Parada: “I myself have heard of only one ghost: the spirit of Don Santiago.”
Larry Lawrence: “Tell me, does he appear nightly or just Sundays and Holidays?”
Beating the famed comedy duo of Abbott and Costello to the horror comedy circuit both one and two years prior to their 1941 classic Hold That Ghost, Bob Hope released The Cat and the Canary in 1939 (already reviewed here on Filmizon.com), following it up in quick succession (just eight months later) with The Ghost Breakers in 1940 – it was originally a play written by Paul Dickey and Charles W. Goddard (there are also two silent films from 1914 and 1922 based on it that are thought to be lost – the former being directed by Cecil B. DeMille).
Directed by George Marshall, the mystery infused horror comedy follows a socialite, Mary Carter (Paulette Goddard), who has learned on a stormy New York night that she has inherited a supposedly haunted castle on a secluded Cuban isle ominously named Black.
At the same time, gossiping radio broadcaster, Larry Lawrence (Hope), has been a bit too accurate in his reporting of underground gangster Frenchy Duval (Paul Fix) and his criminal enterprises. The tough guy ‘invites’ him over for a talk at the same hotel Ms. Carter is staying at, and after a zany mix up, Lawrence thinks he’s accidentally shot Ramon Mederos (Anthony Quinn).
As these things do, Lawrence luckily finds a hidey hole in Mary’s hotel room, deciding to accompany her on the risky trip to Cuba, along with his helpful if scared valet, Alex (Willie Best). Soon, all sorts of creepy individuals are coming out of the woodwork. There will be Mr. Parada (Paul Lukas) – a seedy Cuban solicitor that seems to be channeling his inner Hungarian Dracula; Geoff Montgomery (Richard Carlson – funnily enough, Hold That Ghost; and more famously, The Creature from the Black Lagoon) – a socialite acquaintance of Mary’s who now lives in Havana and seems to know a lot about the superstitions of the area; Martin (Lloyd Corrigan) – an overly friendly guy who always seems to be underfoot; Francisco Mederos (Quinn again) – Ramon’s twin brother, who is looking for vengeance; and a mother and son zombie (Virginia Brissac and Noble Johnson).
Eventually making their way to the plantation property that holds the castle, what will become of Lawrence and Mary? Might there actually be ghosts, voodoo, and zombies involved? If not, who is to blame for all of this deadly chaos?
Jam packed with witty repartee – here’s just one example: “The girls call me Pilgrim, because every time I dance with one I make a little progress.”. Hope and Goddard are like a well oiled machine after their previous effort together in The Cat and the Canary. Perhaps the best modern reference would be the Deadpool franchise, with Ryan Reynolds’ speedy delivery being so fast that it’s easy to miss some of the jokes. . . and it’s very similar here. If you’re in the mood for humour, you get more bang for your buck here than anywhere else. Plus, it’s a good vehicle for Hope, as at times, it’s like Goddard is his comedic partner, at others, Willie Best is a scene-stealer as his Lou Costello-like scaredy-cat sidekick, while sometimes Hope himself does some physical comedy – at one point, he gets stuck in a luggage trunk – a standout moment. Lastly, it’s a rare movie where he isn’t playing the terrified one – a nice change of pace.
Though this film has many great gags, Marshall makes certain to go all-in on the horror elements. The castle is sinisterly massive, packed with a glass-coffined crypt, dusty life-sized paintings, secret spying panels, creaky suits of armour, a haunting organ, and so much more, while cinematographer Charles Lang (back from the previous year – he also did The Ghost and Mrs. Muir) makes every room look its shadowy best. Perhaps the biggest standout is Johnson’s zombie. . . making a splash three years prior to Val Newton’s groundbreaking I Walked with a Zombie, it’s amazing how horror inducing his scenes are, considering this is part comedy circa 1940.
One of the horror comedy classics from the Golden Age of cinema, The Ghost Breakers is a must watch during Halloween season. Taking both the laughs and the spooks seriously, this is when these genre crossovers are at their very best. It’s also worth noting that this is the screen debut of film noir stalwart Robert Ryan – in a ‘blink and you’ll miss him’ turn as an ambulance intern. So, here’s hoping you don’t dare take a break from these ghosts, you’ll be scared silly.