Reviews (11)

Perfect Character Actors
MGM's David Copperfield was a great opportunity to make use of some Hollywood's great character actors, and the film does so to great effect. Of course, the film is based on Dicken's famous novel, although the story is condensed. Freddie Bartholomew stars as the title character, a young boy eventually orphaned who meets a host of characters as he grows up alone. Although Bartholomew was actually one of the better child actors in film history, he never captures this character and his performance sometimes seems forced and ineffective. However, he is surrounded by an incredible group of actors playing memorable supporting characters. Basil Rathbone, W.C. Fields, Edna May Oliver, and Roland Young are all excellent in roles that only Dickens could have written. They make the movie. The film features the usual MGM production values and is well worth a look.

Most accurate representation of characters
Out of all the movies I've seen made from Dickens novels this is the one that most truly represents the characters of David Copperfield. It is a bringing together of some of the finest character actors that ever graced the screen. Any Dickens fan will love this version. W.C.Fields was born to play Mr.Micawber. Edna May Oliver was created to play Dickens.

Jane Murdstone
I would like to add that Jane Murdstone also played an excellent role as Murdstone's black sister. Did you notice the steel handbag she carries and the way she threads beads? She is quiet and deadly, always behind the back of her icy brother, ready to give him directions. I have tried without luck to get a photo of her in this role --- can anyone help?

a cherished classic
Shouldn't one of the great endearing classics from Hollywood's golden era be transferred onto DVD? Films like these are to be cherished, so Come on studios get with it, video is becoming obsolete!

A sweet movie
A really good movie. Freddie Bartholemew plays young David Copperfield, a boy who lost his father, and whose only relations are his doting mother and his spunky aunt Betsey Trotwood. His nurse Peggoty (I think I spelled it right-) Takes him on a trip to visit her relatives by the ocean. When they return, His mother has married Mr. Murdstone. (Basil Rathbone in a role that sends shivers up my spine)His mother dies, Mr Murdstone sends him away to work in London and board with Mr Micawber ,(WC Fields), Who is constantly hounded by his creditors. Micawber ends up moving, and David goes to live with Aunt Betsey. The second half (When David grows up) Is not nearly as good as the first, Its one redeeming value is 'Umble Uriah Heep (Roland Young). He is truly revolting. (As Uriah Heep SHOULD be).
I reccommend you try it. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Dancing as an Equal
It was with mixed expectations that I bought and watched this movie. One reviewer said Betty was no Ginger and another said Betty was so good you watched her instead of Fred. As a long- time lover of musicals I must agree with the latter opinion. Fred's other partners (Ginger, Judy and Cyd come to mind) were women who made it their business to blend as smoothly as possible into Fred's style, highlighting his moves so that you were more liable to watch him than his women. They knew how to disappear (as women did in those days)into the male's technique. But Betty does it differently. She dances with Fred as an equal and because she is so darned good, you do indeed watch her instead of him.

It's almost as if he had the flu the entire movie. His cocky swagger and seductive smile are missing. His solo pieces are half-assed and his partnered dances make him seem thrown for a loss. He appears to not know how to dance with a woman who takes up the same space he does. Had Betty been Gene or Donald, there would have been no problem; Fred would have known how to relate. You can see the proof of this in the Cowboy number where Betty is a cowpoke. That being said, a sickly Fred is better than almost anyone else on a good day. I had to laugh when the greatgrandma calls Astaire "young man." Fred looked 40 at age 20 and 40 at age 60!

Betty is delightful in this movie. I didn't remember how beautiful she was. Ginger danced as if she practiced hard and has finally got it just right. Betty is a natural who expresses joy in every step and so looks spontaneous. The movie's worth watching, esp for the opening number. Betty acts better than Grable or Lana Turner, substituting their saccarine flavor with genuine sweetness. Her "over the top" behavior in other movies gives one pause. This came to define her and serious roles were then denied her. Pity. One wonders why she undermined herself as an actress in that way. Perhaps she never knew she was that good. What did "blond bombshells" do back then? What they were told, I'm sure. There was Mae West and Marilyn, two who attempted to carve their own path through Hollywood and both succeeded but at great cost. Betty shoulda been a contender, and this movie shows it.

I Can't Stop Talking About It!
This is one of the best, and funniest movies I have ever seen. It is absolutely hilarious and made me burst out laughing.

Fred is a genius. Though I think his performances in Top Hat, Follow the Fleet, and Swing Time were better, this is extremely good. Betty Hutton is just magnificent! She sparkles on the screen and adds a certian allure to the film. Though she certianly cannot compare with Ginger Rogers of some of Fred's earlier dance partners, she is wonderful for this film and I can't imagine anyone else in that role.

The songs aren't that great, but the performances of them make up for that deficiency. 'Oh Them Dudes' is magnificent and uproariously funny. 'I Can't Stop Talking About Him' is a laugh-out-loud hit with relatively good dancing on Betty's part. 'The Paino Dance' is fantastic and is definately one of my favorite Astaire solos of all time (and trust me, I've seen plenty!).

As for the plot; well, it's cute and funny. However, it gets a bit repetitive at times.

Don't miss out on this fabulous movie!

astaire, hutton shine
wonderful film,,,,very worth the while.........looked like these two stars had a blast making the film......and you'll have a blast watching it...nice to see astaire having to race to keep up with betty,,,,,,,,,the saloon scene is a classic

Could've Been Better
Let's Dance is one of the least popular Fred Astaire vehicles...with good reason. For generations, Astaire is synonymous with exciting, electric musical spectacles that pull the viewers out of their seats.

Let's Dance seems to be missing that little kick or spark that would have greatly helped this show get going. True, it wouldn't be fair to compare every other Astaire film to his RKO classics, such as Top Hat or Swing Time, but after setting a high standard such as that...well, needless to say, this one was a big letdown. Betty Hutton, fine performer that she is, just doesn't seem to mesh with Astaire at all. The routines lack charm and fall flat. One spot worth mentioning is a Western spoof put on by Astaire and Hutton. Call it a cowboy version of Easter Parade's "A Couple of Swells."

Let's Dance had some potential, but instead it leaves the viewer with a feeling that this show was hurriedly put together, and badly at that. Astaire and Hutton aren't all that bad, but you just know they could have been better.

A Mixed Bag
Fred Astaire and Betty Hutton team up for this "good, but not great" type of movie. On the positive side, Astaire and Hutton are energetic and delightful as a pair of former lovers trying to keep Hutton's son out of the hands of his great-grandmother.The supporting cast is fine, and the script is both witty and moving at the same time. However, this film has one fatel flaw that has kept it from becoming better known. The songs and dances just aren't that good. AND THIS IS A MUSICAL! Astaire is alright during "Jack and the Beanstock" and the "Piano Dance," but it's not comparable to his work in "Swing Time" or "Funny Face." The rest of the songs and dances are just awful, strange, since this material was done by the usualy reliable Frank Loesser. All in all, this movie can entertain an audience, but never make them stand up and say: "Wow, that was fantastic." And that is the difference between a good movie and a great one. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

WITH OR WITHOUT BANGS
Dietrich played french ladies of dubious reputation so often, and to such great effect, its no wonder they loved her, and that she died in Paris. Remember her as Bijou Blanche in SEVEN SINNERS?

Here, in Renee Clair's confection, she has Ward Bond/Bruce Cabot to play against. Now, whether or not she ever had Bond/Cabot, as she had most of her other leading men, we'll never know. But, from the lack of sparkle in their duets together, probably not. On the other hand... Oh, well. It was wartime, and really sexy, really attractive leading men were scarce.

But, this is a mistaken identity antibellum movie, in which Dietrich plays (or almost plays) two different women. (Not to worry: Nothing psychological. Its all a misunderstanding.) We can tell one from another because one has bangs, and the other doesn't.

