Topper Returns (1941)

I love this movie so much

So much average

brilliant actors, brilliant editing

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

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.

Ann Carrington (Landis) stands to inherent a fortune on her 21st birthday and is invited to her home where she is to meet her father for the very first time. Ann brings her best friend Gail Richards (Blondell) to stay with her in the home. The girls end up changing bedrooms to sleep in and Gail is murdered, the murderer intended on killing Ann instead for the inheritance: money and home. The ghost of Gail ends up enlisting the help of Cosmo Topper (Young) in order to find out who killed her and why. A reluctant Topper helps to cracks the murder case.Fun story! Large old mansion, plenty of secret passageways, a phantom killer on the loose, a ghost, bungling police and a cast of zany characters pull off a film enjoyable for the whole family to watch.8/10

This is one of my favourite movies and another one that my daughter and I have watched repeatedly over the years. It was a second sequel film to the 1937 Topper and most decidedly the best of the three, a perfect mix of murder and slapstick, although we couldn't help but feel sorry for poor old Joan Blondell. It was very similar (in spirit) to Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit in the attitude to death but very different in its attitude to humour.Heiress Carole Landis visits her father at his spooky mansion for the first time with her lively friend who gets murdered by a sinister black cloaked figure. Roland Young played meek and mild Cosmo Topper again, and again beset by ghostly problems to solve and earthly ones caused by his flibbertigibbet wife Clara played by Billie Burke. The difference this time was made by wise cracking taxi driver Dennis O'Keefe, manic cop Donald Macbride and Topper's resigned chauffeur Rochester, who provided a plethora of smart ass one liners throughout the too short film. Favourite bits: the entire cast being ordered into the icebox; Macbride & O'Keefe's continual mutual putdowns (Where's your taxi?/Where do you think it is?); the beautiful scene where Macbride asks Landis to identify the dead body and warns her she will have an unpleasant experience – whereupon she violently screams and faints in a heap; the great George Zucco's mad roving eyes whilst delivering his prime hammiest performance; so many other memorable scenes.But not one second is wasted in a brilliant 88 minutes, it all adds up to a breathtaking roller-coaster ride and wildly improbable fantasy fun. Wholeheartedly recommended.

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!