Topper Returns (1941) User Reviews

Possibly the best in the Topper trilogy

[krorie · 8/10 · 22 February 2006]

Thorne Smith is just now beginning to be taken seriously as a writer. Often brushed off as just another pulp fiction fabricator, Smith's works are filled with satirical, humorous jibes at American culture concealed in well-written stories of fantasy. Though all three Hollywood versions of one of his best character creations leave out much of the satire they are each highly entertaining romantic comedies with many sexual innuendos considered bawdy when released in the late 30's and early 40's. This third film adds an element of mystery, suspense and chills to the comedy. Even the humor comes faster than in the first two Topper's. Billie Burke as Mrs. Cosmo Topper is given more clever lines this go around. Being one of the best actresses around, she knows exactly how to use the lines for ultimate comedic effect.

Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson was one of the funniest men around at the time. Mainly a radio comedian and sidekick to the inimitable Jack Benny, he stands out in every movie role he was given. He was one of the few African-Americans of his day who was able through sheer talent to rise above the racist Hollywood stereotyping rampant in the media at the time. Later during the civil rights movement Jack Benny told Rochester to do an errand for him. He replied, "Mr. Benny, we don't do that anymore." There's one scene in "Topper Returns" involving Rochester that's a gem when the raven flies to his shoulder and he gives a double take. Don't miss it. I don't know whose idea it was to have him wear a fur coat but that one prop adds tremendously to the fun.

So much has already been said by IMDb reviewers about the sensational Joan Blondell who deservedly got top billing in this film. She was a multi-talented actress who could play any role given her better than anyone else. She was also a topnotch comedienne as she shows in this outing when she somewhat assumes the role played by Constance Bennett in the first two outings. Donald MacBride as the police sergeant in charge of investigating the murders plays the part of a dumb policeman (typical for Hollywood in those days) in such a lofty comic manner than his stupidity is actually believable and this time funny. Adding to the creepiness of this truly scary comedy is the performance of Rafaela Ottiano as the housekeeper. She would frighten the pants off Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre. The rest of the cast made in heaven is just as effective.

Special note should be given to the special effects which were nominated for an Oscar. The man behind them, Roy Seawright, had also been in charge of the special effects for the first two Topper's. I've read that he had a hand in doing the special effects for the 1933 horror classic "The Invisible Man," although he is not credited with that in his profile.

Roland Young is for many viewers the definitive Topper but the later TV Topper, Leo G. Carroll, did a fine job too. Plus the later TV series added a ghost St. Bernard named Neil who just happened to be an alcoholic. Except for this the three movie versions are superior. The made for TV "Topper Returns" actually deals with Cosmo Topper Jr. and though OK is nowhere near the caliber of this "Topper Returns."

Very Clever

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 25 October 2006]

I often watch films like this with a real sense of detachment. It isn't that I don't enjoy them; it's that they seem dated and irrelevant to me. The cast of this film doesn't let that happen. First of all, everything is played tongue-in-cheek. Except for the bad guys, who are themselves parodies of humorlessness and the leading lady, everyone is a viable character. From Topper to his wife (Billie Burke, the good witch in "The Wizard of Oz; she is wonderful as the flighty matriarch); from Joan Blondell, the ghost, seeking the reason for her death; to Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, who actually makes a reference to working for Mr. Bennyand keeps finding himself falling down a well where there is a sea lion; to the terrific slow burns of the police detective. It all works wonderfully. I know it's not one of the great comedies of the century, but I laughed out loud several times, even though I was watching alone. This is a delight and not to be missed.

Murder Most Funny

[BaronBl00d · 7/10 · 21 April 2006]

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.

Final film in the Topper trilogy - probably the best

[StanleyStrangelove · 11 June 2007]

Most of the film takes place in a spooky mansion with secret doors, hidden passageways and a creepy knife-wielding killer lurking in the shadows.

Roland Young reprises his role as Cosmo Topper, the straight-laced, bespectacled banker. In the original, Cary Grant and Constance Bennet were the ghosts who only Topper could see. This time it's Joan Blondell who is accidentally murdered.

Billie Burke is the hysterical and somewhat dotty Mrs. Topper. Donald MacBride is a flustered police sergeant straight out of keystone cops.

Check out Joan Blondell's friend, Carole Landis, as the rich girl who was the intended murder victim. Landis was in her early 20's and committed suicide at 29. She was an absolutely gorgeous woman who, unfortunately, is not remembered.

