The Ghost Breakers (1940)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

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 | Cuba | Island | 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: When the man dies in the crypt, he dies with his eyes open. In the next shot his eyes are closed.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Svengoolie: The Ghost Breakers" (1999)

Soundtrack:

Thanks for the Memory

Funny stuff's funny - scary stuff's scary

One of my long-term favourites. Horror-comedy with a mystery element. Bob Hope is in prime, breezy form here, and while the lines are good, his throwaway style of delivery and nervous energy puts the film over. The atmosphere of acceptance of the supernatural (in the zombie element of the movie)is reminiscent of "I Walked With a Zombie", which might sound like ridiculously high praise for a Bob Hope comedy, but it's probably best if you see the film and check it out.

There's an element of racial stereotyping which some might find bothersome now. That said, Willie Best in the potentially offending role, gives a hilarious performance as "the family detainer".

The comedy and horror elements complement rather than interfere with each other, the director and stars do a trememdous job, and this is one of the more enjoyable pure entertainment pictures you're likely to come across.