What's the difference? Its a parade of costumes. It could just as easily have been a vehicle for May West. Or some off-Broadway concoction for drag queans. It's a vol-au-vent; just a puffed confection made only to make you laugh. Some people enjoy watching pretty women change clothes. Does EVERYTHING have to be serious?

CONFUSED?
Bruce Cabot and Ward Bond were one and the same person. He (or they) had interchangeable careers, but notice, you never saw them together in the same movie, did you?

WITH OR WITHOUT BANGS
Dietrich played french ladies of dubious reputation so often, and to such great effect, its no wonder they loved her, and that she died in Paris. Remember her as Bijou Blanche in SEVEN SINNERS?

Here, in Renee Clair's confection, she has Ward Bond to play against. Now, whether or not she ever had Bond, as she had most of her other leading men, we'll never know. But, from the lack of sparkle in their duets together, probably not. On the other hand... Oh, well. It was wartime, and really sexy, really attractive leading men were scarce.

But, this is a mistaken identity antibellum movie, in which Dietrich plays (or almost plays) two different women. (Not to worry: Nothing psychological. Its all a misunderstanding.) We can tell one from another because one has bangs, and the other doesn't.

What's the difference? Its a parade of costumes. It could just as easily have been a vehicle for May West. Or some off-Broadway concoction for drag queans. It's a vol-au-vent; just a puffed confection made only to make you laugh. Some people enjoy watching pretty women change clothes. Does EVERYTHING have to be serious? ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A great, boisterous comedy
Charles Laughton is magnificent in this priceless comedic role as a proper English butler who is won over by the egalitarianism and joyfulness of American life. The actor's subtlety and reserve, and flawless comic timing make this one a winner. Yay, Charles Laughton!

improbably profound
On first viewing this seems an unlikely choice for a conservative film list. Charles Laughton plays Marmaduke Ruggles, a proper British butler
whose dipsomaniacal master (Roland Young) loses him in a Paris poker game to a couple of social-climbing American rubes, Effie and Egbert
Floud. Mrs. Floud expects Ruggles to instruct her husband in proper manners and appropriate dress, but Mr. Floud sees him mostly as a partner in
crime, insisting that Ruggles sit and drink with him. For whatever reason, Laughton plays Ruggles with a kind of bug-eyed vacancy, staring off at
some point in space, perhaps to convey the sense that as a manservant he's not entitled to look anyone in the eyes, as if he were their equal. But
when the three travel back to Red Gap, Washington, Ruggles is greeted by the locals with democratic bonhomie and soon begins to think about
leaving service. Predictable zaniness and madcappery follow before Ruggles proves himself a worthy American and the equal of any man.

This is all handled with the typical, sometimes delightful, gusto of Hollywood's Golden Age but hardly seems remarkable. Then comes a scene that
is so absurdly moving that it's nearly embarrassing. Sitting around the local saloon, Mr. Floud, his mother, and the other patrons try remembering the
words of the Gettysburg Address but are unable to do so. Then, quietly at first, but with mounting intensity, as all attention focuses on him, Ruggles
recites the speech from memory to a hushed and obviously transported room. Laughton imbues Lincoln's words with such feeling and such hope that
it's like hearing them for the first time. The realization that this menial, who has only arrived in America by sheerest chance, has been nurturing a
quintessentially American dream of freedom is improbably but profoundly touching and elevates a pretty good film into a classic.

GRADE : A

One of my all time favorites
Ruggles Of Red Gap is a film I have seen many times and look forward to viewing again many more. It really holds up to the passing years. In its own way it is the most patriotic of movies -- much more than Sands of Iwo Jima, etc. Ruggles undergoes a slow transformation from servant-class Brit, fearful of his new life "in a land of slavery" to an American enteprenuer, running the "Anglo-American Grill" in the boomtown he is taken to. In the process he discovers confidence, egalitarianism, and a bit of working class romance. A lovely comedy of manners, poking fun at class pretensions among the newly-rich and the enui of the upper crust.

Laughton is delightful in a multi-layered characterization of a stone-faced gentleman's gentleman with a secret inner life that just begins to emerge with the encouragement of his new American friends. His quiet recitation of the Gettysburg Address is a truly magic moment in the history of American cinema.

There is so much more to this film than the average 1930's comedy. It has its screwball element, yes, but there is a real heart to it. The dialogue is tops -- so many memorable lines -- and the acting is as good as it gets.

If this film isn't a classic, nothing is.

Charles Laughton is Fabulous as RUGGLES OF RED GAP
Whether you are a fan of Laughton's or not is of no consequence--you will enjoy RUGGLES OF RED GAP. His transformation from subservient valet to independent man is as engrossing and entertaining as it gets. I admit, I wasn't too sure I could imagine him in a comedic role, but he plays Ruggles superbly! His supporting cast shines as he does: Mary Boland, Zasu Pitts, and Charles Ruggles are terrific! The way Ruggles recites the Gettysberg Address at the end of the movie is unforgetable, and when all the patrons of his diner begin to sing "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow," and tears fill up in his eyes, well...it just doesn't get any better than this! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Mary Boland at Her Best; Most Gifted Comedienne of All
This film has about the best ever cast of character actors in a single film, topped by the fabulous Mary Boland, probably the most gifted comedienne of alltime ... Read more

Reviews (92)

True classic, beautifully preserved and re-released.....
Despite the fact that this film raises issues that are not very potent today, it remains to be a timeless classic because of its sheer artistic value. This great artistic value is largely due to the brilliant idea (the idea of creating a play about Kathrene Hepburn [not literally, of course], for Kathrene Hepburn), the plot itself, and film's charming and witty script. Hepburn is the only and true star in this story, although I can appreciate Stewart and Grant in their roles. But truly, it would not have mattered much artistically, if different supporting cast was chosen. Apparently, it did matter to RKO commercially a great deal. Thank God for that, because Stewart, Grant, Hussey, and Howard all added something to the film. The result is a story with a "love...well, let's just say, more than a usual triangle", that revolves around one Philadelphia society girl and a few of her eccentric family members. The DVD has an outstanding sound and picture quality. Cute little menu and original theatrical trailer are also included. It is nice to know that this great film will stay with us for generations to come and enjoy it.

See it............ NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is all I need to say:

Cary Grant Katharine Hepburn Jimmy Stewart GREAT PERFORMANCES ALL AROUND, ESPECIALLY FROM THE THREE AMAZING STARS AND RUTH HUSSET!

But I'll say more anyway.

Upper class lady Tracy Lord is about to be married to George Kittridge, general manager of Quaker State something or other (I haven't watched it for a month or so) after two years before divorcing CK Dexter Haven.

Spy Magazine big cheese Sindney Kidd sends Macauly Conner and Elizabeth Imbry to get an inside story on the wedding of Tracy Lord, and George Kittridge. They are to get inside via Tracy's ex husband Dexter, who decides to help for revenge against his ex-bride.

Hilarity ensues via needle sharp dialogue, carefully hidden gags, and terrific performances.

I haven't seen one movie by Cary Grant that I haven't liked; I have seen thrity-two. I Have only seen two Jimmy Stewart and Kate Hepburn that I didn't really enjoy a-piece, and I've seen about twenty or more of theirs.

And Cuckor's direction inspired many directors to choose alternative direction styles.

YES, BUY THIS ONE, YOU WON'T REGRET IT.
This is my absolute favorite performance by the great Katherine Hepburn. She is breathtaking and absolutely wonderful. Brilliant performances all across the board, an especially funny performance by James Stewart is just the icing on the cake. Cary Grant,one of my faves, also delivers a magnificent performance. Also worth mentioning is the very beautiful Ruth Hussey, whose potrayal of Liz is stunning. She was one of the most attractive actresses at the time, in my humble opinion. This movie is very funny and the sets and costumes are among the best Hollywood has ever offered. I highly recommend this as a must own.

Perfection!
So well written, so elegant! My favorite film.

The REAL High Society
Branded by Hollywood as "Box Office Poison" (usually the death blow to an actor's career), Katherine Hepburn put all of her eggs in this ONE basket, to prove she's still a force to be recconned with. Reprising her stage role, Kate secures the rights for the film version of "The Philadelphia Story". The trick worked. Katherine Hepburn was back as a big star on the Hollywood Sky.

Tracy Lord (Katherine Hepburn), a spoiled socialite scheduled to remarry when her first husband, C.K. Dexterhaven (Cary Grant) shows up as uninvited wedding guest. Add to the mix, Mike Connor (James Stewart) a reporter who is supposed to be covering the wedding for the tabloids but winds up falling for Tracy himself. The brief triangle has a predictable ending.

Less glamorous than the 1955 Technicolor Musical re-make "High Society" with Grace Kelly and Bing Crosby, this black & white Classic remains the superior production. Somewhat dated (definitely 1940s Movie Star Magazine material), this is still a groundbreaking romantic comedy. Ted Turner: Please keep your crayons away from this one!**** ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Must disagree with most critics
This was one of the first Garbo films I saw. I've since seen most of her MGM releases, and her German film. This film compares very favorably with most of the others, I'm sad to say, since I admire Garbo tremendously, and believe she deserved better. I would place this film in my favorite 5 Garbo films.
The plot is a little silly, as is Ninotchka in places, but it doesn't appear any sillier than other hits of the period, like the Thin Man series. The film is about entertainment, not reality, and scores big.

Many attribute Garbo's retirement to the "bad" quality of this, her last film. I disagree. Her letters indicate that Garbo was profoundly unhappy with MGM and her choice of roles as early as 1932, when she mentions quitting. She is quoted by one of her later friends as saying Two Faced Woman wasn't any worse than most pictures of the time, and she supposedly said it had nothing to do with her retirement.

Its a vibrant, healthy Garbo who bursts on the scene as Karin, the ski-instructor. Her ski-scenes, as well as the bathing-suit scene, underscore the fact that Garbo is still a young, beautiful woman, only 36 years old. I enjoy the bickering between Garbo & Douglas, who seem like married folk.

Many credit her female on-stage rival, but Garbo more than keeps up - she rules! The dance scene, displaying some fine stepping for one not known as a dancer, is my favorite, and her accidental "invention" of the new dance is nothing short of hilarity - pure comedy - which it turns out was Garbo's hidden talent for so long.

If you're looking for pure entertainment by one of the all-time greats in films, this movie will not disappoint. Its a fine ending to an incomparable career.

Screamingly funny, this is good comedy!!!
This film may look better now than it did 60 years ago. While I can't pretend to get into the mind of a 1941 viewer, I think I can see why "the official line" would go against this movie: it's a giddy comedy as bubbly effervescent as the champagne its sophisticated characters swill; there's no agenda other than to have and give a good time. So I can't go along with the fashionable types who pan this movie. Besides that, 2-Faced Woman is just flat out fun!

Come to think of it, the movie has its share of astutely observed social commentary, i.e., the extent to which people are willing to appear foolish in order to be "in" on a trend. Look no further than the ebullient, delightful supperclub sequence when Karin/Katherine who's never danced a step in her life ends up dominating the dance floor when the train of her evening gown gets caught under her slipper. She tries to stomp the bit of fabric free when a percussionist in the orchestra takes the rhythm from her lead --an absolutely joyous eruption of stomping ensues. And on the sidelines, the fools who say, "oh, yes, the Chica-Choca." Like they knew all along.

Garbo is terrific; her identity crisis is quite endearing. The ski shots are marvelously fun for snow enthusiasts. I wish there had been more time for Constance Bennett --she is priceless as the playwright/vamp; maybe its the glasses Bennett wears --those frames are back in style --that make her seem so oddly contemporary.

Summary: relax, and be transported back to a more glamorous era. We need high-class fluff like 2-Faced Woman in our times more than ever.

Garbo fan, and yet I liked it
I realize I'm sticking my neck out in speaking in favor of this film, but I feel I must. I am nuts about Garbo. I have seen 11 of her films (nearly half) so far and while I might not rate this as the best (it's hard to argue with Queen Christina isn't it?), from the moment she begins turning into "the twin sister" in "Two Faced Woman", I find myself mesmerized by the whole mood she conjures up: humorous, whimsical, mischievious, wild abandon yet focused intent...she is oblivious to all around her and to all setbacks, wisely and foolishly at the same time. How is it that one actress can convey so much? It's just not the kind of role I've seen her play in any of the other 10 films I've seen, and that in itself is interesting to me.

I find the film pleasantly humorous in places not just because of her lines, but other actors and lines in it as well. It's a pleasant George Cukor comedy.

No I haven't read what she had to say about the film, I've only read one book about her so far, but give me time. I can't help it I like this film and she seems very happy in it, which is infectious.

GARBO SINKS
MGM and Garbo were faced with a problem in 1941; the European audiences that made the Swedish Sphinx's movies profitable were cut off by the war. You would think the solution would have been to put Garbo in intrigue-laden movies about the war, so as to entice American audiences with topical material. You would be wrong.

Someone made the decision that Garbo- the most European star ever to reach top stardom in the States- would be "Americanised" for the duration. "Two-Faced Woman" was the story of a ski instructor who marries a magazine publisher and runs into marital difficulties, and who pretends to be her own twin sister to win him back. If it sounds incredible, it was. The movie is slapdash and makeshift from start to finish, with none of MGM's usual care to be found anywhere.

The script goes blue in the face trying to be "hot" while also attempting to satisfy the censorship requirements of the day. The players are obviously uncomfortable with what they're doing; Garbo tries to apply the comedic lessons she learned in "Ninotchka" to material unworthy of her efforts, and the result is beyond strained. Melvyn Douglas's usual debonair lover is made to look sexist and mean, even by the standards of 1941. And Ruth Gordon (years before "Rosemary's Baby") is wasted in a thankless sidekick role.

Even the usual MGM gloss goes awry in this one; much of the movie's beginning and end involve ski-slope mishaps, and the rear-projection and stunt-doubling employed are painfully obvious. Garbo is given unflattering wardrobe in a swimming scene, and when she comes out of the water, she's first taller than Douglas, then shorter, then taller, then shorter again.

There are a few moments in the movie that make it worth a look in spite of itself. Constance Bennett is a rival to Garbo for Douglas's affections, and her screwball comedy training serves her well, especially in a powder-room scene. There's an in-joke in a seduction scene; Garbo and Douglas are romancing, and the radio music cuts for a commercial. The product is "ARKO- That's OKRA spelled backwards, folks!" Implausible as it sounds, okra was one of Garbo's favourite foods in real life.

And there's the "Chica-Choca Rhumba". Garbo supposedly makes this dance up on the spur of the moment in a posh nightclub, and the staging of the dance's invention is silly indeed. But by the end of the number, Garbo is leading an entire soundstage full of dance extras with all the precision and elan of a Ginger Rogers, and for a moment, "Two-Faced Woman" gets a badly needed shot of magic.

There have been rumours over the years that this movie was MGM's punishment to Garbo for all the years of her salary demands and covering for the unconventionalities of her private life. On that score, if no other, "Two-Faced Woman" succeeds. It is hard to imagine any studio taking the most revered star in the business and putting her into a comedy that wouldn't have passed muster in Mack Sennett's time, but this picture is evidence it happened.

Garbo never made another movie after this, and small wonder. There are people who have attempted to say that "Two-Faced Woman" isn't all that bad. I remind them that Garbo felt so let down by the studio system on this film that she could never bring herself to trust any moviemaker enough to do another picture. Garbo, and all of us, got robbed.

Greta Garbo's film career misses ending on top by one film
Greta Garbo's final film reunited her with "Ninotchka" co-star Melyvn Douglas, but "Two-Faced Woman" is not a successful comedy. Garbo is Karin Borg, a ski instructress who marries vacationing news magazine publisher Larry Blake (Douglas). Larry promises his new bride he is going to give up the sophisticated night life of New York City, but when Karin arrives in town and sees that old flame Griselda Vaughn (Constance Bennett) is trying to get Larry back, she knows dour Karin can never compete. So Karin pretends to be her own twin sister, the gay and vivacious Katharine. This means the film comes down to who is going to take Larry away from Karin: Griselda or Katharine? This 1941 MGM film was directed by George Cukor and really does make for a less than satisfying swan song for Garbo, who is just not at all comfortable with either of these roles. Actually, it is Constance Bennett who is the funniest thing in "Two-Faced Woman." When I watch this film and I think about Garbo wanting to go out on top, it is clear she missed that goal by one film. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

There'll always be an England...
A quirky British comedy wherein the Olympian gods grant miraculous powers to a nebbish from Essex, one Mr. Fotheringay, who at first is quite modest in his use of reality-bending, and eventually succumbs to the temptations of (near) absolute power. The prewar concerns of war, peace and the polite class politics of the UK are at the heart of this film; nice cameo by Ernest Thesiger (of James Whale horror film fame) as Mr. Maydig, a Bertram Russell-style swords-into-plowshares peacenik intellectual who is as quickly seduced by the lure of ultimate power as are his Establishment counterparts. Odd film; worth checking out.

Sledgehammer parable
Roland Young fudges his way nicely through any movie, but to imagine him as a vindictive man with unwieldy power is a bit of a stretch. Ralph Richardson, another man who seemingly can do no wrong, is badly miscast as the threatened retired British officer who becomes flummoxed when his weapons collection is transformed to ploughshares by the title character Young. The movie has a bright attitude, very spry, but the story is tired and the characters aren't able make up for it. A nice conceit but with nothing much to say in the end, other than, "Power draws calamity, well-intentioned or not."

Interesting Thought-Provoking Premise
This is an interesting and very entertaining film, which still holds up well after more than 60 years. The angels decide to bestow miraculous powers upon a common, little man. He can make things change, move, appear, or disappear at will. In addition to providing for some very comedic episodes, it raises some though-provoking questions as to the use of such power.

The special effects are executed quite well, and one can only speculate as to what a remake would be like, given today's cutting edge special effects technology. But don't wait for the remake; this film is well worth seeing.

THE MAN WHO COULD WORK MIRACLES
IF EVER A MOVIE NEEDED TO BE REMADE THIS IS THE ONE.WITH TODAYS SPECIAL EFFECTS AND A TERRIFIC CAST TO EQUAL THE 1937 ENSEMBLE OF GREAT ACTORS IT WOULD BE A SMASH.I FIRST SAW THIS MOVIE WHEN I WAS QUITE YOUNG AND IT IMPRESSED ME GREATLY.NATURALLY YOU WOULD EXPECT A DIFFERENT REACTION WHEN VIEWING IT AS AN ADULT BUT TO MY SURPRISE IT HELD UP AS ONE OF THE MOST IMAGINATIVE FANTASY FILMS I HAVE EVER SEEN.TRY IT ,YOU'LL LIKE IT! ... Read more

Reviews (53)

The BUTLER did it!! Or did he??
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I watched this black and white 1945 movie (whose New York premiere was on Halloween day at the Roxy Theatre) of almost 100 minutes without first reading the novel that it is based on. I'm glad I did this! Why? Because I was forced to really watch the movie in order to deduce who the murderer was.

According to the opening credits, this movie is "based on the [1939] novel [of the same name] by [Dame] Agatha Christie" (1890 to 1976). However, this is not quite accurate. This movie is really based on the play version of this book that has a slightly different ending than the book. (Note: In America, this novel is known as "Ten Little Indians.")

As a synopsis, ten strangers are invited as weekend guests to the only mansion located on an isolated island. When the host, with the unusual name of "U.N. Owen" and his wife don't show up, the guests start dying, one by one, according to the lines in the children's poem entitled "Ten Little Indians." These guests and the viewer are constantly reminded of the body count as each of the ten figures on a ceramic display are secretly broken, one by one, directly after a murder is committed.

Who exactly are these ten strangers? They are as follows (in the order in which they are killed):

1. Russian Prince Starloff (played by Mischa Auer)
2. Maid Rogers (Queenie Leonard)
3. Retired General Mandrake (Sir C. Aubrey Smith)
4. Butler Rogers (Richard Haydn)
5. Spinster (?) Brent (Dame Judith Anderson)
6. Judge Quinncannon (Barry Fitzgerald)
7. Dr. Armstrong (Walter Huston)
8. Detective Bloor (Roland Young)
9. Explorer Lombard (Louis Hayward)
10. Secretary Claythorne (June Duprez)

The above cast does a stellar job in their roles. They make the movie come across not only as a mystery but also as a black comedy (thanks to a well-crafted script). Personally, I think the actor who portrayed the butler did the best job.

As the murders begin to occur, the guests realize that there is a person acting as "judge, jury, and executioner." And that person, they surmise, is Mr. Owen. Suspense is created when these guests (and the viewer) start asking themselves questions:

(1) Is Owen hiding in the mansion killing them one by one?
(2) Is Owen one of them? That is, is the "loose cannon" one of them?
(3) (Is Owen the boatman that drove them from the mainland to the island?)

The black and white gives the movie a claustrophobic feeling (adding another dimension to this movie). The cinematography is breathtaking. The main background music for this movie is unique, something I did not expect.

I thought this movie was a little rushed at the beginning. However, it slowed down as it progressed.

Finally, the DVD (the one distributed by the studio Image Entertainment) has just one extra. Even though it lasts less than two minutes, it is VERY interesting.

In conclusion, this is a fun movie, even if you have read the book. For those who haven't read the book, I have left clues as to who the murderer may be in the above review. If you think you know who it is, then view the movie to see if you're right!

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Stylish suspense that ranks with the greatest!
By far the best screen adaptation of Agatha Christie, (not to be mentioned in the same breath with the tepid "Death on the Nile," and "Murder on the Orient Express") you have tantalizing mystery, thrilling suspense, black humor, splendid acting, perfect production, and almost geometrically brilliant direction all in one highly enjoyable package. Internationally famous director Rene Clair here presents the classic mystery with such style and skill, that you truly have no idea what's going to happen next. His craftsmanlike care and attention to detail make all ten characters at once capable and incapable of the murders. The careful casting is also inspired, a troupe containing no types to suggest assured innocence or guilt; yet hardly a collection of no-name fresh off his Oscar-winning performance; Louis Hayward, a now forgotten, but hugely appealing playboy sort; Roland Young, delightfully bumbling; and the adenoidal Richard Haydn, in his most winning performance. These are particular standouts in a sterling cast which also includes Judith Anderson, C. Aubrey Smith, and Mischa Auer. The great mansion is also a triumph of art direction, handsomely photographed in moody black-and-white by Lucien Androit; and music likewise assists to create tempo and atmosphere. Humor is also in generous doses, provided by scriptwriter Dudley Nichols, ("Bringing Up Baby,""Stagecoach," etc.) a master at pointing up the action with the humor, rather than interrupting it. Finally, like all great movies, this one gets better and better as it goes along, culminating in a classic denouement with a neat sting in its tail. Even after the culprit is revealed, you'll want to go back and study the skill at which the mystery was sustained! A true classic totally undeserved of its indifference from the Academy and today's top-ten lists. It will challenge any armchair sleuth out there!

