a Trip", I have seen the three original Topper films. They are all mildly amusing, at best, but the shtick gets a little old after a while.In the original film, Cosmo Topper (Roland Young) is visited by two ghosts (Cary Grant and Constance Bennett). The film surprised the filmmakers, as it was a hit and folks were clamoring for more...but for some reason Cary Grant didn't agree to do the sequel. I can only assume he had better film projects and in hindsight I think he was probably wise to avoid this one. Instead, believe it or not, they replaced him with a ghost dog!! Uggh!This installment finds Cosmo fighting to stay married as Mrs. Topper (Billie Burke) is seeking a divorce. This really makes no sense, as she loved Topper...and her suddenly listening to bad friends who want to separate them is pretty awful and far from funny. Well, apparently American divorces take too long so she heads to Paris...and Cosmo goes there to try to stop her from doing this and marrying some Baron. Whatever. The bottom line is that this film seems to scream out "there is NO reason for this film"....and I would definitely agree. Not a terrible film...but not a good one. Oddly, the third film (starring Young, Burke and Joan Blondell as the ghost) is probably the best of the three movies.

The film picks up where the original story left off. If you haven't seen the first Topper, there are several flashback scenes at the beginning to bring you up to speed. This is classic screwball comedy combined with supernatural fantasy, something that seems to match writer Thorne Smith's particular talents and Hollywood's fascination with anything and everything whimsical.Roland Young is impressive as the befuddled title character and Billie Burke delights audiences as his wacky wife. The issue one has with the series is not its continual use of thinly stretched gags (playing on the idea that only Topper can communicate with the dead), but rather its obvious use of camera editing to create magical special effects. For example, ghostly Constance Bennett drinks a martini that seems to disappear one gulp at a time (obviously accomplished by stopping the film, emptying some of the alcohol, then resuming camera action). Most viewers probably see such an effect as fake and contrived. Despite the basic technology, the film does retain appeal, thanks in large part to the winning performances of its actors. Especially Miss Bennett who adds an element of glamour to the whole affair.

This is not as good as the first movie, simply called "Topper," mainly because of the absence of Cary Grant. He helped make the first movie a big success, and without him this movie simply wasn't as good. Grant granted permission to re-run of scene of his from the first film to help set up viewers who hadn't seen the original.Roland Young as "Topper" keeps this film alive and makes it an acceptable sequel. He is very funny at times and without him, the film would have bombed big-time. Young provides most of the entertainment. Constance Bennett is still the slinky, attractive and well-meaning "Marion Kirby" while Billie Burke, as Topper's wife, is stupid, extremely affected and annoying.I saw a colorized VHS version of this and it was weak. I'm sure the black-and-white DVD version looks better.

Ahh, those screwball comedies from the 30's are still a delight, and it is hard to find anything better. The actors in this comedic tour de force are outstanding, and well cast. Roland Young and Billie Burke are pure comedy gold together. No one else could do vague, bemused, bewildered, bedevilled as well as these two. Pair them together, and you have a recipe for instant success. Constance Bennett was a gorgeous blonde in an era famous for gorgeous blondes. Unlike many of the others, she had talent, and was a delight in a comedy. I had seen the series as a child, but I didn't appreciate them until I was an adult. Roland Young's physical comedy, was a definite asset to the series, but his female co-stars, and their delivery was a sheer delight. I also enjoyed Alan Mowbray, who was the suave villain in a few of the Sherlock Holmes films, as the sympathique butler in this little gem of a movie. He was extraordinarily talented, but was woefully typecast as the heavy in many period pieces. I liked this kinder gentler side of the actor, and hope to find something similar from him again. There are no missteps in this one. If you like a nice unsophisticated bit of fluff and froth, you will love this movie. The only thing comparable to me, for entertainment value was "The Women", which came out the same year. Both of the films had me laughing out loud many times, and are films that I watch again and again. Spend some time with Topper, and you won't be sorry, but you will be holding your sides from laughter, and you will appreciate the brilliant comedic timing behind the zingers and barbs that fly in this film.