Lucky Ghost

Lucky Ghost (1942)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Washington (Mantan Moreland) and Jefferson (F.E. Miller) are two hobos who run into some very good luck when they play dice with a couple rich guys and walk away with a lot of cash. Soon afterwards the men role the dice and walk away with a nightclub but before long some ghosts show up for a piece of the action.

LUCKY GHOST is an all black cast film that will certainly not make the PC crowd very happy as it contains quite a few stereotypes but race films like this one should certainly be studied as they're an important part of our movie history. This film here, like most race films, suffers from an obvious low budget but "Z" movie maverick William Beudine does a nice job at keeping things moving at a nice pace.

The film actually turned out pretty good and especially since the two lead performances were so good. This is especially true for Mmoreland who had appeared in countless "B" movies throughout his career. More times than not he was playing small supporting roles but this here allowed him to play the lead and he does a good job with it and certainly helps carry the film. His comic timing is right on the mark and helps carry the hour running time.

Another thing that this film benefits from is the final fifteen-minutes where the spooks show up. This isn't your typical "old dark house" style of film. Instead of bad guys dressing up as ghosts, this film actually gives us real ghosts and a real skeleton to do the haunting. I really liked the fact that this film tried to do something a tad bit different and it makes for a fun ending.

LUCKY GHOST certainly isn't a masterpiece but it's a fun little "B" movie that is worth watching for its race history as well as its connection to the horror genre.

Mantan Moreland and F.E. Miller promote a pair of dice into a good car and cash, and thence into a casino. The old,owners are about to do something dire, but the ghosts in the cemetery out back don't like that.

True enough, some very stereotyped situation, but you've got two fine performers in the lead. Moreland was one of the leading cross-over Black comedians of the era, and if his comedy became old fashioned in the post-war era, his comedy timing is on display here. As for Miller, he started one of the first Black legitimate theater companies in the Country during the Mauve Decade, and was one of the writers and performers of the landmark Black Broadway show, 1921's SHUFFLE ALONG, with songs by Eunice Blake and Noble Sissle.

This cheap movie was intended for the all-black theaters, one of many "race films" of the era. It's directed by William Beaudine, a director who could handle anything from sentiment, Mary Pickford, on down to the Bowery Boys. This one is nearer the bottom of that list than the top, but the leads are fine comic actors.

Miller and Moreland were a good comedy team, and i agree with others that their brand of comedy is superb. This film has a lot of wonderful moments in it, and is a high quality example of the "all colored cast" genre, but what hooked me most was the spectacular rapping by Moreland as a craps player who cannot lose, talking to and blowing on his dice. Other films (and a few 78 rpm records) have given us documentation on the rhymes and raps of early 20th century crap-shooters, but folks seeking a slice-of-life glimpse of African American gambling culture of the 1930s will enjoy Moreland's routine most of all, as he is exceptionally fluent in his speech and movements, and the scenes in which he shoots craps are long and uncut compared to those in other, similar movies.

someday Mantan will receive his just due. his comedy could never be duplicated. his films as Birmingham Brown opposite Charlie Chan are classics and should be hailed as so.His other features are well above comedy of today. That chubby little man made my sides ache with his antics."Feet don't fail me now"

many attempt to play down the value of vintage black films,but fail to recognize that they were the best that could be done at that point in time. Mantan Moreland and other black comedians set the stage for many black comedians of today. The film packs a lot into 60 minutes. Mantan Moreland teams up with Flournoy E. Miller, Maceo Sheffield,Jessie lee Brooks,Arthur Ray and a good cast who put on a very fine show despite a few stereotypical flaws. The action,transitions,dialogue,settings were realistic at that time. Maceo Sheffield who played the part of the crooked club owner played a role in the production of the film as well. The film had no wasted motion or dead periods. You will get more than your money's worth and you will not forget this film.