The Timid Ghost

A drunk offers to sell Charles Kemper a ghost for half a dollar. Kemper doesn't believe it, but out of bonhommie gives the fellow half a dollar. The ghost shows up later.

Most of the gags in this late Educational Pictures short consist of various people announcing they don't believe in ghosts, having the ghost appear, and then they run away screaming. Fortunately, the individual takes are varied enough within the context of Kemper trying to propose to his girl, the daughter of a senator who loudly proclaims he doesn't believe in ghosts, having the ghost show up, etc.

I don't know who did the IMDb credits, but that's not Kemper's character's name.

"The Timid Ghost" has a real bizarre plot. Charles (Charles Kemper) stops by a bar for a drink in order to bolster his courage to propose to his fiancee. There, he meets a drunk who wants to sell him a ghost. Finding the situation funny, he agrees...giving the guy $.50. Later, when he's in his apartment, the ghost shows up with a skeleton friend and announces he belongs to Charles until he sells him to some other unsuspecting sucker!

While the plot is utterly ridiculous, it has two things going for it. The ghost effects, for 1937, are awfully good. Plus, believe it or not, it really is rather funny!