The actor who steals the film is Eddie "Rochester" Anderson as the chauffeur. He played Jack Benny's sidekick Rochester on radio and TV. He has the movie's best lines and was an extremely talented comedian.

This was the final film in the series after TOPPER (1937) and TOPPER TAKES A TRIP (1939).

If you want to see one of the original haunted house mysteries with lots of darkness, sound effects and screams this is it.

Hilarious third part of the fun trilogy Topper series

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 31 May 2006]

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).

What Is It About Topper And The Other World?

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 4 February 2007]

For the third and final Topper film, Roland Young is now shed of the Kirbys from the two previous films and he and Billie Burke are now starting on a needed vacation with Eddie Anderson as chauffeur and Patsy Kelly as maid. Hey it's the best way to travel.

But the other world isn't finished with him yet. Carole Landis and her friend Joan Blondell are on their way to spend the night with her father, H.B. Warner, at the old family haunted estate. If it wasn't haunted before it sure gets haunted after Blondell is murdered by mistake because the killer is after Landis.

Of course that magnet for the other world Cosmo Topper attracts ghosts like moths to a flame and of course the now other worldly Blondell enlists him to find out who murdered her.

Rounding out this cast of some of the best character actors around are Dennis O'Keefe as a taxi driver trying to collect a fare, Donald MacBride as the perennial dumb cop and George Zucco as the doctor/friend of the Landis/Warner family.

The mystery has plenty of plot holes in it and we're never really told the reason why Landis is being targeted. One thing I will say though, given that the reader of this review might be knowledgeable in the typecasting of all these faces, don't think you've identified the culprit by that.

Roland Young probably could have gone on making more Topper films, but I'm willing to bet he decided to quit while ahead. In any event Cosmo Topper probably decided to go with the flow and left the banking profession to become a psychic.

Sprightly ghost play

[ADAM-53 · 10/10 · 22 August 1999]

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!

A dizzying and funny "Topper"

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 7 February 2007]

You can't beat a movie where Billie Burke is afraid some other woman will run off with Roland Young! Roland Young reprises his role as "Topper," that poor man who sees ghosts, in this third "Topper" movie; the TV show would have Leo G. Carroll in the title role. I remember it well - I'd like to say I remember it from syndication but alas, I think it was the original series. I'm that old.

This time around, George and Miriam Kerby have finally passed over and aren't bothering Topper anymore, but he's still attracting ghostly presences. This time it's (ail Richards (Joan Blondell). Topper gives her and her friend Ann Carrington (Carol Landis) a ride to the Carrington estate. There Ann will be seeing her very ill father for the first time in many years, as she was raised in France. As Ann is to inherit everything, it's no surprise when a chandelier nearly beams her. Later that night, she switches rooms with Gail, who is enamored with the elaborate suite that Ann has, and Gail is murdered. She does what every person in Topper's world does when they die - she contacts him to help her find out whodunnit.

This is your typical haunted house mystery with a very witty and clever script. It's great fun - lots of darkness, sound effects, screams, and slapstick performed by a talented cast. Carol Landis was a gorgeous woman who didn't quite make it to big stardom and died at the age of 29, possibly realizing her time had passed. She's about 22 here, beautiful and with a graceful presence. Joan Blondell is top notch, pretty and funny. She just sailed through films like this. Roland Young is great as the befuddled, nervous Cosmo who just doesn't know how he gets into these situations.

Billie Burke is back as his heartbroken wife who fears she's losing her husband to yet another blonde. No one can say "Oh, Cosmo, Cosmo" like Burke. When she sees him drive by with Blondell on his lap, she's appalled and reads him out. "You could have at least waved," she sobs. "How could I?" he responds."She was on my lap!"

Sometimes these films are uncomfortable because of racism. In this film, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson is the chauffeur. While Anderson's part is somewhat stereotypical in that he acts terrified at times, his character seems to have a nice give and take with Topper. And let's face it - Eddie isn't the only one scared here. Anderson was a well-known personality, thanks to his wonderful association with Jack Benny. He was a very funny and talented man who never seemed particularly subservient. "Coffee," Benny would say. "No, thanks, I've had some," he'd answer. He brings a lot to "Topper Returns," and not in a way that's demeaning.

Recommended for its good script and great cast.

