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Expert: - 7/4/2010


Question
Hi, I am looking for the title of a film released sometime between 1935and 1948. I remember that the film had two ghosts (man and woman) and the woman had long blond hair like Veronica Lake. I remember a scene where the two ghosts were sitting on a limb observing the male lead from outside his window.  I believe that the male ghost was older than the female ghost and she falls in love with the man who owns the house. They play all kinds of pranks on him and it's quite hilarious. That's about all I have to go on. Any help is very much appreciated.
Kind regards

Answer
Tina, this sounds like the 1937 film "Topper" starring Cary Grant and Constance Bennett as a fun-loving couple--George and Marion Kerby--killed in a car accident who, as ghosts, decide to "help" their stuffy banker friend, Cosmos Topper (Roland Young) as a good deed to get into heaven.  The couple do sit on a limb observing Topper out in the countryside where they are killed, and may do so outside his window too (it has been many years since I've seen the film).  Marion flirts outrageously with Topper, causing jealousy with both George and Topper's wife, Clara (played by Billie Burke). It spawned two sequels--"Topper Takes a Trip" (1938) and "Topper Returns" (1941) but in those cases it is just a female ghost haunting Topper (although in the latter film, Joan Blondell, who plays the female ghost, might look a bit more like Veronica Lake than Constance Bennett.  Still both actresses are young and blond).

I hope this is the film you are looking for, but if not, then I'm sorry I could not be of more help.

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Barbara L. Baker

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I am a professor of communication at a midwest university, who has expertise on subjects related to film. I can answer general questions on U.S. film comedy (especially satires of the 1960s and 1970s) and comic theory. I also could answer questions related to specific comic genres, such as comedian comedies, screwball comedies, "stupid" comedies, and so forth. The more specific you can make your question, the better (e.g. main plot details, main characters, possible character names, possible actors, how you viewed the show, etc.). I also need to have a release date (or range of dates, or at least the year you viewed the film). Please do not just provide a set of links to someplace else (e.g. imdb discussion threads). I am less able to answer questions about comedies from other countries, made-for-TV movies, and recent comic films and actors (although I would do my best to find out). I cannot answer questions about specific TV shows or series, "Our Gang" episodes, anime/magna or about film collectables. I generally cannot provide movie recommendations, since what I find funny others may not. Nor will I answer obvious homework (although I will point you to resources to help answer the question, if asked). I also can't help you find movie stars, or where to buy movie memorabilia, or tell you how to break into the business.

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Course work in comedy films along with teaching about comedy films for several years; I've also conducted research into comedy films.

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Ph.D. in Communication, emphasis in film and rhetoric

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A dissertation award from a national organization plus various paper awards

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My students

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