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LA TUA VALUTAZIONE
Aggiungi una trama nella tua linguaA newlywed couple winds up spending their honeymoon night in an old, dark, spooky mansion.A newlywed couple winds up spending their honeymoon night in an old, dark, spooky mansion.A newlywed couple winds up spending their honeymoon night in an old, dark, spooky mansion.
Anthony Warde
- Killer Blake
- (as Tony Ward)
Charles King
- Dumb Detective
- (non citato nei titoli originali)
Recensioni in evidenza
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.
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.
Midway through this picture, there's a scene where the two leads (James Dunn and Florence Rice) find themselves momentarily alone in their room. It's their honeymoon, and they've had nary a second to themselves the whole movie, until now. But—before they even have a chance to breathe, people start pouring into their room, one at a time and in groups, until virtually all of the characters in the movie are right there in the same bedroom. –It ought to be funny, in a kind of Marx-Brothers-state-room sort of way
.but somehow, it's just kind of flat. This whole picture is that way: full of scenes and gags that seems like they ought to be funny, but just aren't.
The plot: Dunn and Rice inherit a house and decide to move right in, sight unseen. They bring along Sam McDaniel, who is apparently Dunn's valet and chauffeur. Mysterious doings are soon afoot; it seems the house was somehow connected with a recently executed convict and there may be some money around the place.
Various characters turn up at the house to investigate, make trouble, or just hang around —a retired hangman, a police chief who writes detective thrillers, a dumb blonde and a sinister brunette, a couple of gangsters .the usual assortment.
McDaniel, as chauffeur Harmony Jones, is the stereotypical frightened servant but somehow comes across as less dopey than any of the other characters; his wisecracks are occasionally clever. (He also advises Dunn on how to deal with married life: "Now take my wife, for instance. This morning I bawled her out for being so extravagant." What happened? Pause. "I'm giving up cigars.")
Dunn and Rice as the newlyweds bicker and flirt and do their best to generate some energy but are largely defeated by dialog and plot that are woefully short on surprises.
Certainly not the madcap laugh riot that it apparently aims to be, this picture is nevertheless mildly amusing and generally harmless enough. Call it a B picture that never rises above its budget.
The plot: Dunn and Rice inherit a house and decide to move right in, sight unseen. They bring along Sam McDaniel, who is apparently Dunn's valet and chauffeur. Mysterious doings are soon afoot; it seems the house was somehow connected with a recently executed convict and there may be some money around the place.
Various characters turn up at the house to investigate, make trouble, or just hang around —a retired hangman, a police chief who writes detective thrillers, a dumb blonde and a sinister brunette, a couple of gangsters .the usual assortment.
McDaniel, as chauffeur Harmony Jones, is the stereotypical frightened servant but somehow comes across as less dopey than any of the other characters; his wisecracks are occasionally clever. (He also advises Dunn on how to deal with married life: "Now take my wife, for instance. This morning I bawled her out for being so extravagant." What happened? Pause. "I'm giving up cigars.")
Dunn and Rice as the newlyweds bicker and flirt and do their best to generate some energy but are largely defeated by dialog and plot that are woefully short on surprises.
Certainly not the madcap laugh riot that it apparently aims to be, this picture is nevertheless mildly amusing and generally harmless enough. Call it a B picture that never rises above its budget.
Although 'The Ghost and the Guest' is mistakenly described as a comedy/ horror movie, this film still has a lot going for it. I would say it is more a comedy/mystery movie. The setting is an old spooky house but there is never anything even remotely resembling terror. It's not hard to remember the date of this film. The terms used in the dialogue are from the 30s and 40s and I'm sure some of it will be lost with today's audience but much of it still brings a laugh. The film quality is not the greatest, and that does detract from the film. This movie does manage to keep your interest though and the comedy still comes through. The acting wasn't bad at all, and the strange assortment of characters was interesting. The plot is not believable but this is forgiven in the interest of comedy. It's a short, fast moving comedy that should be taken lightly and enjoyed for what it is.
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.
Lo sapevi?
- QuizAnimator Milt Gross wrote the story and comic Morey Amsterdam of The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961) fame did the screenplay.
- Citazioni
Ben Bowron: The least I can do is give him a decent burial. What'll it be? Under the cypress or the oleander?
Webster Frye: The oleander, it's poisonous.
- ConnessioniFeatured in That's Black Entertainment: Comedians (2002)
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Dettagli
- Data di uscita
- Paese di origine
- Lingua
- Celebre anche come
- The Ghost and the Guest
- Azienda produttrice
- Vedi altri crediti dell’azienda su IMDbPro
- Tempo di esecuzione
- 1h 1min(61 min)
- Colore
- Proporzioni
- 1.37 : 1
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