Excellent Comedy/Mystery

[HarlowMGM · 9/10 · 15 January 2005]

I agree with the comments that this 1941 "sequel" to the 1937 classic is actually a better film despite the absence of Cary Grant. This movie is loaded with talented people - Joan Blondell, Roland Young, Carole Landis, Billie Burke, George Zucco, Patsy Kelly, Eddie Anderson, Dennis O'Keefe, Rafela Ottiano, all of whom have their moments to shine. Blondell is the only bona fide major movie star in the group but it's very much an ensemble cast picture in a way you don't often see in movies from the period. Mainly a slapstick comedy, it works as a mystery too, I was surprised by the murderer's identity. Anderson and Burke are particularly funny and Blondell is a delight, very sassy and very sexy, she looks a few pounds heavier than in her 1930's Warner Bros. films but those extra curves look sensational on her, making her more Mae West-like than ever.

Just as funny and enjoyable as the first two

[1930s_Time_Machine · 7/10 · 3 June 2023]

Although this doesn't really follow the story of the two previous Topper film, to understand who Topper and his wife are, it really helps to have seen them first.

This is a little different to those first two. It's not worse, it's just a bit more typical of what you'd expect from Hal Roach Studios. Rather than tying to be just a copy like TAKES A TRIP, it tries something different and it works. Compared with the first two this is a little less sophisticated, relying more on sight gags and the old haunted house tropes but it fortunately avoids going down the slapstick route and of course has the massive benefit of having Joan Blondell.

It's not a laugh out loud sort of picture but it will certainly put a smile on your face and probably raise a few chuckles. A lot of the humour is generated because it's all so charmingly predictable. You can see the jokes coming a mile away which adds to the fun. With a lesser director and a less experienced cast that could have been disastrous but we don't have to worry on that account - it work's just right.

Joan Blondell, a little older now than how many of us are used to seeing her is still lovely, bubbly and injects so much natural warmth and energy that you can't help smiling whenever she's on the screen. She seems to be effortlessly making the transition from the early talkies through the marvellous madcap mayhem of the thirties to the more modern feel of 40s comedies. Such a shame the forties weren't as generous to her as they should have been. But never mind, she's fabulous in this.

Roland Young is again the befuddled and bewildered perfect English gentleman as he always was. His Oscar winning performance in the first film could easily be considered to stretch over all three pictures. What a lucky man he was - over the last few years he'd stared with the most beautiful actresses of the 1930s: Constance Bennett, Genevieve Tobin, Jessie Matthews and this time with Joan Blondell!

The characters are all absurd but somehow believable which is important. The police are predictably dim but not ridiculously stupid which they often were in similar films of the previous decade. The whole cast, under the expert direction of Roy del Ruth achieve the perfect balance between being believable and silly.

A lot of similar comedy films from this period are so stupid that they become more annoying than funny. Some are so ridiculous they just make you angry: none of those problems with this though. Although the script is noticeably less witty than in its predecessors, the comedy is far from subtle and the credibility of the characters is stretched to breaking point because of Roy del Ruth's expertise, you will definitely still be able to enjoy this daft and very amusing story.

He Shouldn't Have

[RodReels-2 · 1/10 · 29 October 2005]

Having watched the mildly amusing antics of the first Topper movie and vaguely remembering an enjoyment of the Leo G. Carroll television series, I was unprepared for how terrible this episode of the long-running ghost story was. Joan Blondell as the ghost is constantly making wisecracks, none of which can be regarded as witty. Eddie "Rochester" Anderson is thoroughly wasted in a role that is overtly racist. Falling down a well not once, not twice but three times only to be inexplicably clubbed by a seal, has to be one of the low points of his comic career. The murder mystery angle is worthy of a bad Scooby Doo episode. And the whole thing seems only barely tolerable as fodder for the Mystery Science Theatre treatment.

Topper Returns is more fun than the original.

[juicyfruits · 8/10 · 26 December 2004]

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.

An old dark house comedy worth watching again and again.....

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 9 April 2011]

This is my favorite film of the "Topper" series. Nothing against Constance Bennett (or Cary Grant), but Joan Blondell as the wisecracking ghost who takes off where Ms. Bennett left off after the second film is so much fun. She is surrounded by an excellent cast of comics, ghoul men and the returning Roland Young and Billie Burke (as Mr. and Mrs. Topper). First seen very much alive (like Bennett and Cary Grant were at the beginning of the first film), Ms. Blondell is murdered after switching bedrooms with heiress Carole Landis after Ms. Landis meets her ailing father (H.B. Warner) who left her to be raised in the far east per her late mother's wishes. Who raised her there is never broached, but it doesn't spoil the mystery surrounding the murder with Landis as the intended victim.

