Topper Takes a Trip (1938)

Mrs Topper's friend Mrs Parkhurst has convinced Mrs topper, to file for a divorce from Cosmo, due to the strange circumstances of his trip with ghost Marion Kirby. Marion comes back from ... See full summary »

Director:

Norman Z. McLeod

Writers:

Jack Jevne (screen play), Eddie Moran (screen play),

Stars:

Constance Bennett, Roland Young, Billie Burke

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Constance Bennett	...	Marion Kerby
Roland Young	...	Mr. Topper
Billie Burke	...	Mrs. Topper
Alan Mowbray	...	Wilkins
Verree Teasdale	...	Mrs. Parkhurst
Franklin Pangborn	...	Hotel Manager
Alexander D'Arcy	...	Baron
Paul Hurst	...	Bartender
Armand Kaliz	...	Hotel Clerk
Asta	...	Mr. Atlas - Dog (as Skippy)
Eddie Conrad	...	Jailer
Spencer Charters	...	Judge
Irving Pichel	...	Prosecutor
Leon Belasco	...	Bellboy
Georges Renavent	...	Magistrate

Storyline

Mrs Topper's friend Mrs Parkhurst has convinced Mrs topper, to file for a divorce from Cosmo, due to the strange circumstances of his trip with ghost Marion Kirby. Marion comes back from heaven's door to help Cosmo again, this time only with dog Mr. Atlas. Due to a strange behaviour of Cosmo, the judge refuses to divorce them, so Mrs Parkhurst takes Mrs Topper on a trip to France, where she tries to arrange the final reasons for the divorce, with help of a gold-digging French baron, Marion takes Cosmo to the same hotel, to bring them back together and to get her own final ticket to heaven, but the whole thing turns out to be not too easy....

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Plot Keywords:

divorce | judge | ghost | dog | hotel | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

12 January 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fantômes en croisière

Filming Locations:

Hal Roach Studios - 8822 Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hal Roach Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The dog, "Asta," is listed in the opening credits, but is missing in the final end credits. Hence the opening credits are listed first, followed by those end credits not yet listed.

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Connections

Follows Topper (1937)

User Reviews

If you Liked the Original, You May Like this More

This may be an odd suggestion, but I think this film actually benefited from the absence of Cary Grant. Now I love Cary Grant, but in the original Topper, he is conspicuous by his absence from much of the action, and it is a distraction: after all, he was supposed to be the star. Here, however, we get to focus exclusively on the wonderful Roland Young and the drop-dead gorgeous Constance Bennett.

Young is quite frankly great as the bumbling and often mumbling Cosmo Topper. He is so good at pretending to be pulled, pushed and twisted around by the invisible Mrs. Kirby that you really completely believe unseen forces are constantly roughing him up. And he so thoroughly throws himself into dancing by himself, kicking his feet around in a jig, and kicking at invisible dogs, that it is a real joy.

Have I mentioned that Constance Bennett is gorgeous? How many marriages on the set must have been broken up by her walking around in a bathing suit for a good portion of the film? Billie Burke was also much more interesting here than in the original. The writers surely delighted in giving her so many inane and nonsensical lines, which she, in her well-meaning but confusing daffiness, plays to perfection.

Finally, Franklin Panghorn has a lovely and meaty role as a manager of a French hotel; but his French accent has to be one of the worst ever. Luckily the film is filled with upset, screaming Frenchmen all always yelling at the same time.

I don't think everyone will agree with me, but I found "Topper Takes a Trip" to be at least as enjoyable as the original (except for the long introduction with its extensive borrowing from the original). Highly recommended.