Topper Returns **** (1941, Joan Blondell, Roland Young, Carole Landis, Billie Burke) – Classic Movie Review 7203

Director Roy Del Ruth’s 1941 black and white fantasy comedy film Topper Returns, based on the characters created by Thorne Smith, is the third and final entry in the series of films that began with the 1937 fantasy comedy Topper. Happily, Roland Young is back again, giving his spirited performance as the mousy banker Cosmo P Topper, who can see and speak to ghosts, helping ghostly Gail Richards (Joan Blondell) to solve her own murder.

Astonishingly, the Topper movie spell worked three times. Topper Returns is funny and charming even without the original Topper ghost stars Cary Grant and Constance Bennett.

Topper Returns is an expertly written, carefully handled, tip-top comedy thriller spoofing the haunted old dark house kind of movie that was then in vogue, with perfect support acting that includes Billie Burke also back as Mrs Topper, Carole Landis as Gail’s friend Ann Carrington and Eddie ‘Rochester’ Anderson as the chauffeur.

Also in the cast are Dennis O’Keefe, H B Warner, Donald MacBride, Patsy Kelly, Rafaela Ottiano, George Zucco, Trevor Bardette, Eddy Chandler, John Kelly, George Lloyd, Bill O’Brien and Brick Sullivan.

Joan Blondell in Topper Returns (1941).

Topper Returns runs 88 minutes, is made by Hal Roach Studios, is released by United Artists, is written by Jonathan Latimer (original screenplay), Gordon Douglas (original screenplay) and Paul Gerard Smith (additional dialogue), based on the characters created by Thorne Smith, is shot by Norbert Brodine, is produced by Hal Roach, and is scored by Werner R Heymann, with Art Direction by Nicolai Remisoff.

It was nominated for the Academy Award for Special Effects (Roy Seawright and Elmer Raguse) and for Best Sound, Recording (Elmer Raguse).

It follows Topper (1937) and Topper Takes a Trip (1938).

Billie Burke and Patsy Kelly in Topper Returns (1941).

A TV series followed in 1953 with Leo G Carroll and ran for two seasons. A pilot for a proposed TV series called Topper Returns was made in 1973 and a TV movie remake of the original film Topper followed in 1979.

In 1969, Topper Returns entered the public domain in the United States because of failure to renew the film’s copyright registration in the 28th year after publication.

Topper Returns is available for free download at the Internet Archive:

https://archive.org/details/Topper_Returns_41

The cast are Joan Blondell as Gail Richards, Roland Young as Cosmo Topper, Carole Landis as Ann Carrington, Billie Burke as Clara Topper, Dennis O’Keefe as Bob, Patsy Kelly as Emily, H B Warner as Henry Carrington, Eddie ‘Rochester’ Anderson as Eddie, George Zucco as Dr Jeris, Donald MacBride as Police Sergeant Roberts, Rafaela Ottiano as Lillian  the Housekeeper, Trevor Bardette as Rama the Butler, William H O’Brien as second butler, Eddy Chandler as Police Sergeant Jim, John Kelly as Engine Room Sailor, George Lloyd as Boat Captain, Duke York as Engine Room Sailor, and Brick Sullivan as Police Officer Darryl.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7203

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