This is more of a spoof than other old dark house comedies (1939's "The Cat & the Canary", 1939's "The Gorilla", and 1942's "The Black Cat") in that there are subtle references to other films and radio shows of the time. Eddie Anderson's chauffeur makes a threat to go back to work for Mr. Benny (Jack, that is), while Rafaela Ottianos' housekeeper, Lillian, is a parody of Judith Anderson's Mrs. Danvers in "Rebecca". In fact, she is once referred to as "Rebecca" by a dimwitted investigator. Watch Ottiano's out of the blue reference to the waves after dramatically opening Landis's bedroom window. It highly spoofs Anderson's scene in "Rebecca" where she keeps telling Joan Fontaine to "listen to the sea". There's also a gag lifted straight out of "It Happened One Night" that has a hilarious outcome.

While some may guess the identity of the villain long before it is revealed, it is still fun to watch everything going on, particularly Anderson's constant plunge into a murky water filled cave where he encounters a playful seal. Then, there are Billie Burke's scenes with maid Patsy Kelly (screaming much like she did in "The Gorilla") as she goes to the spooky old house to find her missing husband who has been coerced by the ghostly Blondell to help her solve her own murder. All of these great comics make the romance of Landis and cab driver Dennis O'Keefe seem secondary. Add on mysterious servants of the old dark house and a spooky doctor (George Zucco), and there's plenty to entertain you. The special effects are extremely good, particularly in a scene where the ghostly Blondell actually gets drunk while drinking champagne, makes herself disappear to Topper in various ways, and when she encounters the darkly cloaked killer in panels behind the mansion wall.

While the character of Cosmo Topper remains the same from the previous two films, I found that Mrs. Topper (Billie Burke) was altered to reflect Ms. Burke's typecasting of a scatterbrained bird-like matron who is filled with Gracie Allen like observations that offer both laughs and groans. Gracie's observations somehow made sense in spite of the silly way she explained herself. Burke's are down right dimwitted, something she avoided in the first two films in spite of the character's flightiness. Those who look at film series for consistencies will notice this right off, although she is still amusing.

Easy to find on video because of its public domain status, "Topper Returns" is a film worth purchasing because it deserves repeat viewings. Even with the public domain status, the print I found on DVD on an obscure label at a $.99 store was actually quite good.

Why on Earth did he come back?

[theaterlvr311 · 1/10 · 5 November 2005]

I liked the first movie. It was funny I guess. But the second one, come on, my dad and I, movie lovers, almost lost our dinner watching it. At one point within this movie, Clara Topper who is looking through the creepy mansion for her husband is sitting at a table with her maid eating cake. My dad and I made a Mystery Science Theater out of it. I despised this movie. It was not good at all. And one women is constantly saying things like, "Well that killed all of that" this being a murder, she intended it to be funny which it is definitely not at all. I don't understand why some people who put reviews on this page appreciated this movie. I know that this is just my opinion and that you may not agree, but I hated this movie which others seemed to love.

go topper and eddy

[georgebush · 2 February 2004]

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.

"Oh but Toppi, it isn't every day a girl gets murdered".

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 26 February 2011]

Now I'm sorry I haven't watched this picture sooner. It's entertaining on a number of different levels, but I particularly got a kick out of Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson proclaiming that he's going back to Jack Benny! And this, in 1941! Along the same lines, taxi driver Bob (Dennis O'Keefe) makes reference to an Orson Welles radio broadcast, and later brings up the name of Charlie Chan. All the name dropping is very cool if you like these old flicks from the Forties, allowing you, the viewer, to be on the inside of all the clever references.

Before the picture got under way, I was surprised to see Joan Blondell's name above the title character in the credits. You would think Roland Young as Topper would be top billed, but you get to see why once the story unfolds. Blondell's Gail Richards is murdered in a case of mistaken identity in the story, and returns as a ghost seeking out Topper's help to solve the crime. I probably shouldn't have been so incredulous that Cosmo recognized Gail as a ghost following her death, since this wasn't the first picture in the series. But I haven't seen the others, and I wondered how he could be so nonchalant about it.

