A perfect blend of spooks and laughs make this one of Bob Hope's finest films. Bob battles ghosts, zombies, bats and killers in order to help lovely Paulette Goddard in a film full of atmosphere and situational humor. This unusual...
See more »
A perfect blend of spooks and laughs make this one of Bob Hope's finest films. Bob battles ghosts, zombies, bats and killers in order to help lovely Paulette Goddard in a film full of atmosphere and situational humor. This unusual film has a little of everything and a lot of laughs. Charles Lang's photography is outstanding and the score by Ernst Toch fits every scene, albeit romantic, comical or spooky. Based on a play by Paul Dickey and Charles W. Goddard, the screenplay from Walter DeLeon has more plot than usual for a Hope film, and a few unexpected thrills as well. Not to be overlooked as part of the reason for the film's success is a terrific cast of players surrounding our favorite coward. A young Anthony Quinn, Paul Lukas, Richard Carlson, Virginia Brissac and William Best as Hope's pal and employee all help make this a screen classic. George Marshall's direction, often critisized by film historians, is excellent. Goddard, who never got enough good roles, shines here in more ways than one. Edith Head adorned the lovely Goddard in dresses nearly as pretty as the actress herself and the results are a sight to see. Hope is radio personality Lawrence Lawrence. He dishes on crime activity in New York until Frenchie Duvall takes exception to one of his broadcasts and invites him up to his hotel room for a visit on a rainy night. Mary Carter (Paulette Goddard) is staying in the same hotel before heading to Cuba to claim the castle she's inherited. A man named Prada (Paul Lukas) handling the legal matters is acting suspicious and a phone call from Ramon Maderos (Anthony Quinn) trying to warn her to be careful doesn't ease her mind either. Maderos gets shot at the same time Lawrence visits next door, Lawrence thinking he is the one who's killed him. His valet pal, Alex (William Best), gave him a .32, however, and Maderos was shot with a .38. Mary tries to hide Larry while the police search and before you know it Lawrence is in Mary's trunk and on a ship bound for Black Island. Alex follows to help out. Mary meets Ramon's twin brother, Francisco, who has many questions about why his brother was murdered after trying to warn her. She also meets the friendly Geoff Montgomery (Richard Carlson) and a guy who keeps bumping into her at just the right time. Lawrence is romancing Mary in his usual fashion and decides to leave the ship bound for Havana in order to rid her castle of the spooks supposedly haunting it, not to mention the crooks after it. Once he and Alex head to Black Island the film switches gears and there are a few real chills and thrills. Lawrence and Alex run into bats, ghosts and a zombie controled by its mother (Virginia Brissac). Lawrence keeps his head for the most part as he and Alex act as "ghost breakers" to save Mary. Lawrence discovers a painting of the beautiful Maria Sebastion who is the splitting image of Mary. There are a couple of coffins and a secret passage in the old castle, of course, and when Mary arrives, everyone aboard ship isn't far behind. This is a fun and funny Hope film with a few thrills and a great cast. William Best is especially good as Hope's sidekick. This is a top-notch production with great photography and pacing. It covers a lot of genres yet never misses a beat. There is a great ending to cap the proceedings and this would be a good film for either a Saturday morning in bed or a rainy night. Don't miss this one. Comment | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)
See less »
Kaboodle will send you a newsletter and updates from your friends. You can unsubscribe at any time. Kaboodle does not sell or share your email address or personal information with anyone.
Kaboodle requires all users to provide their real date of birth as both a safety precaution and as a means
of preserving the integrity of the site. You will be able to hide this information from your profile if you wish.
Added by 1 people