Topper Returns (United Artists) (1941)

Films Convert the Gloomy Wraiths Into Bearers of Joy and Gaiety... It’s an Old Movie Tradition From the early ecclesiastic ghost-dramas down to the pres¬ ent, fantasy has been a powerful lodestone to attract the public interest. The same has been true for films — from the first falter¬ ing “flickers” to the latest streamlined comedy, variations on the occult have been uniquely popular and successful. There are many reasons for the uninterrupted flourishing of fan¬ tasy films, particularly at this time, when escape from the prob¬ lems of the day is the chief de- popular as the old Fairbanks vehicle. Nor will anyone forget “Peter Pan” in its screen version, with Betty Bronson as the unaging Peter. Or “Alice in Wonderland,” with the lovable grotesques of Lewis Carroll come to life on cel¬ luloid. And, of course, the cartoon fantasies—“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Gulliver” and “Pinnochio.” Interestingly enough, fantasy has been used as often for comic effect as it has for purposes of to his body, steps out and cleans antics of a Scottish ghost with a up the kitchen floor with the hus- sense of humor, demonstrated band. that audiences in the United In this country, Pathe issued States could laugh as well as a little film called “The Latest shudder at the activities of spec- Style Airship,” in which a mes- tres and hants, and persuaded senger: boy, riding along on his Hal Roach to produce “Topper,” bicycle, suddenly takes off and the first of his films about the continues his voyage in the air. goofy little guy with the evanes- In 1910, the Edison Company cent friends, produced “Love and Marriage in The gales of laughter that Poster Land,” a piece of whimsy greeted “Topper” and its sequel, in which figures on a billboard “Topper Takes a Trip,” convinced come alive. Roach that ghosts were here to Rene Clair, the famous French stay. Now Topper, the meek little Granleigh,” a sentimental spook story full of nostalgia and sweetness. The most famous of this type, perhaps, is “Smilin’ Through," a great romantic fa¬ vorite. “Berkeley Square,” “Peter Ibbetson” and “The Return of Peter Grimm” were in the same sentimental or romantic tradi¬ tion. The heroes of the last three of these, by the way, were all named Peter. The Gail Richards of “Topper Returns” is, of course, quite un¬ like these sentimental shades. [low they do it is their own secret, but the films think nothing of making ghosts appear and disappear right be¬ fore your eyes. Here’s Roland Young being frightened by the ghost of Joan Blondell in "Topper Returns”. One of the most productive fields in fantasy, and one of the most challenging, is that of prophecy. The Edison Company began it all in 1910 with “The Trip to Mars,” a whimsical little comedy about a professgs^whose laboratory explodes sends him hurtling to the heavens. This little trifle was, however, in the fg rcical rather than the experi¬ mental tradition, and it was not until 1926, when Fritz Lang made “Metropolis,” .that the fu¬ ture-film came into^ -own. “Metropolis” was sombrC, brood¬ ing, abstract — a study of the wheels within the wheels within the wheels. Any many figures in black tights. Four years later, to put an of¬ ficial seal on films of the future, Fox came along with “Just Imag¬ ine,” a boisterous musical fore¬ cast of New York in the twenty- first century. People were known by numbers, and the hero sang a song called “Never Swat a Fly.” It was Alexander Korda who made the most spectacular di¬ gression into the future when he produced “Things to Come.” Along with rocket ships, under¬ ground cities and the elimination of the common cold, the picture boasted demagogues and wars and pestilence, and remains the most convincing forecast of the future that has yet reached the Now you see her—in another moment you don’t! Joan Blondell's sudden "materializations” in Topper’s room, aid the camera’s black magic, keep him in jitters. sidepatum of the entertainment-brightening patrons of the cinema hungry populace. Ghost-stories, out of their seats. As a matter too, have a classic attraction, and of record, the first uses of fan- they have never — whether in tasy were precisely for comic ef- films, in books or on the stage— feet. The earliest practitioner of lost any ground in the popular trick photography was George esteem. But, to come down to Melies, the great French pioneer bedrock, the chief reason remains of the new medium, who turned that the movies are eminently out a great number of amusing suited, as no other medium, for films in the decade between 1902 the presentation of fantastic sub- and 1912. Melies’ comedies were jects. With the magic aid of the always of the most violent slap- camera, a miracle becomes a stick variety, but that did not commonplace: monsters can be prevent them from being genuine made to grow to terrifying pro- excursions into the fantastic. A portions, phantoms can be made to appear and disappear with the greatest of ease, the impossible becomes a matter merely of find- ing the right combination the motion picture camera. the—roughly—thirty years of commercial movies, it is amaz- ing