Topper Returns

A great cast and the perfect blend of humor and mystery make this entry in the series based on Thorne Smith's characters one of the very best. Roy Del Ruth's direction and a better than average screenplay by Jonathan Latimer and Gordon Douglas, and an added bit of dialog from Paul Gerard Smith make this one a lot of fun.Lovely Carole Landis is Ann Carrington, traveling to see her very ill father with her good pal Gail Richards (Joan Blondell). A sniper shoots out the tire on their cab and the girls are stranded until Topper and his driver Eddie (Eddie "Rochester" Anderson) happen by and before you know it, and with reservations by Eddie, they are dropping off the two at the old haunted Carrington Castle. Cosmo (Roland Young) may think the only trouble he is in is from his wife (Billie Burke) but events will soon occur which will make that problem pale by comparison.It is obvious right away that someone wants Ann out of the way when a chandelier mysteriously falls from the ceiling and just misses its target. Landis is terrific as the soon-to-be wealthy Ann and Blondell shines as her wise-cracking friend fond of nice things. Gail's penchant for luxury will be her undoing when Ann switches rooms with her friend so she can have the swanky one.Gail is murdered in the night and her ghost wants to know why. She walks on moonlit clouds to Topper's house and, once again, Cosmo is having trouble with the netherworld. He's also having trouble with Eddie, who sleeps in a full-length fur coat and wants nothing to do with spooks!Rochester nearly steals the film from Blondell and Young at this point. His reactions to Topper's interaction with someone he can't see, followed by the discovery of the body, which soon disappears, has Eddie running back home to pack. His line about going back to Mr. Benny is an endearing reference for fans of old radio.Bille Burke has some hilarious moments when she comes to help Topper. Her conversation with the detective is priceless. Landis' Ann has some nice moments also as a love interest develops with the cab driver. Blondell is great, of course, and Young does a nice job of being frustrated as usual.When Eddie has a confrontation with a seal and sees the missing body being taken to sea in an underground cavern just beneath the house, he and Cosmo and Gail aren't too far from solving the mystery.There is a fine ending to this fun and atmospheric mystery with a lot of humor. Landis and Blondell look great in gowns by Royer but get to show off their talent as well here. This is a topflight production with the easy likability of a good "B" film but the classy surroundings of an "A" film. An excellent time at the movies.

Terrific performances by each and everyone in the cast. Keeps on laughing throughout

This version is an unwanted, unnecessary, and terrible colorized version. The colorization is completely uneven and many times takes you out of the movie. I know the excuse for colorization was to preserve these movies, but couldn't they just have used black and white film? Anyway the movie itself is quite good, Joan Blondell does great as the ghost, Patsy Kelly as the maid is also very good, and Billie Burke is the quintessential airhead. And Roland Young is great as the fumbling Cosmo Topper, I think this movie is just a bit better than the original Topper. This movie is a comedy/murder mystery. But it would be better to watch it in black and white.

I adore this movie. The casting director should be commended. Each character is perfection. The classic “Who Done It” coupled with superb dry humor. I laugh every single time, it never gets old. How they worked a seal into it is beyond me but that little sucker is a straight up comedian! If you’ve watched Clue and liked it ten you’ll love this movie. There’s no need to watch the series or the other films first (although they are highly entertaining too), it won’t detract from this movie at all.Give it a try, you'll love it! A true classic movie.

One of my favorite television shows as a child in the 1950s was "Topper". I enjoyed the comedy in that series, specifically the ultra hip attitudes of the young American ghosts as contrasted with the ultra polite and proper mannerism of the middle-aged English homeowner, who was Topper himself. But the present movie very different. It is a comedy in that everything ends well, but it is filled with spite and murder and all the gothic aspects that you you expect from any ghost story. The film brought me back to an era before my own birth -- to the pre-World-War-II years. The brash and fun-loving middle-class is seen in contrast with the stogy moneyed class, the pursuit of truth against the keeping up of appearances… and somehow Topper himself, with different ghosts and in difficult circumstances, comes out as that unassuming, honest, just man. This goes beyond being proper, and it is what endears the character to the audience.

Cosmo Topper (Roland Young)once again meets up a ghost, this time played by the wonderful Joan Blondell. Gail (Blondell) and Ann (Carole Landis) travel to the mansion where Ann's long estranged father lives. Some one is out to kill Ann. A chandelier almost falls on Ann's head. Ann and Gail are set up in guest rooms upstairs but end up trading rooms. The killer ends up killing the wrong girl. Now a ghost, Gail appears to Topper for help in solving her own murder. Of course confusion ensues when Topper's wife (Billie Burke) suspects him of cheating. Topper is caught sneaking into the Carrington mansion. Nobody believes his claims of murder as there is no body. The police are called in and more confusion and hilarity ensue until the true murderer is revealed. Eddie "Rochester" Anderson puts in a great comic performance as the chauffer. Also with H.B.Warner.Fun to watch.

This is one of the most enjoyable films I've seen. Sometimes you just like to sit back for about 90 minutes, laugh a little or a lot, and put your mind in neutral. I had one of those days yesterday. Some of the things mentioned are dated. I still don't know what the "Pot of Gold" program is that Joan Blondell mentions. But there are enough laughs in this film to make it enjoyable. I must have watched this movie at least a dozen times. It's still good to me. I wish Amazon Instant Video would put the first "Topper" movie up with Cary Grant. Never saw it but after seeing this one I would like to.Again, if you would simply like to enjoy about 90 minutes and have some laughs then please have a watch. I think you would like it.

Den Film habe ich vor Jahren gesehen und den Titel vergessen durch Zufall drauf gekommen und ebenso begeistert— ein echter S/W Klassicker Das er nicht synchronisiert ist - kann nur meine Englischkenntnisse verbessern Danke Fossi53

All round good fun & acting. Being 73 I enjoyed seeing all the cars of the day

Topper returns , from 1941 , is the third in the series. Roland Young and Billie Burke return as Mr. & Mrs Cosmo Topper , but with a new ghostlypresence , namely Joan Blondell , who is the companion of Carol Landis . When they return to the family mansion the two girls switch rooms for the night , and while Carol is the actual target , Joan is inadvertently murdered. Predictably she enlists the assistance of Topper to solve the murder.The mansion comes complete with suspicious servants , and secret passages which are frequented by the always disguised killer.Hilarious antics ensue with the help of Dennis O'Keefe , H. B. Warner , George Zucco ( who always looks evil ) and even Eddie " Rochester " Anderson as Toppers chauffeur. Rochester is even in character , as at one spooky point he exclaims that he wants to go back to driving for" Mr. Benny " , where things were never like this. Even without the original cast , this is another very funny entry in the Topper series and is just as good as the first one. While it is available colourized , mine is the Alpha Video release which is in Glorious Black & White.

I have wanted to see this film for some time and, boy, it was worth the wait! It is a delightful comedy, with some absolutely hilarious moments. Joan Blondell is on cracking form, and the special effects are - for their time - pretty amazing. The plot moves along at a breakneck pace right from the opening scene, and has all the elements of a 'haunted house'-type whodunnit. A word of warning, though: the print/transfer is pretty appalling. (Films like this, and "The Old Dark House" really do deserve the Criterion/Masters of CInema treatment.) In many places, it looks like it has been taken from a very well-worn VHS. The DVD I purchased is the release by Elstree Hill Entertainment .I give the film ***** out of *****. I give the DVD/transfer ** out of *****

An excellent comedy that has a great cast. I laugh out loud every time I watch it. Great film for the family audience.