Topper Returns (1941)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Roy Del Ruth

Writers:

Thorne Smith (characters)
Jonathan Latimer (original screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

21 March 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Mystery | Romance | Comedy

Tagline:

Topper's having girl trouble again!

Plot:

Topper is once again tormented by a fun-loving spirit. This time, it's Joan Blondell, who was accidentally...

Plot Keywords:

Housekeeper | Sniper | Doctor | Estate | Chauffeur

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Joan Blondell	...	Gail Richards
Roland Young	...	Cosmo Topper
Carole Landis	...	Ann Carrington
Billie Burke	...	Mrs. Clara Topper
Dennis O'Keefe	...	Bob
Patsy Kelly	...	Emily - Maid
H.B. Warner	...	Mr. Henry Carrington
Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson	...	Eddie - Chauffeur
George Zucco	...	Dr. Jeris
Donald MacBride	...	Police Sgt. Roberts
Rafaela Ottiano	...	Lillian
Trevor Bardette	...	Rama - Butler
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eddy Chandler	...	Jim - Police Sergeant (uncredited)
John Kelly	...	Engine Room Sailor-Henchman in Striped Shirt (uncredited)
George Lloyd	...	Boat Captain (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Second Butler (uncredited)
Brick Sullivan	...	Darryl - Police Officer (uncredited)
Duke York	...	Engine Room Sailor-Henchman in Black (uncredited)

Directed by
Roy Del Ruth

Writing credits
Thorne Smith		(characters)
Jonathan Latimer		(original screenplay) &
Gordon Douglas		(original screenplay)
Paul Girard Smith		(additional dialogue) (as Paul Gerard Smith)

Produced by
Hal Roach	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Werner R. Heymann

Cinematography by
Norbert Brodine		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
James E. Newcom		(as James Newcom)

Art Direction by
Nicolai Remisoff

Set Decoration by
William Stevens		(as W.L. Stevens)

Costume Design by
Royer		(gowns)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bernard Carr	....	assistant director

Sound Department
William Randall	....	sound recordist
Elmer Raguse	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Roy Seawright	....	photographic effects

Music Department
Irvin Talbot	....	conductor

Other crew
Hal Roach	....	presenter
Irene Martin	....	stand-in: Joan Blondell (uncredited)
H.W. Winston	....	animal trainer: Slicker the seal (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Hal Roach Studios

Distributors

• United Artists (1941) (USA) (theatrical)
• Favorite Films (1946) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• Teakwood Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Teakwood Video (2004) (USA) (VHS)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Grapevine Video (????) (USA) (DVD) (DVD-R)
• Grapevine Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Státní Pujcovna Filmu (194?) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)

Runtime:

88 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 #6963) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Finland:K-16 | Germany:6 | Sweden:15

Company:

Hal Roach Studios

Trivia:

In the film, Eddie (played by Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson) says that he's going back to "Mr. Benny", an in-joke reference to the fact that Anderson played Rochester, the valet, on Jack Benny's radio program and later TV show.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In several scenes, when Gail is invisible and she lifts up one of the wine bottles, the wires lifting them up can be seen.

Quotes:

Eddie, the Chauffeur: Doors opening by themselves. People talkin' to nuthin' and gettin' answers. I'm going back.
Clara Topper: Back where?
Eddie, the Chauffeur: To Mr. Benny. Ain't nuthin' like this ever happened there.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Penny Dreadful (2005)

Sprightly ghost play

Unusual among films in the "old dark house" style for being about a ghost who comes back to solve her own murder. Disguised as a Topper film, and with Roland Young and Billie Burke again cast as Mr and Mrs Topper, this is really a clever murder mystery in reverse, a sort of "why he done it". Praise must be lavished on the script, co-written by murder-mystery novelist Jonathan Latimer (who also wrote some of the better Peter Falk Columbo episodes in the 1970s) and on the playing of Young, Burke and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, who steal the film from headliners Carole Landis and Joan Blondell -- it is Topper's film after all. More inspired by the late Thorne Smith's characters than based on anything he wrote, the film nonetheless will appeal to fans of this extraordinary novelist's humorous works. A must for anyone who like horror send-ups, Topper or Smith!