Antonius Block 'Topper' is a fun and playful movie which has several things going for it, starting with Cary Grant and Constance Bennett, who play a sophisticated married couple who enjoy staying out all night carousing. They are both delightful. Grant gets a little too reckless behind the wheel of his expensive sports car, and they end up ghosts, but there's no sadness here, and the only difference seems to be that they can now become invisible. They still have appetites (e.g. for alcohol) and can make physical contact with things. Does that make sense? I don't know, but who cares. The film works as a romantic comedy and relationship film, as Grant and Bennett are contrasted by a wealthy banker (Roland Young) who is stifled by his prim wife (Billie Burke), who has him on a tight leash and schedule. She needs to loosen up, and he needs to assert himself, and Grant and Bennett help that along in their own odd ways.There are solid performances all around, and you'll recognize Burke from her role as Glinda the Good Witch in 'The Wizard of Oz'. The special effects are nice, including seeing Grant and Bennett fade in and out, and float various objects in the air (the tire changing scene is brilliant). It's also nice to see Hoagy Carmichael perform a catchy song, 'Old Man Moon'. Don't overthink it, and you'll enjoy this one.

weezeralfalfa The first of 3 films based on 2 books written by Thorne Smith: "Topper" and "Topper Takes a Trip". Released in '38, "Topper Takes a Trip" was the first sequel, followed by the 1941 "Topper Returns". The present film is billed as the one with the most comedic content. "Topper Returns" differs from the others in being a ghostly murder mystery. In the other 2 films, there is no mystery about the cause of death of the person(s) whose ghost will provide most of the entertainment. These ghosts are rather unusual in that they alternate between being visible and invisible, mainly visible to bank executive Cosmo Topper. Also, when invisible, they manifest signs of a physical body being present. In this respect, these ghosts are infringing on the territory of the Invisible Man or Woman, who are not ghosts, but rather people who have received a treatment causing them to become invisible for a while. They also manifest physical capabilities similar to the Topper ghosts.We have a couple: George and Marion Kirby, who wreck their expensive roadster on a windy road, both being killed. Cosmo Topper later buys their reconditioned car and travels the same road recklessly, running off the road in the same spot as the Kirks due to a blowout. But, this time, the car was not badly damaged nor Cosmo badly injured. He sits on a log where the Kirby ghosts still are hanging out. "Get off my wife's lap" shouts George, greatly startling Cosmo. The pair become visible, again startling Cosmo. They talk for a while, then George becomes invisible and changes the blown out tire. Invisible George drives the car, startling passerbys.(This is long before the inception of driverless cars). Later, they go out, and Cosmo gets drunk and pushes a policeman. This starts a general melee, with the Kirby's becoming visible and joining in. Afterward, a now invisible George again drives the car, freaking out people. You get the general idea by now. The Kirbys hope to do some good deed relating to Cosmo so that they may qualify to enter heaven's gates.Cary Grant wasn't in the other 2 films of this series. Not a big deal, I would say. Aside from driving the car, Constance had a bigger role. I would say "Topper Returns" is a more interesting film because of the murder mystery factor. Also, "Topper Takes a Trip" and "The Invisible Woman" are better comedic films of this type....Billie Burke exhibited her usual neurotic simpleton character, being excessively concerned with the Topper's social standing.. . Hoagy Carmichael sang and played the new song "Old Man Moon", also later sung by the Three Hits and a Miss.

Michael_Elliott Topper (1937) *** (out of 4)Marion and George Kerby (Constance Bennett, Cary Grant) are a fun-loving couple who party all night long and don't quit until there's no more fun to be had. George is business partners with Cosmo Topper (Roland Young) who lives an incredibly boring life where he's pushed around by his nagging wife. The Kerby's are killed in an auto crash but their ghosts come back and they plan on showing Topper a good time.Throughout the 1930's there were all sorts of comedies based inside haunted houses. This film here was somewhat different because it was given an A-budget and a terrific cast. This MGM production was a huge hit when it was released and it kicked off a franchise that remains popular to this very day. There are certainly a lot of nice jokes in the film but there's no question that the film really benefits from its terrific cast, which includes Grant who shot to super-stardom thanks to this.The entire cast is really terrific but there's no question that Grant deserves a lot of the credit for the film being as funny as it is. Grant would become one of the greatest leading men in Hollywood history and that classic charm that everyone loves is on full display here and this is certainly the first time where he hit on all levels. The character is a really fun one and there's no doubt that Grant does everything he can with it. Bennett and him share some terrific chemistry together throughout. Young is also wonderful in the role of the meek man who finally gets a chance to live. Eugene Palette is hilarious in his role as a hotel detective and we also get Hedda Hopper, Billie Burke and Alan Mowbray.The film's weakest sequence is actually a long stretch when Grant is missing from the picture. There are some really funny moments scattered throughout the picture but my personal favorite was when the Topper character is drunk and we're given the effect that he's being carried around. The special effects are extremely good and it's amazing to see how much the "invisible" touch had improved since Universal's THE INVISIBLE MAN in 1933.

jc-osms When better than Christmas-time to watch a classic Hollywood fantasy feature, especially as it stars the great Cary Grant and sexy, sophisticated Constance Bennett. The film makes one obvious mistake in not naming the film after them, as the live-on-the-edge 24-hour-party-people couple who finally crash, literally, over to the other side when their car (and what a car it is!) hits a tree, leaving them as two disembodied spirits requiring to do a good deed before they can quit their earthly ties completely. This then, they decide, is to be the emancipation of their middle-aged, henpecked bank manager friend, the only mildly rebellious thing about whom is his name, Cosmo Topper, played by Roland Young. Ordered about by his dull wife and domineering butler, Topper's worm gradually turns due to the influence of alcohol, Grant and in particular Bennett's coaxing but finally his own suppressed natural spirit coming to the surface.A great screwball comedy, directed at high speed by Norman Z MacLeod, "Topper" is great fun from start to finish. The two separate lengthy opening scenes perfectly encapsulate the contrast between the high-flying Kerbys and the low-lying Toppers and it's no great surprise as to who changes who for the better by the final reel.With the usual 30's comedy mix of sharp dialogue, slapstick and fine-for-the-time special effects to suggest ghostly comings and goings, the film entertains from first to last. Most surprising is the prominence given to a racy pair of lady's drawers not only in clearing a fashion store of its occupants but in later proving the catalyst for Topper's wife to go from strait-laced to frilly-laced and put the fire back into their staid marriage.Grant and Bennett are great as the high-society duo who aren't on the screen enough (and I don't just mean when they're invisible in spirit form). Shame they didn't make another movie together, they're well-matched here. Young is fine too as the mousy manager who finally learns to roar.This was a fun romp of a movie, with just a gentle live-for-today (but not too fast!) moral at its heart.