The picture is backed up with a fine cast of supporting players, with Carole Landis as the heir to the Carrington estate, Billie Burke as Mrs. Topper, Patsy Kelly her maid, and George Zucco in a bit of a red herring role as the creepy Dr. Jeris. Close your eyes when Clara Topper speaks and you'll swear she's channeling one of the munchkins from Oz, which wouldn't be too far off considering she was the Good Witch from that earlier classic. Even the animals get into the act, with a comical magpie landing on Rochester's shoulder at one point, and a sea lion pushing him back into the water after each fall from the rigged chair. That actually got a little annoying after a while, but Rochester seemed up to the challenge.

But, and this is a big but - what's with the huge disconnect at the end of the story with the Henry Carrington impersonator (H.B. Warner)? He killed Gail Richards, and attempted to kill Ann Carrington, but after he died in the car crash and became a ghost himself, his character pooh-poohed his role in the story as if nothing happened? I just didn't get that, and neither I think, will you.

NOTE*** After seeing this picture last night, I watched a Roy Rogers Western this morning whose plot went like this - A young woman about to turn twenty one the next day arrives to collect her inheritance. Her father died in a mine cave-in twenty years earlier, and the dead man's partner then faked his identity to take control of the estate. The picture, from 1948, is "Night Time in Nevada". The young woman even has a girl friend who accompanies her on the trip. She doesn't die, but is suddenly dropped from the story without mention. You have to love this stuff.

Same Topper...different stiff.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 5 January 2016]

The Topper series could have been better. Although the films were charming and fun, the cast wasn't constant when it came to the ghosts. In the first film, Cary Grant and Constance Bennett play them. In the sequel, Grant is inexplicably missing--perhaps his price was just too high to return. Foolishly, the studio made the film anyway...minus one of the ghosts. Here in the final Topper film, Bennett isn't here either and there's an all new ghost played by Joan Blondell. Fortunately, the filmmakers decided to have Blondell play an all new character...yet another ghost who inexplicably comes to Cosmo Topper for help.

When the film begins, Topper stops to help a couple ladies who are stranded and in need of a ride (Carol Landis and Joan Blondell). When the ladies arrive at Ann's home, Ann's father is a real weirdo. Additionally, Ann is nearly killed in a supposed accident. However, that night someone kills Ann...or thinks they have. Instead, they kill her friend, Gail (Blondell). Soon, Gail appears to Topper and enlists his help trying to find her killer.

One of the many familiar faces in this installment of Topper is George Zucco...and Zucco ALWAYS played evil guys. So, determining who did the murder seems pretty easy to predict. Or is it?! See the film and see if Zucco is up to form or if someone else is behind the murder.

This is a very enjoyable film--mostly because the ghost is NOT a retread from a previous installment. The new back story works fine. Plus, the film has a VERY impressive supporting cast with the likes of Billie Burke, Dennis O'Keefe, Patsy Kelly, H.B. Warner and Eddie Anderson in addition to the leads! Additionally, I really, really LOVED the final scene! Overall, a worthy installment in the series...and DEFINITELY the final Topper movie for Roland Young!

Ghostly Encounters--Act Three

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 10 July 2004]

Cosmo TOPPER RETURNS and this time he's involved with murder!

Hal Roach Studios presents one more look at the continued supernatural adventures of Cosmo Topper. The Old Dark House routine is trotted out as our hero finds himself in a spooky cliff-top mansion replete with strange disappearances, hidden passageways and a fiendish knife-wielding killer.

Roland Young & Billie Burke are back one final time as the Toppers and they remain a delight--Mr. Young owl-like & serious in the scariest of situations and Miss Burke forever sweetly vague and befuddled. They are joined by vivacious Joan Blondell (who actually snags top billing) as a ghostess intent on forcing poor Topper into discovering who's just murdered her.

More new costars are on hand to help liven things up: lovely Carole Landis as a rich girl in much need of protection; Dennis O'Keefe as a taxi driver willing to provide that protection; gaunt H.B. Warner as Miss Landis' invalid father; menacing George Zucco as his sinister doctor; Rafaela Ottiano as a frightened housekeeper; Donald MacBride as a moronic cop; and the delightful Patsy Kelly, underused as the Toppers' tough maid. Best of all is Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson,' more or less playing himself (he even makes a gag about returning to 'Mr. Benny') who rivals Miss Burke in getting the best lines in the picture.

Contemporary references to Orson Welles' radio plays and the Alfred Hitchcock movie REBECCA (1940) should amuse cognoscenti. The serious viewer must not expect to have all the mysteries solved by film's end; indeed, most of the loose ends remain resolutely untied. Just sit back and enjoy the comedic chills served-up by this group of very fine performers.

