Topper (1937)
When the Kerby's die in a tragic automobile accident, their ghosts emerge from the wreckage and seek out their friend Topper, determined to perform a good deed by rescuing him from his monotonous rut of a life. Influenced by his invisible benefactors, Topper begins to loosen up and enjoy himself for the first time, much to the consternation of his controlling wife and inflexible butler. Roland Young portrays the title character, while Billie Burke shines as his society doyenne wife, Clara Topper. Adding to the lively cast are Alan Mowbray as Wilkins the butler, Eugene Pallette as a house detective, and Arthur Lake as a hotel bellboy.
Hal Roach had a flair for picking winners, and indeed, Topper was successful enough to warrant two film sequels, as well as a popular 1953 television series.
Topper (1937)
A Few Facts Courtesy of Wikipedia
Topper is a comedy film which tells the story of a stuffy, stuck-in-his-ways man who is haunted by the ghosts of a fun-loving married couple. It was adapted by Eric Hatch, Jack Jevne and Eddie Moran from the novel by Thorne Smith. The film was directed by Norman Z. McLeod, produced by Hal Roach, and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The movie stars Constance Bennett, Cary Grant, Roland Young, and Billie Burke. Topper was a huge hit with movie audiences in the summer of 1937 and Cary Grant had a percentage deal on the film. He made quite a bit of money on the successful film. It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Young) and Best Sound, Recording.Topper was followed by the sequels Topper Takes a Trip (1938) and Topper Returns (1941). There was a television series of the same name, which premiered in 1953 and ran for two seasons, starring Leo G. Carroll, Robert Sterling and Anne Jeffreys. In 1973, a television pilot for a proposed new series was produced, starring Roddy McDowall, Stefanie Powers and John Fink. A TV movie remake was also produced starring Kate Jackson, Jack Warden and Andrew Stevens.
Topper Trivia:
In 1985, Topper (1937) was one of the first films to be re-released in color using a controversial process known as film colorization.
Topper Facts & Trivia
Hal Roach Studios, Inc.
Constance Bennett and Roland Young
- Producers: Milton H. Bren (Associate Producer) and Hal Roach (Producer, uncredited)
- Director: Norman Z. McLeod
- Writers: Thorne Smith (Novel) - Jack Jevne, Eric Hatch, and Eddie Moran (Screenplay)
- Release Date: July 16, 1937 (USA)
- Genres: Comedy - Fantasy - Romance
- Oscar Nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Roland Young
- Oscar Nomination for Best Sound, Recording: Elmer Raguse (Hal Roach SSD)
- Producer Hal Roach originally wanted W.C. Fields and Jean Harlow to costar as George and Marion Kerby, but neither was available.
- The Kerby's fancy finned-back car was custom built by the Bohman & Schwartz Co. using a 1936 Buick Roadmaster chassis.
- