The Ghost Comes Home (1940)

Mild mannered Vern runs a pet store that seems to gather more pets than he sells. One day he receives a telephone call from John 'old fishface' Thomas in Australia. He wants to leave a ... See full summary »

Director:

Wilhelm Thiele

Writers:

Richard Maibaum (screen play), Harry Ruskin (screen play),

Stars:

Frank Morgan, Billie Burke, Ann Rutherford

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Frank Morgan	...	Vern Adams
Billie Burke	...	Cora Adams
Ann Rutherford	...	Billie Adams
John Shelton	...	Lanny Shea
Reginald Owen	...	Hemingway
Donald Meek	...	Mortimer Hopkins, Sr.
Nat Pendleton	...	Roscoe
Frank Albertson	...	Ernest
Harold Huber	...	Tony
Hobart Cavanaugh	...	Ambrose Bundy
Ann Morriss	...	Myra
Don Castle	...	'Spig'
Tom Rutherford	...	Mortimer Hopkins, Jr.
Renie Riano	...	Sarah Osborn
Richard Carle	...	John Reed Thomas

Storyline

Mild mannered Vern runs a pet store that seems to gather more pets than he sells. One day he receives a telephone call from John 'old fishface' Thomas in Australia. He wants to leave a considerable amount to the town and Vern is to come down and help him decide where it should go. Vern goes to the Inter Pacific Steam Lines to catch the ship and with hours until sailing, heads to a nightclub to hear his favorite band. Vern winds up doing 60 days in jail. When he gets out, he goes home to find that the 'Mariluna' had sunk with all hands and that the family has already spent the travel insurance money. So Vern hides out to keep everyone from going to jail for fraud. But mild mannered Vern soon becomes a tiger and he and Lanny need to figure a way out of his predicament.

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Plot Keywords:

australia | fraud | musician | parrot | presumed dead | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 March 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

O Fantasma Voltou

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Loew's, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

No information about the original play, "Der Mutige Seefahrer", has been found. The English language version, called "The Courageous Seaman" had no Broadway run.

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Connections

Version of Der mutige Seefahrer (1935)

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Soundtracks

"The Old Oaken Bucket"
(uncredited)
Traditional
Sung a cappella by Hobart Cavanaugh

User Reviews

Terrible movie--but hey, it's got the Wizard AND Glinda the Good Witch!

There's not a ghost to be had in this flimsy comedy about a hen-pecked husband returning home to his family after failing to board a cruise-ship which eventually sunk. Much to his embarrassment, the family, thinking he was dead, already cashed in on his insurance policy. Inept slapstick does reunite Frank Morgan with Billie Burke one year after "The Wizard of Oz", and Morgan in particular manages a very natural, sweet performance--but his efforts are wasted on such foolish material. Poorly-directed, poorly-produced movie is full of stupid supporting characters and surprisingly cruel jokes. Not even The Wizard himself could give this one a home... * from ****