And then there were none
I saw this movie on t.v. years ago. I am a fan of Agatha Christie. I thoroughly loved this movie!!! If you love mysteries you'll love this movie!!

Fun Until The End!
I loved this movie! Although the ending is different from the book, I thought this movie was very well done and well worth the money. I did notice however some parts where the movie was supposed to taken seriously, but ended up being funny through bad lighting or whatnot. But you must realize that this movie is older, so appreciate it. The story line is very well done, and the acting is surprisingly well done. PURCHASE THIS MOVIE! I know you'll love it to death and watch it over and over :D

Film, like book, unable to fully realize idea as a story
Agatha Christie's 1939 story idea captures the imagination. Ten strangers who each, in his or her own way, have gotten away with murder gather by invitation at an isolated mansion. Then their unknown host U. N. Owen systematically and mockingly murders them one by one. The idea was adapted into a film in 1945, 1965, 1974, and 1989. Each adaptation is worth seeing as an attempt to bring the idea to life. Unfortunately, neither Christie nor the filmmakers succeed in turning this compelling but at the same time confining plot concept into a truly fulfilling story.

The book's premise is clever and fascinating. Careful attention is paid to plot detail. Compared to the films, the book's assortment of past crimes and depictions of the characters' attitudes toward them are more varied, subtle, and interesting. The book gives the highly contrived events a certain plausibility. It is the least sentimental about the characters, treating them vaguely and suspiciously. This helps, even if it does not entirely succeed, in making them convincing as people who have killed in the past and could do so again. The book maintains more of a sense of fear, dread, menace, suspense, and purpose than the film versions. It explains at some length why and how Owen carried out the scheme.

However, once the imaginative premise is established, the story becomes thin and formulaic. There is little plot or character development. The storytelling seems flat, frigid, and, at times, slow-paced. There is no lead character to care about. The characters and their past crimes are sketched in summary fashion. Those crimes vary widely in originality, depth, and genuineness. The best are Claythorne's, the general's, Brent's, and the Rogers'. The past crimes of Blore, the doctor, the judge, and Lombard are trite, unexplored, and ineffective. There are only two real plot twists. The second creates a major logical problem, which the book acknowledges and tries to overcome by weakly suggesting that the ploy would trick or "rattle" the murderer. The guests' murders are designed to follow the nursery rhyme and little more. Some cosmetic frills aside, the killings show, in themselves, no special cunning, skill, strategic advantage, or plausibility. Owen strikes crudely without detection too effortlessly.

Worst of all, the book (and each film) has nothing serious to say about the powerful themes of survival, justice, and criminality that are at the heart of the story. The story is inherently an observation of human nature in a desperate situation. How do the characters behave? How do they try to reason? How do they try to survive? Also by its very nature -- as the book's last pages acknowledge -- this is a morality play. How is each character a "criminal"? How is each "beyond the law"? Does each get "justice"? Is justice the point, or simply a "lust" to torture and kill? Is the story about breaking the law or enforcing it, about mistakes or abuses in pursuing justice? None of this is meaningfully explored.

Overall, the films are worse in some respects and better in some respects than the book. The 1945 version develops the plot better in some ways. While as tightly written as the book, it is richer in deductive theories, in taking stock at each stage of the story, and in survival techniques. The dialogue seems sharper than in the book and provides some memorable lines. This adaptation pioneered the technique (repeated in 1965 and 1974 and omitted only from the 1989 version, to its detriment) of playing the Ten Little Indians nursery rhyme on the piano. This brings it to life and sets the stage for what is to come. The cast is mostly outstanding. Many characters -- Lombard, Claythorne, doctor, judge, Blore, Brent -- seem as smart, strong, or distinctive as in the book, or more so. They are more entertaining. Generally, the films do a better job of showing characters interact. Except in 1989, the films make more of an effort than the book to explain the relationship that develops between two characters.

However, the 1945 version handles the past crimes even less effectively than the book. The movie presents the general and his past crime in an obscure, lifeless way; even the weak 1989 adaptation does better. The 1945 version makes a ludicrous change to the judge's past crime. It waters down Brent's. In changing the story to allow characters to survive, it distorts their identities and/or crimes in fundamental ways. In the process, it replaces the book's most complex, interesting past crime with one that is bland, superficial, and false. This confuses the meaning of the host's actions, although it does suggest, but not develop, a new theme of false accusation not present in the book.

Generally, the film's attempts to make the characters entertaining (a re-named Marston, Rogers, doctor, judge, Blore) come at the expense of their plausibility as villains and of the story's seriousness. Characters confess their secrets and treat the horror unfolding around them as if it were a parlor game. Mischa Auer's farcical, clownish performance is a disaster. The character was poorly drawn to begin with, and the 1945 film does a particularly poor job of presenting his past crime. This, and the changed ending, are only the most extreme examples of a general problem with taking such a lighthearted approach to a fundamentally serious story.

Worst of all, the climactic scene, which reveals Owen's identity, means, and motives, is short, sedate, droll, unsatisfying, and leaves a lot unexplained. In 1945, Owen has a weary, rational, amiable armchair chat with the final victim precisely when the character should come alive as someone triumphantly and credibly capable of inflicting such horror. It is left to the otherwise flawed 1974 version to capture more of the tone and intensity of the book and to the generally inept 1989 film to provide an ending that is dramatic, reflects that a deadly serious killer has been at work, conveys a sense of Owen's menace and lunacy, and most fully explains Owen's behavior. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

There'll always be an England...
A quirky British comedy wherein the Olympian gods grant miraculous powers to a nebbish from Essex, one Mr. Fotheringay, who at first is quite modest in his use of reality-bending, and eventually succumbs to the temptations of (near) absolute power. The prewar concerns of war, peace and the polite class politics of the UK are at the heart of this film; nice cameo by Ernest Thesiger (of James Whale horror film fame) as Mr. Maydig, a Bertram Russell-style swords-into-plowshares peacenik intellectual who is as quickly seduced by the lure of ultimate power as are his Establishment counterparts. Odd film; worth checking out.

Sledgehammer parable
Roland Young fudges his way nicely through any movie, but to imagine him as a vindictive man with unwieldy power is a bit of a stretch. Ralph Richardson, another man who seemingly can do no wrong, is badly miscast as the threatened retired British officer who becomes flummoxed when his weapons collection is transformed to ploughshares by the title character Young. The movie has a bright attitude, very spry, but the story is tired and the characters aren't able make up for it. A nice conceit but with nothing much to say in the end, other than, "Power draws calamity, well-intentioned or not."

Interesting Thought-Provoking Premise
This is an interesting and very entertaining film, which still holds up well after more than 60 years. The angels decide to bestow miraculous powers upon a common, little man. He can make things change, move, appear, or disappear at will. In addition to providing for some very comedic episodes, it raises some though-provoking questions as to the use of such power.

The special effects are executed quite well, and one can only speculate as to what a remake would be like, given today's cutting edge special effects technology. But don't wait for the remake; this film is well worth seeing.

THE MAN WHO COULD WORK MIRACLES
IF EVER A MOVIE NEEDED TO BE REMADE THIS IS THE ONE.WITH TODAYS SPECIAL EFFECTS AND A TERRIFIC CAST TO EQUAL THE 1937 ENSEMBLE OF GREAT ACTORS IT WOULD BE A SMASH.I FIRST SAW THIS MOVIE WHEN I WAS QUITE YOUNG AND IT IMPRESSED ME GREATLY.NATURALLY YOU WOULD EXPECT A DIFFERENT REACTION WHEN VIEWING IT AS AN ADULT BUT TO MY SURPRISE IT HELD UP AS ONE OF THE MOST IMAGINATIVE FANTASY FILMS I HAVE EVER SEEN.TRY IT ,YOU'LL LIKE IT! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Something for everybody.
While not less than the sum of the parts, Tales Of Manhattan really IS just parts. And some of the parts don't quite fit.

