Directed by Norman Z. Mcleod
Based on the novel by Thorne Smith, Topper spawned two sequels for Hal Roach Studios in 1939 and 1941, but nothing matches the peerless aplomb and stylish irreverence of director Norman Z. Mcleod's classic screwball original.
Cary Grant and Constance Bennett star as George and Marion Kerby, a high-flying pair of wealthy socialites who wake from a car wreck as ghosts in evening clothes. Roland Young, who earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, plays the title character, a hen-pecked banker in the middle of a full-blown midlife crisis whom the recently departed couple target for the good deed that will snap them out of limbo.
The Kerby's blase attitude to the afterlife, however, lies at the heart of the film's satiric brilliance and much of its mirthful humor. As insubstantial as spirits as they were as Manhattan gadabouts, the Kerbys readily embrace the breezy, free-floating life of happy-go-lucky ghosts as they try to put a disreputable spark back into Topper's respectable existence. Assisting them in their "ectoplasm ic" hijinks are a battery of special effects techniques. executed by Roy Seawright, that give contemporary digital prestidigitation a serious run for its money in the "How'd they do that?" department.
Alongside its technical achievements, Topper was Grant's first box-office hit and set the dizzy tone for his performances in the series of screwball comedies—The Awful Truth, Bringing Up Baby, His Girl Friday—that made him a household name.
–Paul Malcolm
Hal Roach Studios. Inc./ Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Producer: Hal Roach Screenwriters: Jack Jevne, Eric Hatch, Eddie Moran Based on the novel "Topper" by Thorne Smith Cinematographer: Norbert Brodine Editor: William Terhune Cast: Constance Bennett, Cary Grant, Roland Young, Billie Burke
35mm, 96 min.
Preserved from the 35mm nitrate original picture and soundtrack negatives and a 35mm nitrate fine grain master positive. Laboratory services by The Stanford Theatre Film Laboratory, Audio Mechanics. OJ Audio. Special thanks to: Richard W. Bann. RHI Entertainment, and LLC.
