The Ghost Breakers (1940)
-
100% of critics liked it
(5 reviews) -
74% of users liked it
(1,460 ratings)
Paramount followed up its successful Bob Hope/Paulette Goddard co-starrer The Cat and the Canary (1939) by warming up another venerable "old dark house" stage play, Paul Dickey and Charles Goddard's The Ghost Breaker, pluralizing the title to accommodate both stars. This time Hope… More Paramount followed up its successful Bob Hope/Paulette Goddard co-starrer The Cat and the Canary (1939) by warming up another venerable "old dark house" stage play, Paul Dickey and Charles Goddard's The Ghost Breaker, pluralizing the title to accommodate both stars. This time Hope plays radio personality Lawrence L. Lawrence (the middle initial stands for Lawrence: "My folks had no imagination") who has to flee New York to avoid being mistakenly arrested for murder. He and his manservant Alex (Willie Best) book passage on a Cuba-bound liner, where they meet lovely heiress Mary Carter (Paulette Goddard). She is heading to Cuba to take charge of her ancestral mansion, despite warnings from several sinister characters that to enter this "haunted" house will mean certain death. Appointing himself Mary's protector, Lawrence investigates the mansion on his own, thereby crossing the path of a zombie (Noble Johnson) and an apparently genuine ghost. He also meets the twin brother of the man he's accused of killing (Anthony Quinn), who seems the most likely suspect when Mary nearly comes to harm. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- George Marshall
- Written By
- Walter DeLeon
- Genres
- Mystery & Suspense, Classics, Comedy
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Jun 21, 1940 Wide
- On DVD
- Mar 5, 2002
Critic Reviews
-
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Mixing laughs and scares.
-
Sean Axmaker, Seanax.com
... George Marshall makes an effort to construct the proper atmosphere around these city folk on a haunted safari in voodooland...
-
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
One of the few truly great meshes of comedy and horror that never shorts either genre.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Featured Audience Ratings
Currently unavailable on Flixster
Also available on
Other Retailers
Not Available
Not Available
Not Available
Subscription Services
Not Available
Not Available
Not Available
Cast
-
Bob Hope
as Larry Lawrence
-
Paulette Goddard
as Mary Carter
-
Richard Carlson
as Geoff Montgomery
-
Paul Lukas
as Parada
-
Willie Best
as Alex
-
Pedro de Cordoba
as Havez
-
Virginia Brissac
as Mother Zombie
-
Noble Johnson
as The Zombie
-
Anthony Quinn
as Ramon/Francisco Maderos
-
Tom Dugan
as Raspy Kelly
-
Paul Fix
as Frenchy Duval
-
Lloyd Corrigan
as Martin
-
David Durand
as Bellhop
-
Jack Edwards
as Ship Bellboy
-
James Flavin
as Hotel porter
-
Grace Hayle
as Screaming woman
-
Douglas Kennedy
as Interne
-
Paul Newlan
as Newsboy
-
Jack Norton
as Drunk
-
Kay Stewart
as Telephone girl
-
Leonard Sues
as Newsboy
-
Blanca Vischer
as Dolores
-
Emmett Vogan
as Announcer
-
Max Wagner
as Ship porter
-
Robert Ryan
as Intern
-
James Blaine
as Police Sergeant
-
Jack Hatfield
as Elevator boy
-
Francisco Maran
as Headwaiter
-
Robert Elliott
as Lt. Murray