But you get your money's worth. A fine and hillarious segment with Henry Fonda and Ginger Rodgers. A brilliant, but desparately sad performance from Edward G. Robinson. A slow, boring and wildly implausible tale with Charles Boyer and Rita Hayworth. But she looks so beautiful, its almost beyond belief.

Rounding it out is a politically incorrect piece with Paul Robeson and don't miss the recently resurected part with W.C. Fields giving a temperance lecture.

As they used to say "You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll experience the entire range of human emotion". Not bad for $20.

And thereby hangs a tale--or five!
Like "The Yellow Rolls Royce", "Tales of Manhattan" is a movie about a single object owned by many different people over time, and how the object plays a role in the lives of those owners, in this case, a formal tailcoat. "Tales of Manhattan" is a virtual Syms clothing store of a movie, chock full of "names you must know": Ginger Rogers, Henry Fonda, Charles Boyer, Rita Hayworth, Charles Laughton, Edward G. Robinson, Cesar Romero, and WC Fields. I think it is about one tale too long--the WC Fields one--and that's why I bobbed this tail down to 3 stars instead of 4. His skit is way too long and frankly rather boring. Otherwise, there's a melodrama, a few get-out-your-hankie pieces, and a comedic romp. Really an omnibus, with something for everyone. Unless you're into WC Fields, fast forward when you get to that one, and you'll be okay.

Lesser-known Hollywood Classic
I became aware of this masterpiece through reading about W.C. Fields and his involvement. Always fascinated by stories of "lost" or "deleted" footage from classic stars (i.e. many Laurel and Hardy segments, Elvis Presley's 1955 movie short, the Three Stooges alternate version of "Malice in the Palice" with a cameo by Curly three years after he retired, etc.), I purchased this tape immediately after discovering that Field's originally removed segment, described as a fairly long, verbal sequence coming at a time when his film career was decidedly in decline, was included in this release.
I was not at all disappointed in the "temperance lecture" scene beautifully executed by the master. (It's somewhat understandable that the bit was cut, as the movie was very long. Too bad that the material could not have been fashioned into a one or two-reeler at the time, as slightly outdated as they were by '42).
Other memorable performances come from Edward G. Robinson (at a class reunion), and Ethel Waters, who is brilliant despite the stereotypical Southern scene.

Stars Over Manhattan!
Tales of Manhattan is a star-studded movie that featured 46 supporting players as well as a main cast including Charles Boyer, Rita Hayworth, Ginger Rogers, Henry Fonda, Charles Laughton, Edward G. Robinson, W.C. Fields, Paul Robeson, Ethel Waters, and Eddie Rochester Anderson. A film like this could never be made today because each star would demand so much money that the budget would be so high.

The film begins when a tailor and his assistants bring a tailcoat to the apartment of stage actor Paul Orman (Charles Boyer). They then inform him that the cutter put a curse on the suit, but he assures Mr. Orman¡Çs that it will bring him happiness.

Paul¡Çs next play is a smash hit, but he leaves as soon as he takes his bow. He tells Luther (Eugene Pallette), his servant, to drive him to Ethel Halloway¡Çs (Rita Hayworth) home. He is in love with her, but she is married to John (Thomas Mitchell). He is supposed to go hunting tomorrow in Canada, so the two lovers plan to meet in town. At Ethel¡Çs home, they discuss the plan, but the inquisitive John is always near. He decides to clean his gun when he begins to talk to Paul. While Ethel watches in horror, Paul is shot. But he gives a performance pretending he was missed. Paul manages to get out to Luther, who takes him the St. Luke¡Çs Hospital.

Now that Paul doesn¡Çt need the tailcoat any more, Luther brings it to his friend Edgar (Rolland Young). He is the butler for Harry (Cesar Romero) who is marrying Diane (Ginger Rogers) that evening. While in her own apartment, Ellen (Gail Patrick), Diane¡Çs friend comes and tells her that when she was looking in her husband¡Çs tailcoat, she found a comb with red hair. She knows her own husband has been cheating on her. They both go off the Harry¡Çs together.

While waiting for him to get up, they find his tailcoat just lying on the back of a chair. Ellen coaxes Diane into looking through it. In the last pocket she looks in, she finds a love letter from ¡ÈSquirrel.¡É They read it out loud, and Harry hears them. He runs to the kitchen and calls his friend George (Henry Fonda) to come and get him out of the fix. George comes and says that he accidentally left his own tailcoat at the apartment last night when he came for a party and he gives Harry Paul Orman¡Çs tailcoat saying its his.

There is also a big break for a musician (Charles Laughton) and another vignette in which Edward G. Robinson is transformed from a bum to a classy lawyer attending his college re-union. There is also a great segment with W.C. Fields. It was not included in the original release, but it is included in the new home video version. Finally, the coat falls on a poor sharecropper community with some stolen money in it. It provides the townspeople with a wonderful Christmas! The coat ends up as a scarecrow on the farm, a far way from the tailcoat of a wealthy actor!

This movie has something for everybody. My Dad¡Çs favorite vignette was the Edward G. Robinson episode. He liked it because it was very deep, talky, and ironic. My mom disliked that version because of the very same reason. Her favorite was the episode with Charles Laughton because it was heartwarming and charming. My favorite was the Ginger Rogers/Henry Fonda version because it went so smoothly and all the actors were at their best! All in all, it was a fantastic film, and everyone, not just film buffs, should enjoy it!

A True Classic!
This is the kind of film you buy (as opposed to rent) because you want to share it with your friends. Every person I've shown this film to agrees that it's a first rate classic. When they say, "They don't make films like that anymore," they're talking about this film. Enjoy! ... Read more

Amazon.com

A classic screwball comedy with a supernatural twist, Topper starsthe incomparable Cary Grant and sparkling Constance Bennett as George andMarion Kirby, a fun-loving couple who cap an evening of jazz and champagneby running their car into a tree. They return as ghosts with a mandate toliven up the straight-laced hen-pecked life of bank president Cosmo Topper(Roland Young), who's hungry for just such a shake-up. Before long he'sboozing, dancing, and getting into fights, all of which gives him a rakishreputation--much to the consternation of his wife (Billie Burke, bestknown as Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz). --BretFetzer ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Cary Grant Step-Up
More than any other this was the film that made Cary Grant a certifiable star and vindicated his decision to free-lance in Hollywood rather than sign a studio contract. His light-hearted turn as the ghostly George Kirby, other-wordly pal and helpmate to banker Cosmo Topper, proved to be a box-office hit and Grant was shortly thereafter working with directors of the caliber of Howard Hawks, George Marshall and Alfred Hitchcock. Roland Young does some fine reaction comedy here; not easy, remembering he was often reacting to an empty set and the effects were put in later.

