The Ghost That Walks Alone

A murder occurs in a hotel. I dunno where they got the title, but there is NO "ghost" or supernatural happenings of ANY kind! Also, Arthur Lake plays his usual "Dagwood" (dumbell) character, and it's torture watching him.

Should've been a "lost" film!

"The Ghost That Walks Alone" is a movie that tries very, very hard to be goofy. Sometimes it succeeds...other times it's just loud and a bit annoying. Overall, it's a film that is, at best, a time-passer.

The story begins during a radio show. The sound effects guy, Eddie (Arthur Lake), is a bit of a knucklehead. However, the boss...well he's just terrible and he treats Eddie abominably. Later, after Eddie marries, he finds the dead boss in the inn...and he tries to solve the crime. But the police soon arrive and arrest Eddie...and he insists that he's not only innocent but a balmy old lady can tell them who the killer is.

The film is not subtle in any way. Lake seems at times like he thinks he's in a Blondie film...and far less from him and a few of the other characters in the film would have made it so much better. Forced...but watchable.

Arthur Lake has just gotten married to Lynne Roberts. They are on their way to honeymoon at Lake's sister's mountain lodge, but the radio show they both work for -- he as the sound effects man, she as a performer -- insist on coming along so they can rehearse. Rehearsals are interrupted when the producer is murdered and turns up in the frustrated honeymooners' bed. Lake is accused of the murder because the writers thought it funnier that way.

It's a mystery with a random murderer, and a comedy, of course, by the standards of those who think Mr. Lake is funny enough to carry a comedy; I'm not one of those people. Lake plays the same comedy character he had played since silent movies, the same one you can see in the Blondie series. Director Lew Landers, a B specialist, allows his performers to run pretty much riot, but alas, there's little that's funny here unless you're into the the shtick of the performers. At barely more than an hour, it seems much longer.

Arthur Lake takes a hiatus from the Blondie series and stars with Beverly Roberts as a newlywed couple who honeymoon in a lodge owned by Lake's sister. Lake is a sound effects man for a radio program. and the whole program personnel follow him to the lodge and want Lake to help with rehearsals.

That's rude enough but when producer Jack Lee turns up dead Lake is the chief suspect.

The film is badly written and edited. But what it does have is a good cast of familiar character players who just can't quite push it over the line. Still this might be worth a look for their sakes.

My short and sweet plot summary: Newlywed Eddie Grant (Arthur Lake) gets mixed up in murder and a missing body while on his honeymoon. Much (supposed) hilarity ensues.

The Ghost That Walks Alone is billed as a comedy/mystery. I have problems with both parts of that description. For the comedy part, if you're a fan of Arthur Lake's Dagwood Bumstead, you might enjoy his antics in The Ghost That Walks Alone. If, like me, you find his brand of comedy insufferable, you're most likely not going to enjoy the film. I'm sorry, but I just can't stomach the man. He's so annoying. As for the mystery elements, well, there really isn't much of a mystery. The film's idiotic would-be sleuths spend more time trying to hide the body than solving the crime. Instead, the murderer just sort of reveals himself in the finale and confesses to everything. No real detective work needed. That's probably a good thing because I'm not sure any character in the film displays the intelligence or common sense you'd find in an average second-grader. The whole thing is a disastrous mess.

One last thing - what's with the title? Not only is there no ghost in The Ghost That Walks Alone, there's not even mention of a ghost or anything remotely supernatural. Talk about a misleading title.

3/10