edwagreen Inane farce with Roland Young, a stuffy banker, with his even more stuffier wife, Billie Burke, victimized by Cary Grant and Constance Bennett, Young's friends, a care-free, highly eccentric wealthy couple dying too soon in a car accident.The so called fun begins when they're dead and they begin to play havoc in the life of Young.This is a film dedicated to the belief that conventional living isn't necessarily the way to go. You can only go so far with such films. As in the case with this picture, at times it turns into silliness beyond belief.Roland Young was nominated that year as best supporting actor for his antics in this highly unconventional film.

Zapi Sisma Honestly, I never liked Cary Grant, but it's an old comedy with ghosts, has wacky silly potential, I expected slapstick because I don't know what screwball comedy is. If this is top of screwball comedy, than it sucks. Let's be realistic, it's not funny. The couple, they drive cars with feet, they sing when they shouldn't, they sleep in the middle of the road, the are assholes. And they find this poor Topper who's not living his life with anal prolapse, so they make him drink and molest random people. Cary Grant is uglier, less lovable and more irritating than later on when he's older. Topper's wife, one of the main reasons for his boring life, is played by Billie Burke, who played the good witch Glinda destroying singlehandedly the ending of Wizard of Oz, looking so unpleasant. But she's better here. Constance Bennett is cutely quirky. But Roland Young as Topper was great and fitting for the role. Funny intonation, funny stance, everything. I think I don't like the movie, but it might be one of those movies which need a while. And how irritating is that they can touch people and stuff, but people don't bump into them, suddenly no one can touch them even of they go through the space which they occupy. Also, she drinks chocolate soda. What's that?

PudgyPandaMan I thought this film was a riot. Parts of it did drag a touch, but overall, I was amused the majority of the time.I think the special effects were amazing considering it was the 30's. It's incredible what they were able to do - before computers were even imagined yet! Some of the better effects were the shower scene where the water "bends" around invisible Marion. I also thought the smoking was well done, where the invisible Marion makes a puff of smoke seem to appear out of nothing.Cary Grant's role almost seems trivial compared to the others. I guess he hadn't yet risen to SUPERSTAR status. Constance Bennett did a fine job. But I think Roland Young completely stole the show as the stuffy banker Cosmo Topper. To watch his evolution from boring Bank President to fun-loving playboy was a stitch. He was quite capable of physical comedy - which seemed to belie his exterior. He was great as a drunk, being "propped-up" and made to walk by his invisible friends. Also, his dancing was hilarious - especially in the chair!Notable supporting cast included Billie Burke as Mrs. Topper. I find her little girl voice so distracting and annoying. She would become infamous 2 years later as the good witch Glinda in WIZARD OF OZ. She fit that role to a T and her voice was appropriate as an efferial, fairy-like creature. But here it just sounded dumb. Speaking of voices, I loved the hotel detective's voice which had a very gravely, baritone quality to it.It's interesting to note that the Great Depression was partly responsible for the success that screwball comedies had in the 30's. People wanted to laugh to help forget their troubles. I wonder, given the current economic crisis, if we will see a similar rise in popularity of the comedy genre.

Spikeopath George & Marion Kerby like to live life to the max, they party hard and pursue the good time with carefree abandon. During one devil may care drive home fuelled with excess, they crash into a tree and are instantly killed, yet strangely their spirits are still on earth, and it would seem they need to achieve something of value before they can hit the big house in the sky. Enter regimental prig Cosmo Topper, a friend and colleague of the Kerby's, and someone who is about to become their pet make over project!Based on Thorne Smith's novel, The Jovial Ghosts, this is a truly delightful picture, it steams along at a fair old clip, and clocking in at just one and half hours in length, it never outstays it's welcome. It would have been very sad if this had become a one joke movie, I mean just how many ghost gags can you pull off before it gets tiresome? Thankfully the makers of this breezy romp have pulled it all together to consistently tickle the ribs. The spooky effects for 1937 certainly hold up well, for sure they are far from perfect, but with the tone of this particular piece being one of mirth and cheekiness, I find that the effects carry a decidedly uplifting charm.The film boasts a wonderful turn from Roland Young as Cosmo Topper, as he lurches from one incredulous situation to another, he carries the film with consummate ease. As the Kerby's we get the bright Constance Bennett and the irrepressible comic talent of Cary Grant, with Bennett only bagging the role of Marion when the already cast Jean Harlow sadly passed away a month before the shoot. Grant stepped into the role of George after W.C. Fields vacated it, and we can only guess what sort of picture we would have got with the original cast choices. Yet I simply can't envisage the film being improved upon because Grant & Bennett literally do bounce of each other with cracking results.From one spooky set up to the next, Topper is a cure for the blues, be it fisticuffs with cops, or turning a hotel inside out, it is quite simply a delicious piece of 30s comedy pie. 8/10