See Arthur Lake as an Elevator Boy and a Bellhop.
Cary Grant and Constance Bennett go out for a drive when suddenly a tire blows out and they go off the side of the road. When they come to, they both realize they individually have turned into a ghost. They decide to cause all kinds of havoc with the people around them. Billie Burke is in this film. Two years later she played The Good Witch (the one who appeared in the big pink bubble) in The Wizard Of Oz (1939). Hedda Hopper, who spoke of celebrity gossip on radio and newsreel, plays "Mrs. Stuyvestant". Arthur Lake has funny scenes as a nervous Elevator Boy and then later as a Bellhop. The next year, Arthur Lake became "Dagwood Bumstead" and played that character for the next 12 years in the "Blondie" film series from 1938-1950. This was the first film to be computer-colorized, a horrible technique that was used in the 1980's. This was Not restoration. The computer only had pale colors, such as, yellow, brown, green, pink, light blue, light green. The computer would chase the colors onto an item or person. This is why you see the flesh tone of someones face moving around. Which may not be the true flesh tone of the actor. It is like putting tinted plastic wrap on the screen itself. Computer-colorization did improved somewhat with other black & white films and some are quite watchable. There is more interest and detail in watching a computer-colorized film that was originally black & white. However, let me make something perfectly clear, When you see on VHS or DVD that a film has been RESTORED and DIGITALLY REMASTERED, that is a different process. That means the actual negetive or master of the film has been carefully restored to its original deep, rich colors and brightness. The film has been preserved for many more years. All scratches and pops are gone. But to get back to this version of TOPPER, this is only the computer-colorized version that I have written this review for.

OF GHOSTS AND HOSTS
A delightfully zany excursion into screwball lunacy, this fantasy comedy was so popular, it was a hit T.V. series nearly 20 years later. Marion Kirby (the svelte and sophisticated Constance Bennett) and her husband George (debonair Cary) playfully haunt Cosmo Topper a stuffy, dull and wealthy banker who's married to domineering yet fluttery wife (the effervescent Billie Burke). This was the original and best of the Topper series and it's a witty delight! This was Hal Roach's first venture into sophisticated comedy and it was a solid hit. Hoagy Carmichael couldn't claim that his OLD MAN MOON was sending Cary and Connie out of this world: they were already! Here, they play ghosts awaiting acceptance into the next world who had to perform a good deep; and decided it would be to teach henpecked Mr. Topper (Roland Young) how to live life to the full. Thorne Smith's fantastic novel was smartly adapted by Jack Jevne, Eddie Moran and Eric Hatch; Milton Bren produced for Roach. Norman Z. McLeod's bubbly direction was enhanced by Roy Seawright's photographic tricks, fading the star ghosts in and out. Fun!

My all time favorite comedy
This movie has it all -- wonderful humor, social commentary, and noone can beat the comedic skills of the incredible cast. Please check out the scene of Roland Young being carried out of the hotel by the ghosts. The movie really asks the question, "What's life all about?" and comes up with a terribly unPC answer.

One of Cary Grant's best!!
Cary Grant is above all one of the best actors ever. This is one of his best movies. It is funny, cute, and sweet. Even if you aren't a big fan of Grant, this movie is great for everyone! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Bob Hope at his best!
Mr. Hope stars as Freddie Hunter, a reporter who is chaperoning a troop of scouts aboard a ocean liner. The scouts see it as their duty to save Freddie from himself by making sure he doesn't smoke, drink or enjoy the hug of a woman "other than his Mom". The fact that the head boy of the troop is the son of Freddie's boss doesn't help Freddie when he decides to flirt with the Duchess Alexandria. But women are the least of Freddie's troubles. There is a killer on board. This killer decides to frame Freddie for his murderous deeds. Fortunately, there is a detective on board, hot on the trail of the true murderer, but wait, Freddie discovers the body of the murdered detective. How will Freddie prove his innocence? This is an entertaining film for the whole family. It also stars Rhonda Fleming, George Reeves, Jim Backus and Roland Young. So grab the popcorn, dim the lights and enjoy this wonderful movie!.

Funny movie,awful print
The dvd of this is a real let-down.The picture quality is really washed out.If you can put up with this,Hope is on good form,the story is above average and Jack Benny's brief appearance is a hoot.Shame about the transfer,though...

A young viewer
Bob Hope is wonderful in this delightful movie. I recomend it to everyone! ... Read more

Book Description

The beloved characters--mortal and immortal--of Topper return in this uproarious romp through the south of France. One of Thorne Smith's best-loved comedies, it proves once again that he is the undisputed master of urbane wit and sophisticated repartee.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Cosmo Topper, the mild-mannered bank manager who was persuaded to take a walk on the wild side by the ghosts of George and Marion Kerby in Topper, finds himself reunited with his dyspeptic wife for an extended vacation on the Riviera. But he doesn't have long to enjoy the peace and quiet before the irrepressible Kerbys materialize once again and start causing fracases, confusing the citizenry, alarming the gendarmes, getting naked, and turning every occasion into revelry or melee. Soon Marion decides that Topper as a ghost would be even more laughs than Topper in the flesh. And all she needs to arrange is one simple little murder.

Born in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1892, educated at Dartmouth, THORNE SMITH was an early cohort of Dorothy Parker's. He achieved literary success in 1926 with the publication of Topper and went on to publish nine novels in the next eight years. He earned a passionate following among both critics and readers before his death, at the age of forty-two, in 1934.

CAROLYN SEE is the author of nine books. Her latest novel is The Handyman. She lives in Pacific Palisades, California. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

DELIGHTFUL SEQUEL.
This follow-up to the highly successful TOPPER - which was made earlier that year (1939) - picks up where the last film left off. After reestablishing the auto accident which killed the drunken Bennett and Grant in the first film and turned them into ghosts, we are treated (sans Cary Grant) to a hilarious 85 minutes. Clara Topper (Burke) spots Marion Kirby (Bennett) in her husband Cosmo's room. Clara goes to Paris - with Cosmo following - in order to get a divorce because she believes her hen-pecked husband has been seeing another "woman". Unable to explain to Clara that Marion is only a ghost, Cosmo tries to fast-talk Burke into a reconciliaton. Several floating martinis later, Bennett manages to reconcile the couple, and is now able to join her husband in their celestial home. The trick photography by Roy Seawright is astonishing for its day. Cushions which deflate when invisible figures sit on them, cigarettes being smoked in mid-air and pencils writing notes by themselves are all executed with great skill. The sight of the Kirby's dog Skippy - also a ghost - is hilarious when only his tail fails to become invisible or when he bites the ankles of totally flabbergasted men! A third film, TOPPER RETURNS is a surprisingly pleasant diversion from 1941: it stars Joan Blondell as Marion Kirby.

Comedy at its best
Topper movies have been some of the best clean cut comedy ever. These are the types of movies you can watch over and over and still continue to laugh. More comedy movies of today should be made this way. I know there are "Topper" lovers as myself and would enjoy being able to see them on the American Movie Classic channel or just on regular tv from time to time. The only move I own is Topper Returns and would love to have these others. I grew up watching these movies and will continue to watch them. Please bring them back.

greatfamilyfilm
it would do all of us good if more movies were being made today that can make us laugh just by it being funny not by it being an effort to hurt or humiliate a person place or thing. maybe someone someday will look again at these old classics and see how refreshing it was to be entertained not by seeing people or places blowing up or being destroyd but just being allowed to sit back relax and enjoy the fact that what your watching can entertain you your grandmother and your kids all at the same time.

A haunted man goes on holiday in France
Topper, Scallops and Mrs Topper go to France for a rest, only to be disturbed by the ghostly George and Marion Kirby, and the raucous Colonel and Mrs Hart. This is just a truly funny book, that will have you roaring with laughter on that damed commuter special. Bright and fizzy as a champagne cocktail it never outstays its welcome. I've read it many times and will do so again. Smith was truly an underrated genius and a master of language. Here's a sample from Chapter 1: "Yes, Topper was fond of his wife, but being fond of one's wife and getting along with her were two entirely different matters, as many a husband had found out before him. Perhaps it was not to be expected. Topper did not know. The problem had been too long with him. It was barnacle encrusted." If Smith is an acquired taste, now is the time to acquire him. I have some 11 of his books and in three short years he's come from being someone I'd never heard to being my favourite author. He has many imitators, but forget them, they are not worthy. This is the first Smith novel that I read, and it is still my favourite.

