The Ghost and the Guest

Even though listed (when you can find it) in reference books as a "horror/comedy", the shiver quotient is woefully absent. This is essentially a screwball comedy with a highly capable cast, in the typical "scare-the-newlyweds-out-of-the-abandoned-house-to-get-the-treasure" movie mold.

Though dated by today's standards, most of the witty dialog (supplied by Dick Van Dyke's "Buddy Sorrell" Morey Amsterdam)brings a smile, with nary a straight man present. Florence Rice as bride Jackie seems to have a character that prefigures Lucy Ricardo, and husband Webster (James Dunn) attacks the role like Jack Haley. Chauffeur Harmony Jones (played by Sam McDaniel)seems the only sensible one in the bunch, wanting to return to New York where the only people wandering the streets are alive!

The pace is quick, with nary a moment to think of the ludicrous plot machinations (a police chief who has time on duty to write pulp fiction) and illogic (the newlyweds move into the wrong house which is not questioned until the end of the movie). A bit of macabre humor is added with the inclusion of a retired county executioner who constantly wants Harmony to try on a noose for size ("You have the perfect neck for hangin'!"); the racial subtext is not lost on the modern audience.

In all, a harmless and painless way to spend an hour.

About the only unusual and interesting thing about "The Ghost and the Guest" is that it was written by the comedian Morey Amsterdam. Apart from that, it's all a very standard film--with the usual cliches and a typical performance by James Dunn. In other words, it has B-movie written all over it...albeit a pleasant enough one to watch.

A couple (James Dunn and Florence Rice) just got married and arrived at a house they inherited. Unfortunately, it comes with a problem...a body. However, when the police arrive, the body has disappeared! They know who the dead man probably was...he was a man who recently was executed. But where is the body and why would it move?!

The film is very typical of the era, when many B haunted house and mystery movies were being made. Nothing offensive or awful here...just a typical higher quality PRC production.

As is the way with many Poverty Row films from the time, the title for this one is very misleading. There really isn't any spooky goings on here. However, this film does contain a very specific staple from the time in that it is essentially about an old dark house with a villain hiding in it. I have no idea why these types of films were so popular at the time but there does seem to be a plethora of them. Normally it seemed to be a man in an ape suit hiding in the house but in this case it's an escaped convict. Otherwise, the film features the usual array of nonsense such as a large group of characters in a house, a cowardly comic-relief black character and secret passageways.

To be honest, it's not very good. Despite a short running time it doesn't really move very fast and the humour is only funny on occasion. There is an ongoing thread of 'humour' where a hangman neighbour keeps saying to the black character that he has a good neck for hanging. Yeah, that's right lynching was all a good laugh! I suppose it shows elements of some attitudes of the time. Other than this there are no outrageous moments. It's the usual succession of lame moments. There's no tension or thrills in case you were wondering. It's really a comedy first and foremost. And not a very good one.

William Nigh directs this early 40's madcap comedy. Morey Amsterdam's screenplay is cleverly funny and somewhat witty. The 56 minute film is fast paced with hardly a scene wasted. Newlyweds Webster(James Dunn)and 'Jackie'(Florence Rice)spend their honeymoon in an old country home. Along with a nervous chauffeur(Sam McDaniel)the couple meets the town's executioner who has a fixation with nooses. Even before getting to settle in; a coffin arrives carrying the former owner and the spooked couple call the police. When the Police Chief(Jim Toney)arrives it is discovered the coffin is now empty. Before this situation can be dealt with along comes the believed "deceased's" next of kin and a gang of jewel thieves trying to find a fortune in diamonds hidden in the house. This all becomes fodder for Police Chief Bagwell's attempts at writing pulp fiction. Dunn's stupidity is somewhat funny; but McDaniel(the chauffeur)steals the show. Also in the cast are: Robert Bice, Eddy Chandler, Robert Dudley and Tony Ward.

James Dunn, Florence Rice, Sam McDaniel - a solid cast of pros; Morey Amsterdam as one of the writers and the ever popular old dark house setting - all of this is a pretty good formula for success, but in this case, it somewhat misses the mark. James Dunn is always so likable on the screen and this film is no exception and Florence Rice is one of those "coulda been a star" if she had gotten a couple of breaks (and, of course, a couple of less bland roles). Sam McDaniel is once again a servant but at least in this movie he gets all the best lines. While there are some funny or witty lines, there are just not enough. And the whole bit with the retired hangman is just not funny. While as memorable as most t.v. episodes airing today, it's not that good an example of the old dark house comedy/mystery genre.