The Ghost Breakers (1940)

Director:

George Marshall

Writers:

Paul Dickey (play) and
Charles W. Goddard (play) ...

Release Date:

21 June 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror

Tagline:

The two stars of "The Cat and the Canary" find love and laughter in a haunted house!

Plot:

A radio broadcaster, his quaking manservant and an heiress investigate the mystery of a haunted castle in Cuba.

Plot Keywords:

Castle | Island | Cuba | Ghost | Zombie

Cast

Bob Hope	...	Larry Lawrence
Paulette Goddard	...	Mary Carter
Richard Carlson	...	Geoff Montgomery
Paul Lukas	...	Parada
Willie Best	...	Alex
Pedro de Cordoba	...	Havez (as Pedro De Cordoba)
Virginia Brissac	...	Mother Zombie
Noble Johnson	...	The Zombie
Anthony Quinn	...	Ramon Mederes / Francisco Mederes
Tom Dugan	...	Raspy Kelly
Paul Fix	...	Frenchy Duval
Lloyd Corrigan	...	Martin

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #6126) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | UK:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since.

Goofs:

Continuity: A ghost is seen walking in the foyer where Lawrence finds his body is entombed. Later, Lawrence "discovers" the same ghost's body in the crypt.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Mary Carter: Hello, operator? Operator? Operator, the lights in my room. What? The lightning?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America: Would Ya Hit a Guy with Glasses?: Nerds, Jerks & Oddballs (#1.1)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Thanks for the Memory

Blooper / review

This film & "Cat & the Canary" are easily Bob Hope's finest films! Excellent 'haunted castle' (inherited by Goddard) film. Hope has a LOT of great lines!

The blooper is at the beginning of the film; NYC is supposedly COMPLETELY blacked out, due to a thunderstorm. No lites; nothing. BUT.....when "Raspy Kelly" rings Hope's doorbell, it BUZZES! Amazing!