This was the third of a 3-film series, coming after TOPPER (1937) and TOPPER TAKES A TRIP (1939).

The birdbrained Billie Burke role is hilarious

[SimonJack · 7/10 · 11 April 2016]

This sequel came out four years after the original "Topper" of 1937. The original Kerby's and their ghosts – George and Marion, played by Cary Grant and Constance Bennett, are long gone now. Joan Blondell gets the lead female role here as Gail Richards, sans a counterpart for Grant. But, the focus of this story is on Topper himself, and his wife. And, for those roles, Roland Young and Billie Burke return.

I actually enjoyed "Topper Returns" more than the original. Grant's role wasn't that prominent in the earlier film, and neither he nor Bennett had any particularly witty or funny dialog. Mostly, it was about the appearance and disappearance of the two spirits and some clever scenes with special effects that supposedly showed an invisible woman dressing. This film has a much meatier plot with mystery and murder mixed in with comedy. It also has a nice role for Eddie "Rochester" Anderson who plays the chauffeur to the Toppers.

There is a lesser bit of romance between a cab driver, Bob, played by Dennis O'Keefe, and Carole Landis who plays Ann Carrington. But the action and humor is mostly with Gail Richards, Topper, Eddie and Mrs. Topper. And, Billie Burke really shines as the birdbrained Mrs. Topper. Nobody in the golden age of Hollywood could play a matronly birdbrain role better than Billie Burke; and she excels in her part in this film. She's hilarious. One other character adds some to the humor. Donald MacBride plays on overly stupid and overly acted incompetent policeman, Sgt. Robert.

The rest of the cast are mostly along for the ride. The director and camera operator give occasional flashes of one or another of the support characters giving a gratuitous glance or a sinister look of mischief. Carole Landis's part was a minor role in this film. She was an attractive and talented actress who was just breaking out of bit parts into some finer roles and films. But she had a troubled personal life (she married five times to four husbands) and in 1948 committed suicide with a drug overdose. She was just 29 years old.

Funniest old movie I have ever seen. Will keep you in suspense until the end.

[jmcsparin · 10/10 · 7 January 2001]

Topper Returns is the funniest old movie I have ever seen. I have seen it several times, and each and every time it has kept me in stitches. Topper Returns is a murder mystery/comedy, that will keep you in suspense until the end. Joan Blondell is at her best in this one, and Billie Burke will keep you in stitches as the ditzy Mrs. Topper.

Classic 1940s film fun

[jetwhite-07498 · 7/10 · 16 February 2021]

Clever twists and turns with plenty of laughs. Some of these old black & white films are absolute gems and should not be ignored.

And look out for the Sandeman port man ;)

Excellent Cast / Ordinary Movie

[mysterv · 4/10 · 13 October 2015]

I am a Joan Blondell fan and the cast of this film is excellent so I had high expectations. Roland Young and Billie Burke are excellent as Mr and Mrs Topper. Billie Burke's character reminded me of a Gracie Allen character... spacey and very funny. Rochester was fun and even made a reference to returning to Jack Benny after all the 'craziness' going on in this film. The only problem is that the 'craziness' was not that funny and the film felt low budget and tedious most of the time. Joan Blondell was disappointing also... lots of unfunny one liners and definitely was quickly moving towards the end of her career as a leading lady. Sorry but I would not recommend this film when there are so many others available that are much better.

Funniest movie seen by me!

[marlene_rantz · 10/10 · 4 March 2013]

I agree with jmcsparin that this was the funniest movie seen by me, and without hesitation, I am recommending it, and especially to anyone who is depressed, because this movie was so funny, that it has to lift up even the most depressed person! The basic plot of a murdered woman coming back as a ghost to find her murderer was humorous, but it would never have worked without such an excellent cast! Roland Young was excellent as Topper, as was Joan Blondell as the murdered woman. Eddie "Rochester" Anderson as a chauffeur, Billie Burke as Mrs. Topper, and Donald MacBride as a detective-all hilarious, and it does not end there- Dennis O'Keefe as a taxi driver and Patsy Kelly as Mrs. Topper's maid had some very funny lines! Even the non-funny actors were excellent-Carole Landis, H.B. Warner, George Zucco, Trevor Bardette, and Rafaela Ottiano! Do not miss this movie!

