Topper.

Review #1346: Topper.

Cast: 
Constance Bennett (Marion Kerby), Cary Grant (George Kerby), Roland Young (Cosmo Topper), Billie Burke (Mrs. Clara Topper), Alan Mowbray (Wilkins), Eugene Pallette (Casey), Arthur Lake (Elevator boy / Bell boy), Hedda Hopper (Mrs. Grace Stuyvesant), Virginia Sale (Miss Johnson), and Elaine Shepard (Secretary) Directed by Norman Z. McLeod (#688 - Horse Feathers)

Review: 
One needs a gimmick sometimes to make a comedy click with interest. One involving fun-loving ghosts haunting their stuffy friend sounds like a good one to go with. The main trio of actors involved with this film each have their own versatile qualities to help make this a quite enjoyable experience. Bennett was known for her work in melodramas alongside comedies that made her a prime star of the 1930s (having also made the shift from silent to sound films), while Grant was slowly gaining recognition for his suave charm (having moved from vaudeville to film in 1932), and Young was known his diverse work in comedies, mysteries, and dramas. Of course a film needs a good director to lead the actors together, with Norman Z. McLeod being a worthy one to help with comedy. The WWI fighter pilot-turned film-man started his career as an animator with comedy shorts, and it was his skills as a gagman that would serve him well for his eventual directing career. His big break was assistant director on the 1927 film Wings, and he had his directorial debut with Taking a Chance (1928). Before his death in 1964, McLeod directed films with notable comedy actors that ranged from W. C. Fields to the Marx Brothers to Bob Hope. The film was an adaptation of the 1926 novel (known as both Topper and The Jovial Ghosts) by Thorne Smith. The sequel novel Topper Takes a Trip (1932) would also be adapted into a film in 1938, with a further film named Topper Returns (1941) coming to theaters a few years later. Young and Burke appeared in all three films, while Bennett and Mowbray appeared only in the sequel. In any case, this is an entertaining comedy, full of charm with little moments and entertaining chemistry between Bennett, Grant, and Young that makes the 97 minutes go without too many hitches. It's a silly charmer (for a film that has its main couple die in the first 25 minutes, anyway) that runs its gags to good mileage, whether that involves sight gags where special effects help make things look like they move on their own (such as a ghost driving a car) or whimsical screwball dialogue (which helped sell Grant on doing the idea when hesitant on the supernatural material). Bennett and Grant thrive on inspiring fun and charm, while Young succeeds on his dryness alongside a daffy Burke. Playful and absurd, it should be no surprise that turned out the way it did as a neat little supernatural comedy gem, deserving of a watch to see charm display itself on screen with such effective power that is executed well enough to make for interesting entertainment.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.