Thoughts & Things

Black & White Ghost Comedies

It's a weirdly specific niche to enjoy, but I am a big fan of comedies that feature ghosts in a positive light, particularly if they are black and white, generally released between the 1930s and the 1940s. I have enjoyed these types of movies since childhood, but I have definitely only noticed it as a trend in the past few years.

I am not sure what specifically draws me to the category. I think it was a great time for film, so based on that, it's no surprise that I am fond of a category more specifically from that era (although there have been similar films released past that time frame that I enjoyed well enough). That said, I also think it's still weirdly specific. My grandmother is the only other person I know who has been drawn to this particular area of film. I think it's because I never really saw ghost stories as scary, so they always felt more natural as comedies or romances. Perhaps ghost films never scared me because I grew up with ghosts as a part of romances and comedies.

With this unusual film category on my mind, I thought I would share some of my absolute favourites from this category. I would consider all of these films to rank among my favourite films in general, and not just my favourite films within this very specific category.

Topper (1937)
Topper stars Cary Grant, Constance Bennett, and Roland Young in a delightful comedy about a fun-loving married couple (Bennett and Grant) who die tragically in a car wreck, and decide to haunt the husband's very boring boss Topper (played by Roland). The film also features Billie Burke (best known for playing Glinda the Good Witch of the North in the Wizard of Oz) as Topper's wife. The film was a huge success at the time, but it seems to have fallen a little bit into obscurity as the years have worn on, which is an absolute shame. Topper is absolutely hilarious as far as comedies go, and it is full of heart. There were also two sequels and a television adaptation, but most of this has proved incredibly difficult to find copies of. 1941's Topper Returns is definitely a blast, and is worth watching for anyone who enjoyed the original.

The Canterville Ghost (1944)
The Canterville Ghost stars Charles Laughton, Robert Young, and Margaret O'Brien in a very loose adaptation of the Oscar Wilde novella of the same name. After being walled into a chamber in the seventeenth century (let's give a nod at The Cask of Amontillado here), Simon continues to haunt his family castle for centuries after. Laughton puts on a fantastic performance as the ghost Simon, and seven year old O'Brien is utterly charming and adorable. Simon makes for an incredibly sweet and sympathetic ghost, and his attempts at haunting are fun and funny. It veers quite far from the original novella, but it all works well for the film, which was updated for the current generation to be set during WWII. I wholeheartedly recommend it for anyone looking for a hilarious comedy filled with touching moments.

The Time of Their Lives (1946)
The Time of Their Lives is an Abbott and Costello film about a pair of ghosts, played by Costello and Marjorie Reynolds, from the American revolution have been cursed as traitors, and cannot pass on to heaven and join their loves until they've cleared their names, which they get the opportunity to do in the 1940s. As Abbott and Costello had a poor relationship at the time, they interacted very little on screen for this, but it doesn't hurt the film's story. The 1780s intrigue adds a lot of flavour to the film, and the classic comedy of Abbott and Costello is on point. While many might point to other Abbott and Costello films as their best, the story and humour of The Time of Their Lives cannot be beaten by any of their other films in my humble opinion.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)
The Ghost and Mrs Muir is a romantic comedy/drama starring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison. Mrs. Muir, played by Tierney, moves into a house haunted by a ghost, played by Harrison. The ghost, Daniel Gregg, is a sea captain who died in an accident years earlier, and has a rather jaded attitude. The two agree to share the space, and settle into an unconventional life of the living and dead sharing a home. They grate on each other's nerves, just like in any traditional romance, and both actors bring the unique charms of their characters to life. The romantic themes give the film a slightly sadder tone, but it's a lovely story packed with a variety of emotions.

(I have committed to blogging daily with Give It 100. This is Day Seventy-Eight. Eight days of leave taken total.)