"I'm going back to Mr.Benny"

[ygwerin1 · 7/10 · 4 April 2022]

I felt intrigued enough by the subject matter of ghosts and such to decide to give this old movie the once over and I am glad that I did decide to bother with it, it may like me be long in the tooth but I declare that it is still Top whole fun.

The films star of the title is one Cosmo Topper delightfully portrayed by the inimitable Roland Young, I had absolutely no notion whatsoever that there had ever been a series of films starring this character and I really must now keep an eye out for more of them.

I am especially pleased to find that the film also includes the equally inimitable actor Eddie Anderson, I dare say that it must have irksome to say the least to be so much associated with one character that his name is firmly attached to your own, such that you can not possibly escape it. The character in question is that of Rochester who is forever known as the valet to the legendary American comedian Jack Benny, though there are far worst legacies to be associated with.

As I have only ever seen him in Jack Benny's TV show I am totally unfamiliar with anything of his other appearances whether on TV or in film, I particularly enjoyed seeing him in this movie such that I really must see everything he has ever done.

Cosmo Topper is apparently some form of sleuth and here he is called upon to help solve a murder by none other than the corpus delicti herself, though what puzzles mi in particular is why on earth did she decide to call on Topper's help in particular, especially as they were apparently merely recent acquaintances?

If Cosmo Topper imagined for one moment that assisting in solving a ghosts murder was to be the worst of his troubles then he would have been sadly mistaken, for that would be to ignore his most severe problem and adversary his ever loving spouse Mrs Clara Topper.

Nothing special, and the end doesn't explain much

[richard-1787 · 5/10 · 20 December 2019]

Some of the previous reviewers rate this as their favorite movie of all time and describe it as uproariously funny. I can't believe we saw the same picture. For me, it is definitely a second-tier movie, with some funny moments, a surprise ending that is not integrated into what came before, and a lot of stereotypes.

Let's start with that ending. (Note that I put a spoiler alert on this review. If you haven't seen the movie yet, I advise you to stop reading now.) We learn that H.B. Warner's character, who we thought was Mr. Carrington, Carol Landis' character's apparently sickly father, was actually Carrington's business partner, and that Carrington was killed in a mine accident some time before. The partner was trying to kill off Carrington's daughter, but why? To get the Carrington estate, we assume. When they first meet, at the beginning of the movie, the false Carrington tells "his" daughter that she will inherit the estate the next day. That would have been the place to add a few sentences about what would happen if she were no longer alive, but those sentences aren't there, suggesting, as does much of this movie, that it was a rushed affair. How could the false Carrington have proved to anyone that he was really Carrington? Or is there a will somewhere saying that, after the death of the daughter, the business partner gets the estate. None of that is explained.

Even though the false Carrington is evidently not sickly, he is still clearly a lot older than the taxi driver, Bob, with whom he had a fight earlier. How could he have survived that fight at his age? No explanation. Why did he pretend to be sick? That line gets dropped later in the picture.

His one line that he was Carrington's business partner explains why he would have been emotionally detached enough to try to kill Ann Carrington, which is all Joan Blondell's character cares about, but it doesn't explain any of the remaining loopholes it opens in the story.

The one character who bothered some of the reviewers was Eddie Anderson's chauffeur, whom he portrays as ridiculously terrified of everything. Since he is the only Black character in the movie, some read this as racist, playing into a negative Black stereotype. But no one in the movie ever suggests that the chauffeur is easily terrified because he is Black. The part could just as easily have been given to Eric Blore or Virginia Weidner with almost no rewriting, and the issue of racism would have disappeared. Today, of course, this could have been handled by including a few other Black characters who were not so easily terrified, but no one thought to do that. As it stands, you will see Anderson's portrayal as representative of his whole race and therefore racist if you want, and just as one individual if you want. It's up to you. Most of the characters in this movie are caricatures.

For me, the only good parts of this movie were those with Joan Blondell, who shines, and, on occasion, Billie Burke, though she tends to play a stereotypical version of her usual flighty character. Roland Young is largely wasted in this version of Topper, as is Patsy Kelly. Donald MacBride does his usual caricature of an Irish police detective. Rafeala Ottiano's Lillian is clearly meant as a satire of Judith Anderson's Mrs. Devers in the preceding year's *Rebecca* - the Police Detective even refers to her as Rebecca at one moment - but while a lot could have been done with that, it wasn't. In general, this seems to be a quickly made, and I suspect quickly forgettable, second feature.