Roland young and billie burke return from the earlier films. Staring constance bennett, roland young, joan blondell and cary grant. As in the prior movies, roland young and billie burke play the toppers, while joan blondell portrays a murder victim and ghost who tries to save her friend, played by carole landis, and unmask her killer with the help. Mcleod, starring constance bennett and cary grant and featuring roland young. Her ghost seeks aid from banker cosmo topper to find out why and by whom. Topper returns is a 1941 film directed by roy del ruth. He toured for many years starring in blondell and fennessys stage version of the katzenjammer kids. This supernatural comedy was nominated for two academy awards, including one for special effects.
Ann carrington carole landis is returning to her ancestral home and inheritance, with cheeky pal gail joan blondell in tow. Topper returns, dvd, manufactured on demand, comedyclassic, 644827189823. This pilot updated the 1937 film premise in that the ghosts died forty years earlier and havent adjusted to the hip 1970s. A pilot called topper returns 1973 was later made for a proposed tv series. There was a 1973 tv movie called topper returns which sounds terrifying. Topper was a television situation comedy series based on the 1930s film series topper. As far as i know, topper returns is the only sequel cary. With topper s help, gail sets out to find her killer with the expected zany results. Topper is once again tormented by a funloving spirit.
Topper is a 1937 american supernatural comedy film directed by norman z. The ghosts of socialites george andrew stevens and marion kate jackson must do a good deed for their friend, cosmo topper jack warden. Aug 20, 2019 what are the discharge dates for topper returns 1973 tv. Apr 14, 2014 a sassy girl finds herself dead after trading bedrooms with her heiress friend. Anns father also reveals that the next day would be anns twentyfirst birthday and, according to her mothers will, she is to come into full control. Topper returns manufactured on demand, ntsc format on movies. There are not many topper films on dvd and this hal. Topper returns 1940 eddie rochester anderson, roland young, and billie burke.
He is married to the sweet but somewhat dumb henrietta lee patrick. It is the third and final entry in the initial series of supernatural comedy films inspired by the novels of thorne smith. Starring roland young, joan blondell and eddie rochester anderson this is a cracking comedy crime film. The third of producer hal roachs topper films, this entry stars roland young as banker cosmo topper, who gallantly offers a lift to pretty hitchhikers joan. Le film topper returns 1941 vostfr admin 20170606t20. Topper returns tv movie 1973 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Wife 1940, del ruth directed topper returns 1941, a popular sequel to the 1937 classic topper.
Rose joan blondell was born in new york to a vaudeville family. And most sequels stink, but goofy murder mystery topper returns is just as funny as the first movie. The dvd case would lead you to believe this is a remastered, colorized edition of seasons 1 and 2 of the topper series. Vci entertainment has set topper takes a trip 1938 and topper returns 1941 for bluray release on 11. Nevertheless, its surprising that in wanting to establish himself as a feature film producer, roach never really repeated toppers formula for success. Mvd is releasing art school confidential on bluray and dvd on 109. Buy topper returns dvd manufactured on demand, ntsc format at. Interestingly, for this dvd, topper returns wasnt the first sequelthat would be topper takes a trip 1939 sans grant but reteaming bennett with young. The best oldschool musicals, romances, noirs, and comedies you can watch right now, from bird of paradise to the original a star is born, available on youtube. The press is full of the story of the disorderliness committed by him and a mysterious babe i. Topper returns is a ghost storymurder mystery in the vein of the. Realizing they may have been too selfish to get into heaven, they set out to redeem themselves by teaching repressed bank president cosmo topper roland young how to enjoy life. The film was adapted by eric hatch, jack jevne and eddie moran from the novel by thorne smith.
They are now ghosts, and reveal themselves to topper now and again to make and mar his fortunes. A funloving young woman is murdered after trading bedrooms with her wealthy friend. Topper returns 1941 roy del ruth releases allmovie. In 1973, nbctv aired the topper returns tv show in an effort to bring some thorne smith magic back to the small screen. Topper returns cast and crew cast photos and info fandango. The play was entertaining, moved well, and was fun to watch. With the success of topper the studios decided a sequel was in order, and like many sequels, topper returns 1941 is no match for the original.
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 is constantly befuddled by his strange antics. Burke, eddie rochester anderson, carole landis, dennis okeefe costar. Billie burke and patsy kelly in topper returns 1941 joan blondell and roland young in topper returns 1941. Topper returns manufactured on demand, ntsc format on. Topper returns is a topper film in name only because our beloved wealthy leader is marginalized and reduced to befuddled detective in a movie that has nothing to do with any of the themes or characters set down. A very well balanced combination of a chillingly spooky atmosphere and hilarious slapstick comedy. Lastly, the spirit of gail richards joan blondellwhod just met her fate in a creepy old housecajoles topper young into helping uncover her unknown killer, in topper returns 1941. Dec 22, 2014 a sassy girl finds herself dead after trading bedrooms with her heiress friendher ghost seeks aid from banker cosmo topper to find out why and by whomstars joanne blondell,roland young,carol. The third and last of the topper series, which began in 1937 with cary grant, combines mystery, comedy, and special effects. He was already a veteran of film comedy, and roach studios seemed well. After a car accident leaves them stuck between two worlds, the kerbys set out to win their eternal reward. In 1973, a television pilot for a proposed new series topper returns 1973 was produced, starring roddy mcdowall, stefanie powers and john.
Topper returns is a topper film in name only because our beloved wealthy leader is marginalized and reduced to befuddled detective in a movie that has nothing to do with any of the themes or characters set down in the first two movies. This pilot updated the 1944 film premise in that the ghosts died forty years earlier and havent adjusted to the hip 1970s. A sassy girl finds herself dead after trading bedrooms with her heiress friendher ghost seeks aid from banker cosmo topper to find out why. Topper takes a trip is the second in a series of three movies produced by hal. The spiritfilled madcap screwballer topper 1937 stars cary grant and constance bennett as funloving socialites george and marion kerby, who come back as ghosts after being killed in a car accident.
