Topper Returns
| Topper Returns | |
|---|---|
 theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Roy Del Ruth |
| Written by | Jonathan Latimer |
| Produced by | Hal Roach |
| Starring | Joan Blondell Roland Young Carole Landis Billie Burke |
| Cinematography | Norbert Brodine |
| Edited by | James Newcom |
| Music by | Werner R. Heymann |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Release date |
|
Running time | 88 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Topper Returns (1941) is the third and final entry in the initial series of supernatural comedy films inspired by the novels of Thorne Smith. It followed Topper (1937) and Topper Takes a Trip (1938).
As in the prior movies, Roland Young plays Cosmo Topper, a mousy banker who gets into trouble because of his ability to see and speak with ghosts, and Billie Burke plays his wife, who's constantly befuddled by his strange antics. The plot revolves around a murder mystery. Joan Blondell portrays a slain woman who seeks out the reluctant Topper and enlists his help in identifying her killer and saving her friend, played by Carole Landis. Most of the action takes place in a spooky mansion filled with eccentric characters, trapdoors and secret passages.
The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Special Effects (Roy Seawright and Elmer Raguse) and Best Sound, Recording (Elmer Raguse).[1]
A TV series of Topper premiered in 1953 and ran for two seasons.[2] A pilot called Topper Returns (1973)[3] was later made for a proposed TV series. There was also a made-for-TV remake of the original film Topper in (1979).[4]
In 1969, "Topper Returns" entered the public domain in the United States due to the failure to renew the film's copyright registration in the 28th year after publication.[5]
Cast
- Joan Blondell as Gail Richards
- Roland Young as Cosmo Topper
- Carole Landis as Ann Carrington
- Billie Burke as Clara Topper
- Dennis O'Keefe as Bob
- Patsy Kelly as Emily
- H. B. Warner as Henry Carrington
- Eddie Anderson as Eddie
- George Zucco as Dr. Jeris
- Donald McBride as Police Sergeant Roberts
- Rafaela Ottiano as Lillian
- Trevor Bardette as Rama
See also
References
- ^ "The 14th Academy Awards (1942) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 2011-08-13.
- ^ Topper (1953 TV series) at IMDB
- ^ Topper Returns (1973 pilot for proposed TV series) at IMDB
- ^ Topper (1979 TV Movie) at IMDB
- ^ Pierce, David (June 2007). "Forgotten Faces: Why Some of Our Cinema Heritage Is Part of the Public Domain". Film History: An International Journal. 19 (2): 125–43. doi:10.2979/FIL.2007.19.2.125. ISSN 0892-2160. OCLC 15122313. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
External links
- Topper Returns at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Topper Returns at IMDb
- Topper Returns at the TCM Movie Database
- Topper Returns at AllMovie
- Topper Returns is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
- Topper Returns on YouTube
 | This article about a fantasy film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article about a mystery film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |