Topper - The blonde ghost

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Movie
German title Topper - The blonde ghost
Original title Topper
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1937
length 95 minutes
Rod
Director Norman Z. McLeod
script Jack Jevne ,
Eric Hatch ,
Eddie Moran
production Hal Roach
music Marvin Hatley
camera Norbert Brodine
cut William H. Terhune
occupation
synchronization

Topper - The blonde ghost (Original title: Topper ) is an American comedy film from 1937. The screenplay is based on the novel Topper by Thorne Smith . The film was also shown in Germany under the name Two Angels Without Wings .

action

Cosmo Topper is a director of a New York bank. He leads a calm and orderly life with his wife Clara. This contrasts with George and Marion Kerby, the owners of the bank, who are enjoying their lives to the full. At a meeting of the directors, the Kerbys try to convince toppers of their way of life. On the way back to their country estate, the Kerbys have an accident with their car. The two feel good, but they soon realize that they are transparent. They died in the accident and are now ghosts.

Topper, who mourns the loss of his superiors, receives the Kerbys' repaired accident car. After his wife forbade him to buy the car, he goes for a spin. In the corner where the Kerbys crashed, Topper also skidded. When he sees the transparent bodies of the Kerbys, he remembers Marion's plan to make a new man out of him. The Kerbys take him to their New York apartment. There Topper dances wildly and gets drunk. The Kerbys, now invisible again, get the tumbling topper into the car. In front of the car there is an argument between the drunk topper and other drivers. A police officer takes Topper to court, where he is charged with drunkenness and public nuisance. Newspaper reporters found out his name and brought the incident into the newspapers.

Clara is less angry than worried that her social advancement into the circle of Mrs. Grace Stuyvesant, whom she admires, has now become impossible. To her surprise, however, her husband is invited to a party by Mrs. Stuyvesant. At his workplace, Topper receives new respect from his colleagues. Marion materializes and gets toppers to invite her over for an ice cream. But they stop in front of a boutique. They sell underwear there, and Topper tucks into lace panties that Marion tried on and caused a stir. He accidentally pulls these panties out of his jacket pocket at home. Clara is shocked and accuses him of being unfaithful. Topper packs a suitcase and drives away.

Marion appears in the car. She gets Topper to check into a hotel on the coast. At the same time, George appears and looks for Marion in Topper's house. There he learns from Clara that Topper has gone. In the hotel, Marion's constant appearance and disappearance makes Topper trouble with the hotel detective Casey. When George shows up, Topper's situation becomes even more difficult. He begs the two of them to disappear with him. On the way back, George drives the car. At the point where he and his wife had an accident, he loses control of the car again. Topper, now also Geist, would rather stay with George and Marion than return home.

Topper wakes up in his bed. Clara comes to him, forgives him and shows him the lace panties. When Clara and Topper hug, George and Marion say goodbye to them.

background

Lionel Belmore played a minor role as a security guard at the bank, Ward Bond as a taxi driver, Eddie and Lana Turner as a nightclub visitor. The costumes were from Irene . The production was budgeted for an estimated $ 500,000, and it became a hit at the box office at the time. The film is also considered to be the first black and white film to be colored later (in 1985).

The film premiered on July 16, 1937. In Germany it was released on June 24, 1938. It was also broadcast on German television under the title Zwei Engel ohne Flügel .

The film drew two sequels ( Topper Goes on Trips from 1938 and Topper 2 - Das Gespensterschloß from 1941), a television series with 78 episodes from 1953 (with Leo G. Carroll , Robert Sterling and Anne Jeffreys ), and a TV remake in 1979 (with Kate Jackson and Jack Warden ).

Reviews

The lexicon of international films judged the film: "Slightly frivolous film grotesque from the 30s with amazing film tricks, brilliant actors and witty dialogues, which offers lively entertainment after teething problems."

According to Variety , Hal Roach produced a bizarre and perplexing story about spiritism. The film is carefully made, excellently filmed and has clever effects. For the TimeOut film guide , the film was a “typical cinematic monzette from the 1930s”. It is "too gentle and leisurely to exist as a solid classic".

Awards

The film was at the Academy Awards 1938 in the categories of Best Supporting Actor (Roland Young) and Best Sound ( Elmer Raguse ) for the Oscar nominated.

synchronization

The German dubbed version was created on the occasion of the television premiere in 1963.

role actor Voice actor
George Kerby Cary Grant Erik Schumann
Marion Kerby Constance Bennett Ursula Herwig
Cosmo topper Roland Young Bum Kruger
Butler Wilkins Alan Mowbray Thomas Reiner
Hotel detective Casey Eugene Pallette Herbert Weicker
Hotel manager Theodore von Eltz Leo Bardischewski
Cab driver Eddie Ward Bond Willy Friedrichs
Car driver Tom Herbert Willy Friedrichs
Co-driver Ruth Warren Franziska Liebing

Web links

Bibliography

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ See Business ( Memento from February 11, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) on imdb.com
  2. ↑ See Notes on tcm.com
  3. ↑ Topper - The blonde ghost. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed October 26, 2019 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  4. ↑ See Topper . In: Variety , 1937.
  5. ↑ See timeout.com
  6. ↑ Topper - The blonde ghost. In: synchronkartei.de. German synchronous file , accessed on October 26, 2019 .