This series was about a somewhat grumpy and uptight banker, cosmo topper, and the ghosts which only he could see or hear, george and marion kerby. With joan blondell, roland young, carole landis, billie burke. Matthew crowe, a whoring, potsmoking, wandering singer teams up with a tentshow preacher. Watch topper season 1, episode 1 topper meets the ghosts. Topper returns, ive been trying to figure out what car they drove in the beginning, and it looks like a packard somewhat, combined with an auburn, and maybe a rolls royce. Whats the title of the award given to an individual participant from each baseball league who has the most effective rookie season. Her ghost seeks aid from topper to find the murderer. The third in the topper comedy mystery series, cosmo roland young is besieged by a wisecracking ghost joan blondell who demands that he help her find her killer. Topper returns tv show 1973 in 1973, nbctv aired the topper returns tv show in an effort to bring some thorne smith magic back to the small screen. Jun 06, 2017 le film topper returns 1941 vostfr admin 20170606t20. A sassy girl finds herself dead after trading bedrooms with her heiress friend. It tells the story of a stuffy, stuckinhisways man who is haunted by the ghosts of a funloving married couple. The preacher recognizes mathews charisma, and together they collect big donations delivering sermons with rocking gospel songs.
Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing topper returns near you. What are the discharge dates for topper returns 1973 tv. Roland young returns as cosmo topper in the third and final film following 1937s topper and 1939s topper takes a trip in the highly. Find release information for topper returns 1941 roy del ruth on allmovie. Tv buffs should keep an ear open for rochesters line about quot. Instead of a ghostly screwball, this time its a spoof of haunted house stories, with a nod to hitchcocks rebecca.
A sassy girl finds herself dead after trading bedrooms with her heiress friendher ghost seeks aid from banker cosmo topper to find out why and by whomsta. As in the prior films, roland young plays cosmo topper, a mousy banker who gets into trouble because of his. What are the release dates for jack hannas into the wild 2007 best of fiji 29. In 1973, nbctv aired the topper returns tv show in an effort to bring. The kerbys would often try to get cosmo to loosen up and enjoy life, but more often they would complicate it. With toppers help, gail sets out to find her killer with the expected zany results. Eddierochesteranderson,who in this film serves as cosmos chauffer,is probably my favourite part of the film. Topper returns, a delightful ghostcomedyhaunted housemurder mystery, is perhaps the most satisfying of the three. Her father, levi bluestein, a vaudeville comedian known as ed blondell, was born in poland to a jewish family in 1866. Overview of topper returns, 1973, directed by hy averback, with roddy mcdowall, stefanie powers, john fink, at turner classic movies. True, returns doesnt have the same charm as the original, largely because the inimitable cary grant is missing, and its neither as fresh nor. Apr 05, 20 we conclude our topper trio with a look at the final, and weirdest installment in the series. Topper 1937 topper takes a trip 1938 topper returns 1941 topper returns 1973 tv pilot, a series was intended but it didnt go ahead so imdb says it is a tv movie topper 1979 tv movie means a total of 5 if including the pilot.
Billie burke who played glinda, the good witch in the wizard of oz, plays the airheaded wife of cosmo topper played by roland young, a mild mannered, apologetically polite man, who finds himself in a number of uncomfortable, inexplainable situations. Enlisting the help of cosmo topper roland young gails ghost sets out to find her killer. Blondells mother was catherine known as kathryn or. We conclude our topper trio with a look at the final, and weirdest installment in the series. Soon enough, matthew lands a record deal, and the older man becomes the manager of crowes new act. Topper returns 1941 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Topper returns, from 1941, is the third in the series. This time, its gail richards, who was accidentally murdered while vacationing at the home of her wealthy friend, ann carrington landis, the intended victim. By the time this third entry in the topper series came around, the characters and basic situation had become well enough established that a slight change of pace was needed, so topper returns goes the old dark house route with delightful results.
He then helmed the musical the chocolate soldier 1941, with nelson eddy and rise stevens, and maisie gets her man 1942, the fifth installment in the maisie series starring sothern. Topper returns 1941 was the third and final entry in the topper film franchise. Topper is the tale of a bank executive, cosmo topper, who moves into a new home only recently vacated by its charming tenants, who have died in a skiing accident. What is the award given to the best rookie baseball participant. Dec, 2014 topper 1937 topper takes a trip 1938 topper returns 1941 topper returns 1973 tv pilot, a series was intended but it didnt go ahead so imdb says it is a tv movie topper 1979 tv movie means a total of 5 if including the pilot. It followed topper 1937 and topper takes a trip 1938. George and marion kerby were enjoying their fifth wedding anniversary when they became victims of a skiing accidents. I would always much rather have a cary grant, with relatively dated film technologies, than any of the many contemporary movie celebrities, with special effects undreamed of at the time topper was being filmed. Starring roddy mcdowall, stefanie powers, john fink and reginald owens, the pilot aired on march 19, 1973. Topper returns 1941 is the third and final entry in the initial series of films inspired by the novels of thorne smith. The thrust of the story is that the sophisticated cosmo topper leo g. This time, its joan blondell, who was accidentally murdered while vacationing at the home of her wealthy friend, ann carrington landis, the intended victim.
With topper s help, joan sets out to find her killer with the expected zany results. With toppers help, joan sets out to find her killer with the expected zany results. Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies. The story is set in carrington hall, a magnificent old haunted house, complete with a cloaked villain who comes and goes through walls.
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