Topper Takes A trip
opper Takes a Trip is the second (and last) of the Smith's books in his Topper series. One can only speculate if this was to be the last entry in the Topper series, but it's a suitable vehical for Thorne Smith's most memorable character.

The story begins with Cosmo Topper on vacation in the Riviera, studying a sun bathing, scantily-clad German model on the beach from his balcony. Again, he does his best to escape from Mrs. Topper and take some time for rest, relaxation, and a good drink. As he relaxes, he thinks of his adventures with the ghostly Marion Kirby and wonders what became of her, the Colonel, and Oscar the dog. Before he begins to grow nostalgic, a disembodied leg shows up in his bed and proceeds to make his life miserable. It begins to dawn on him that this leg and the other assorted body parts that begin to show up, belong to Marion Kirby who, after tormenting Topper, makes her appearance. Marion's presence is much to the chagrin of Mrs. Topper, causing her another bout of dyspepsia. George Kirby, in search of his wife, materializes later in the story, vowing to put an end to Topper during a clam shell duel. The Colonel and Oscar also show up to add fun and misery to Topper's vacation.

Many have sited this book as their favorite in the Smith canon and one of the most humorous of his books. ... Read more

Description

The third and final entry in Hal Roach's famed "Topper" trilogy may very well be the best of the lot. Returning for their third portrayal of Mr. and Mrs. Cosmo Topper, Roland Young and Billie Burke are consistently upstaged by a sparkling new addition to the "Topper" troupe, Jack Benny's famed manservant, the loveable and irascible Eddie "Rochester" Anderson. This time around there is a "new" ghostly presence in the shapely form of Joan Blondell, who is unceremoniously dispatched by a cloaked knife murderer in a case of mistaken identity. Naturally, Joan floats over to the Topper's quiet abode and nags Cosmo into investigating her death. Back they come to the spooky scene of the crime, where Topper is accused of the murder by a houseful of creeps headed by ghoulmeister George Zucco. And who else should be the lead detective on the case, but the uproarious Donald McBride of "Room Service" fame, thoroughly bungling everything in sight! ... Read more

Reviews (16)

CHUCKLES AND LAUGHS!
This is the first Topper I've seen minus Cary Grant. But Joan Blondell holds her own and carries the day. There are constant laughs to be had here and frequent giggles, the biggest instigator of them being the briskly clever dialogue and the performance of Eddie (Rochester) Anderson, who for many years performed with Jack Benny. His terror at the "ghostly" goings on is replete with humor.

It is a pleasure to see a young Dennis O'Keefe acting opposite Carole Landis, sweet, beautiful and a fine actress (what a tragedy she committed suicide over an ill-fated love affair with the then married Rex Harrison - or should I say what a waste, since in this film she displayed such potential as an actress). And there is a wonderful, laugh till your sides split, performance by Billie Burke, who lets all the stops out in this one. She seems to relish her role and uses her up and down tremolo voice, sometimes raising it to a hilarious screech. This is definitely one of her best films.

Watch it and have fun! Because it's a fun movie at heart.

Topper's RETURNED!
And he's got a carload of women! Actually, not a carload ,just two... One of whom happens to be a ghost! She drags topper to an old creepy house to find out who killed her. The house happens to be full of all sorts of secret passages, and WEIRD personalities.And of course, Mrs. Topper suspects that the young lady who got Cosmo over here is 'the other woman'. This movie is truly funny, and it's backed up by Eddie, or Rochester, Jack Benny's Valet. A Must-See!

Wonderful!
I love this movie! I hadn't seen it in years, but remembered loving it, so today I watched it. I love it. It's funny, mysterious, and dramatic. Plus it's always nice to watch an oldie and realize how different they are from today's. I would definately reccomend this!!

A great old movie
Topper Returns is an example of how old Hollywood could do classic work, with a movie that isn't great, but exceedingly good, and at times downright hilarious. Roland Young, the woman who plays his wife (forgot her name) Joan Blondell and Eddie Anderson make this a comedy, albeit a black comedy with it's overtones of murder, worth buying. And don't forget, it was nominated for two Academy Awards. It's good viewing for Mom, Dad and kids who aren't really young.

Pure fluff
The story is wafer thin and it matters little. There is more crammed in this little unsung film than most comedies. Despite the racist undertones, Rochester shows why he was regarded as such a great comic actor. It is a pity he did not make more films as he seems the equal of Bob Hope as the scared driver of Topper.

Indeed the whole film is a battle between which lunatic can hold the camera for more than a few seconds. There is just too much going on. I particularly liked Topper's wife who was so dizzy and stole scene after scene. It is a who dunnit, but that really does not matter as it is all great fun.

Sit back and enjoy a piece of nonsense. ... Read more

Reviews (92)

True classic, beautifully preserved and re-released.....
Despite the fact that this film raises issues that are not very potent today, it remains to be a timeless classic because of its sheer artistic value. This great artistic value is largely due to the brilliant idea (the idea of creating a play about Kathrene Hepburn [not literally, of course], for Kathrene Hepburn), the plot itself, and film's charming and witty script. Hepburn is the only and true star in this story, although I can appreciate Stewart and Grant in their roles. But truly, it would not have mattered much artistically, if different supporting cast was chosen. Apparently, it did matter to RKO commercially a great deal. Thank God for that, because Stewart, Grant, Hussey, and Howard all added something to the film. The result is a story with a "love...well, let's just say, more than a usual triangle", that revolves around one Philadelphia society girl and a few of her eccentric family members. The DVD has an outstanding sound and picture quality. Cute little menu and original theatrical trailer are also included. It is nice to know that this great film will stay with us for generations to come and enjoy it.

See it............ NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is all I need to say:

Cary Grant Katharine Hepburn Jimmy Stewart GREAT PERFORMANCES ALL AROUND, ESPECIALLY FROM THE THREE AMAZING STARS AND RUTH HUSSET!

But I'll say more anyway.

Upper class lady Tracy Lord is about to be married to George Kittridge, general manager of Quaker State something or other (I haven't watched it for a month or so) after two years before divorcing CK Dexter Haven.

Spy Magazine big cheese Sindney Kidd sends Macauly Conner and Elizabeth Imbry to get an inside story on the wedding of Tracy Lord, and George Kittridge. They are to get inside via Tracy's ex husband Dexter, who decides to help for revenge against his ex-bride.

Hilarity ensues via needle sharp dialogue, carefully hidden gags, and terrific performances.

I haven't seen one movie by Cary Grant that I haven't liked; I have seen thrity-two. I Have only seen two Jimmy Stewart and Kate Hepburn that I didn't really enjoy a-piece, and I've seen about twenty or more of theirs.

And Cuckor's direction inspired many directors to choose alternative direction styles.

YES, BUY THIS ONE, YOU WON'T REGRET IT.
This is my absolute favorite performance by the great Katherine Hepburn. She is breathtaking and absolutely wonderful. Brilliant performances all across the board, an especially funny performance by James Stewart is just the icing on the cake. Cary Grant,one of my faves, also delivers a magnificent performance. Also worth mentioning is the very beautiful Ruth Hussey, whose potrayal of Liz is stunning. She was one of the most attractive actresses at the time, in my humble opinion. This movie is very funny and the sets and costumes are among the best Hollywood has ever offered. I highly recommend this as a must own.

Perfection!
So well written, so elegant! My favorite film.

The REAL High Society
Branded by Hollywood as "Box Office Poison" (usually the death blow to an actor's career), Katherine Hepburn put all of her eggs in this ONE basket, to prove she's still a force to be recconned with. Reprising her stage role, Kate secures the rights for the film version of "The Philadelphia Story". The trick worked. Katherine Hepburn was back as a big star on the Hollywood