La dernière enquête de Mr. Topper

Unusual among films in the "old dark house" style for being about a ghost who comes back to solve her own murder. Disguised as a Topper film, and with Roland Young and Billie Burke again cast as Mr and Mrs Topper, this is really a clever murder mystery in reverse, a sort of "why he done it". Praise must be lavished on the script, co-written by murder-mystery novelist Jonathan Latimer (who also wrote some of the better Peter Falk Columbo episodes in the 1970s) and on the playing of Young, Burke and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, who steal the film from headliners Carole Landis and Joan Blondell -- it is Topper's film after all. More inspired by the late Thorne Smith's characters than based on anything he wrote, the film nonetheless will appeal to fans of this extraordinary novelist's humorous works. A must for anyone who like horror send-ups, Topper or Smith!

Topper was a surprise. I bought it for 3 dollars at a dvd sale and it turned out to be funny and my kids thought there was some scary parts too.

The concerns over race issues are silly. Eddie the driver was a funny guy in the movie but paranoia over racial issues from people in 2004 is sad. Let's face it the 3 Stooges were daffy; Laurel and Hardy were goofy; Hope and Crosby were silly. How about Abbott and Costello or Joe E. Lewis or Jerry Lewis? The list goes on and on and race is never an issue. Lets face it, the bad guy at the end of Topper was not the driver.

Our society is so paranoid. But this flick has no paranoia, just good old fashioned fun and talent.

Since both films were on my DVD I watched both of them tonight. I found this film more charming than the Cary Grant film (and that is saying something!) Not only was Joan Blondell a barrel of fun but the house was great. There were secret staircases, chairs that tuned into secret hallways. I found Jack Benney's sidekick (Chester, I believe) a total riot. This man did not mind playing this role I am sure. (Jack Benney for all his "stingy" ways was not stingy in real life, especially with this man.) The other character that was completely zany and filled with great fun was Billie Burke. She did not carry the same personality over from the first film. In the original "Topper" she played a snobbish upper crust lady who had no fun in her. For "Topper Returns" she plays a zany character so much like Gracie Allen you would think that George Burns was "Topper" and Gracie his wife. Anyway, it was a very funny, delightful film.

This film may not have been one of the "greats", but if you just want to laugh--have a go at this one.

After a fatal car accident driven by a cabman (Dennis O'Keefe), Anne (Carole Landis) and Gail (Joan Blondell) are going to mansion of Anne's father (H.B.Warner) . There is murdered Gail and goes back as ghost . Cosmo Topper (Roland Young) married to Clara (Billie Burke) helps her find the man who mistakenly killed her .

This funny picture contains enjoyable humor , ghostly adventures , awesome comedy , a little bit of whodunit about the killing and besides , being pretty entertaining . The casting is frankly well . Thus , it shows up a gorgeous Carole Landis who unfortunately committed suicide at twenty-nine-years old , after a romance with Rex Harrison . Joan Blondell is a likable ghost , she was a great comedian actress with much successes and long career . Roland Young is agreeable , sympathetic as Topper , this role was always splendidly played by him . He was actually nominated to an Oscar to the original film , no this one . Humorous Roland along with Billie Burke make a completely delight duo . Special mention for the black servant , Eddie Anderson , as the coward and unfortunate chauffeur . In the film appears known secondaries especially of terror cinema as George Zucco (Mad ghoul , Mummy's ghost , Dead man walking) as a doctor , Raffaela Ottiano (Devil doll) as a housekeeper (similar to Rebeca) and even Dennis O'Keefe (Leopard man) as the taxi driver . The special effects sequences are especially amusing and were nominated for an Oscar . The film was well produced by Hal Roach (Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy films) and compellingly directed by Roy del Ruth . It's preceded by two movies with similar actors : ¨Topper¨ (1937) directed by Norman Z McLeod with Gary Grant and Constance Bennett ; and ¨Topper takes a trip¨ (1939) . Followed by TV series and remade as TV movie (1979).

Sexy, wise-cracking Joan Blondell, who has accompanied her best friend back to her stately home to meet her father after many, many years, mysteriously is knifed after having traded rooms with Carole Landis - the intended victim. In true Topper fashion, her ghost finds the next-door neighbor who had given them both a lift earlier, one Cosmo Topper. He sees dead people all the time, way before it became quite so fashionable in The Sixth Sense. Topper Returns is the third and last of the Topper series, all of which starred Roland Young as the lead and Billie Burke as his annoying wife. Young plays the role to perfection again and Burke is equally up to the challenge. Lots of support in this one for Young and Burke as the old, spooky haunted house genre serves as primary backdrop when Topper goes to the scene of the crime and then we get mixed identities, hidden panels, scores of red herrings pointing out everyone's guilt except for the killer but generously dosed with lots of amusing quips from Young, wise-cracking one-liners from Blondell in ghostly form, by-play between Burke and her maid, the underrated Patsy Kelly, and chauffeur/fraidy cat Eddie "Rochester" Anderson basically playing himself and hamming it up as only he can. Anderson is easily the brightest spot in the film for me, even at one point making reference to former employer Jack Benny! But the cast also has the eerie likes of George Zucco, H. B. Warner, Donald MacBryde, and Rafaela Ottiano playing one creepy housekeeper. While definitely not as polished a production as the original Topper, Topper Returns is a whole lot more fun in Hal Roach fashion. It is my favourite of the three Topper films as it mixes comedy with horror rather well for its time.