The Smiling Ghost

I remember with fond 'scariness' this definitive film of the early 40s. It had the unseen murderer, the witless hero, the beguiling heroine and the bulging eyes of the hero's assistant.

It still remains a film that may be viewed with pleasure. It has all the elements of the 'scary' - darkened night - sliding panels - a gauche hero - humour and wit. It may lack the suspense of the Spiral Staircase, but it still remains a film worthy to be seen.

This is one of those films you dont hear alot about...but that said this is one GREAT! little film...Wayne Morris absolutely shines as the comic hero "Lucky Downing" and Willie Best give his usual excellent performance as Luckys Valet Clarence...It,s all about an heiress whos lost a few beau,s to shall we say "misfortune" Lucky answers an ad in the paper by the young ladys Grandmother.. Soon he and Clarence are enveloped in a mystery set in an old spooky mansion..with a cast of family characters who are all kooky or sinister in some fashion....Not a film that takes itself seriously, this is one of those comedy-horror gems that you can really enjoy on a dark night or a rainy day....definitely give this an 8******** on a 10 scale..try it you wont be dissapointed.

A man is hired (for $1000) to be engaged to a beautiful heiress for a month. Unbeknowst to him, she is known as the "Kiss of Death" girl, and every one of her 3 previous suitors has been murdered by "the Smiling Ghost".

An excellent, eerie "old house" film with secret panels, a midnite opening of a family crypt, the great "scared reaction' antics of Willie Best, and (of COURSE!) the creepy-looking "smiling ghost" all make this a top-notch yarn.

DEFINITELY worth seeing!

Norm

Among all the Hollywood studios of the '30s and '40s, Warner Bros. excelled at churning out slick, swift, polished 'B' comedy-thrillers (see the 4 Nancy Drew treats for further evidence). "The Smiling Ghost" is a perfect example of this genre. This nifty, nutty 1941 charmer packs more entertainment value into 71 minutes than most of today's films do in 2-hours-plus. The ever-gorgeous Alexis Smith plays a wealthy heiress whose fiances have always met with ghastly fates before the nuptuals. In a plot to unravel the killer's identity, poor Wayne Morris is duped into impersonating her new betrothed. All the standard ingredients are hauled out and refreshened--a gloomy dark mansion, secret passageways, sliding panels, and, as the title promises, the genuinely eerie apparition of a "smiling ghost." Done to a turn by an engaging cast, one wonders why the handsome, appealing and wryly comic Wayne Morris never achieved full-fledged stardom, and why did it take another 30 years for the dazzling Alexis Smith to be duly celebrated (on Broadway in 1971's "Follies")?

A surprisingly snappy little mystery comedy with Wayne Morris in his juvenile days sporting a patented brand of big guy innocence that he was very good with. Shortly afterward he went off to be a Navy flier and war hero, only to return to a Hollywood that had turned cold. Brenda Marshall plays a spunky, sassy reporter and is sexier than Alexis Smith which is no mean achievement. Willie Best shows why the prevailing racial attitudes kept a major talent from blossoming. He was truly a great comedian underneath the necessary character feature of a low I.Q. that all black actors of the day had to assume.Here, he's not quite so dumb and gets to use his formidable physical skills. I would urge to pull the curtain back a bit if you can and realize what a waste of talent it all was. No reason to go into the plot, its a farce with many funny lines and a very eccentric family which is a mainstay of many comedies of the 30s and 40s. Crisp, silly and warming.