The Ghost Breakers (1940)

A radio broadcaster, his quaking manservant and an heiress investigate the mystery of a haunted castle in Cuba.

Director:

George Marshall

Writers:

Walter DeLeon (screen play), Paul Dickey (based on a play by)

Stars:

Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard, Richard Carlson

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Bob Hope	...	Larry Lawrence
Paulette Goddard	...	Mary Carter
Richard Carlson	...	Geoff Montgomery
Paul Lukas	...	Parada
Willie Best	...	Alex
Pedro de Cordoba	...	Havez (as Pedro De Cordoba)
Virginia Brissac	...	Mother Zombie
Noble Johnson	...	The Zombie
Anthony Quinn	...	Ramon Mederos / Francisco Mederos
Tom Dugan	...	Raspy Kelly
Paul Fix	...	Frenchy Duval
Lloyd Corrigan	...	Martin

Storyline

Mary Carter inherits her family's ancestral home, located on a small island off Cuba, and, despite warnings and death threats, decides to take possession of the reputedly haunted castle. She is joined by radio broadcaster Larry Lawrence who, believing he has killed a mob gunman, flees New York with his butler, Alex. Once on the island the threesome enter the eerie castle and after viewing the ghost of one of Mary's ancestors and fighting off a menacing zombie, they find the key to the castle's treasure but are interrupted by an all-too-human foe.

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Plot Keywords:

zombie | voodoo | haunted house | island | heiress | 

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Taglines:

The two stars of "The Cat and the Canary" find love and laughter in a haunted house!

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror | Mystery

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 June 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

El castillo maldito

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Screen Director's Playhouse" broadcast a 30-minute radio adaptation of the movie on April 3, 1949, with Bob Hope reprising his film role.

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Goofs

The flashlight that Hope uses must not be battery powered. You can see him dragging a wire attached to one his shoes whenever he is using the flashlight and his feet are visible.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mary Carter: Hello, operator? Operator? Operator, the lights in my room. What? The lightning?

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Connections

Version of Scared Stiff (1953)

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Soundtracks

Thanks for the Memory
(1938) (uncredited)
Music by Ralph Rainger
Lyrics by Leo Robin
Sung briefly by Bob Hope

User Reviews

I walked with a zombie

Bob Hope made some wonderful, fun movies in the '40s, and "The Ghost Breakers" costarring Paulette Goddard, Paul Lukas, Willie Best, and Richard Carlson is a prime example. Anthony Quinn has two small double roles in an early appearance for him.

Hope is a radio gossip who talks about the mob and sometimes upsets them; Goddard is a woman who has just inherited a castle in Cuba. The two intersect at a hotel after a shooting which Hope thinks he committed. He ends up in her trunk and therefore, in Cuba with her, along with Lukas, Best, and Carlson, an old friend of Goddard's. The castle is supposedly haunted, and some mighty strange things occur while Hope and Best investigate.

This is a great haunted house mystery with Hope letting the zingers fly at a rapid pace. There was something about the younger Hope that is terribly appealing. He brings a boyishness and an energy to these '40s roles that was lost later on. Goddard is beautiful and lively, Lukas excellent as the mysterious Parada. Though there is some political incorrectness, Willie Best and Hope spar as equals. The film keeps a strong atmosphere, with the scenes of thunder and lightning in the beginning especially effective. And that haunted castle - yikes. Call a ghost breaker!