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 |
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Running time | 88 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/Joan_Blondell_in_Topper_Returns.jpg/220px-Joan_Blondell_in_Topper_Returns.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/Billie_Burke_and_Patsy_Kelly_in_Topper_Returns.jpg/220px-Billie_Burke_and_Patsy_Kelly_in_Topper_Returns.jpg)
Topper Returns is a 1941 film directed by Roy Del Ruth. It 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 films, 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 because the claimants did not renew its 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 "Rochester" 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. JSTOR 25165419. OCLC 15122313.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Topper Returns at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- 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
- 1941 films
- 1940s comedy films
- 1940s fantasy films
- 1940s mystery films
- 1940s sequel films
- American films
- American black-and-white films
- American fantasy-comedy films
- American mystery films
- American sequel films
- English-language films
- Films directed by Roy Del Ruth
- Ghost films
- United Artists films
- Fantasy film stubs
- Mystery film stubs