Topper (1937) is an American comedy film starring Constance Bennett and Cary Grant which tells the story of a stuffy, stuck-in-his-ways man, Cosmo Topper (Roland Young) who is haunted by the ghosts of a fun-loving married couple. The film was adapted by Eric Hatch, Jack Jevne and Eddie Moran from the novel by Thorne Smith. The movie was directed by Norman Z. McLeod, produced by Hal Roach, and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The supporting cast includes Billie Burke and Eugene Pallette. Topper was a huge hit with film audiences in the summer of 1937; since Cary Grant had a percentage deal on the film, he made quite a bit of money on the film's success. Plot: George (Cary Grant) and Marion (Constance Bennett) Kerby are as rich as they are irresponsible. When George wrecks their classy sports car, they wake up from the accident as ghosts. Realizing they aren’t in heaven or hell because they’ve never been responsible enough to do good deeds or bad ones, they decide that freeing their old friend Cosmo Topper (Roland Young) from his regimented lifestyle will be their ticket into heaven. Topper, a wealthy Wall Street banker, is trapped in a boring job. Worse still, Clara (Billie Burke), his social-climbing wife, seems to care only about nagging him and presenting a respectable façade. On a whim, after George and Marion die, Topper buys George’s flashy sports car. Soon he meets the ghosts of his dead friends, and immediately they begin to liven up his dull life with drinking and dancing, flirting and fun. The escapades lead quickly to Cosmo’s arrest, and the ensuing scandal alienates his wife Clara. When Cosmo moves out, however, she fears she has lost him forever. Her loyal butler suggests that she lighten up a bit; she decides he’s right and dons the lingerie and other attire of “a forward woman.” After Cosmo has a near-death experience and nearly joins George and Marion in the afterlife, Cosmo and Clara are happily reunited, and George and Marion, their good deed done, gladly depart for heaven. Cast: Constance Bennett as Marion Kerby Cary Grant as George Kerby Roland Young as Cosmo Topper Billie Burke as Mrs. Clara Topper Alan Mowbray as Wilkins, the butler/valet/house servant Eugene Pallette as Casey Arthur Lake as Elevator Boy, and later as a bell boy Hedda Hopper as Mrs. Grace Stuyvesant Virginia Sale as Miss Johnson Ward Bond (uncredited) as a cab driver in one scene Production After a long career producing comedy shorts, producer Hal Roach was looking to expand into long-form films, and found a property in The Jovial Ghosts, a semi-risqué 1926 novel by Thorne Smith. Roach immediately wanted Cary Grant to play George Kerby, but he had difficulty getting the actor to agree to play the part, since Grant was concerned about the supernatural aspects of the story. Assurance from Roach that the screwball aspects of the story would be played up – plus a fee of $50,000 – were sufficient to convince Grant to do the film. For Grant's opposite number, Roach was interested in Jean Harlow, and as Topper W. C. Fields, but Harlow was too ill, and Fields turned down the offer. When Roach reached out to Constance Bennett, she was impressed enough with the property that she agreed to be paid less than her usual $40,000 fee.[8] Topper was shot at Hal Roach Studios in Culver City,[9] and location shooting took place at the entrance to the Bullock's department store on Wilshire Boulevard – as the entrance to the "Seabreeze Hotel"[1] – and at a location on San Rafael Avenue in Pasadena, California. Reception Topper was a box-office hit, and gave a boost to the careers of all the lead actors, in particular Cary Grant, who moved from this film into a series of classic screwball comedies such as The Awful Truth (1937), Bringing Up Baby (1938), and Holiday (1938).[10] Constance Bennett – who has previously been known as more of a "clothes-horse" than an actress – received very good notices, and Roach reunited her with director McLeod and screenwriters Jevne and Moran – was well as Billie Burke and Alan Mowbray – for 1938's Merrily We Live. Awards and honors Topper was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Roland Young – his only nomination – and Best Sound, Recording for Elmer A. Raguse. American Film Institute Lists AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs - #60 AFI's 10 Top 10 - Nominated Fantasy Film From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topper_%28film%29 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029682/ http://www.allmovie.com/movie/v50462 http://www.carygrant.net/reviews/topper.html http://movies.tvguide.com/topper/review/120997

• published: 03 Mar 2015
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