to note the number of pic- tures having to do with ghostly tomfoolery which are retained fondly in the memory. Certainly, typical Melies’ scenario, for ex- everybody who was bom about ample, concerned a male cook the time of the last World War who was making love to the remembers “The Thief of Bag- kitchen maid when her husband dad,” with Doug Fairbanks don- appeared. The cook takes refuge ning an invisible cloak and float- in the closet, but the husband, director, discovered the comic possibilities of the stopped cam¬ era in “The Crazy Ray,” a film banker who runs around with a gay young couple who have a habit of disappearing at choice moments by action of their sup¬ ply of ectoplasm, turns up again. Topper returns in a film called, quite aptly, “Topper Returns,” which is to be released through United Artists. “Topper Returns” promises to surnass even its two illustrious predecessors. For, in addition to its ectoplasmic antics, it is also a full-fledged murder story in its own right. Roland Young is again cast as Topper, and Joan Blondell is Gail Richards, who is stabbed to death but shows an easy ability to materialize and dematerialize despite her demise. Billie Burke is back in-the role she created—the flighty, feather¬ brained Mrs. Topper. The cast further includes such topnotch performers as Carole Landis, Dennis O’Keefe, H. B. Warner, George Zucco and Eddie (Roches¬ ter) Anderson. The story involves Topper in the adventurous doings of Ann Carrington and Gail Richards, and Ann’s father, all of whom are in danger of their lives from some unknown menace. The at¬ mosphere is surcharged with mystery and suspense, and in¬ cludes such likely elements as a mysterious doctor, a silent house¬ keeper, hidden passages, and a wild automobile chase in which a murderer is killed. Oh yes, a con¬ fession is gotten from the mur¬ derer’s ghost by the ghost of his victim, Joan Blondell! Ghost stories are anything but new to the screen. Not only the comic kind, or the frightening kind, but the sentimental sort as well. As far back as 1913, there was a film called “The Ghost of She is the sort of ghost calcu¬ lated to appeal to those instincts of man quite removed from the instinct of fear. She’s a ghost, but she’s gorgeous! The movies, of course, did not overlook the most obvious slant of all on the fantastic theme — horror. One of the most influen¬ tial of all movies, as well as the earliest, was “The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari,” an impression¬ istic treatment of a persecution complex. The psychological film, of which “Caligari” is the earliest example, reached its apogee in 1933 in “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” with Freddie March in the role of an unhappy victim of a split personality that was really split. It didn’t take the movie moguls long to discover another facet to the horror angle. If insanity could be calculated to chill the spines of theatregoers, it was certain that the use of outsize monsters could be employed to considerable advantage at the box office. “The Golem,” a Ger¬ man picture of this type, intro¬ duced the horrid man-monster to America. It had its native coun¬ terpart, years later, in “Frank- a picture which added enstein, __ ____ ^ sv a new word to our vocabulary. The late Lon Chaney was, of 9' course, a natural for horror ® . liiinn OpSrMs suit remembered^w’ith Hollywood's camera wizardry crealcd a living, moving fear and trembling by people who 200 feet High, for the "Thief of Bi first saw it at an impressionable age. A bit later, “Dracula” and ening assortment of mammoth “Son of Kong” was inevitable “The Invisible Man” added chills saurians. Eight years later, “King Junior was huge, white and ami- in new forms. Kong,” an enqrmous specimen of able, helpful to everybody a lit- The animal kingdom came in thyroid monkey*, came along to tie clumsy, and completely lov- for its share of attention when frighten audiences and to almost able. Unlike his pa, who relied Conan Doyle’s “The Lost World” squeeze the life out of a scream- almost entirely on brute strength A little thing like a hat leaving its perch and moving upward (indoors, too) becomes a matter of course when film ghosts beset Topper! quickly slams the door, neatly re- which was not without its own moving the cook’s head. The hus- qualities of slight craziness, band puts the head on the table, Again, in 1936, Clair directed but it leers at him, so he throws “The Ghost Goes West” for it back into the closet. Where- Alexander Korda. The success of upon, the cook, his head restored this picture, which featured the evergreen popularity of “The Thief of Bagdad” is attested to by the fact that it has recently been released in a new techni¬ color version, starring Sabu — a version that was every bit as There's showmanship galore in your full-page Sunday feature story on "Topper Returns" — showmanship that joins the sparkling story theme of your show with an interesting, authentic news treatment. Plant it now for a week-end section of an important local newspaper! Order the 8-column Mat from EXPLOITATION DEPT., UNITED ARTISTS CORP., 729 Seventh Ave., N. Y. C. Price: $ 1.20.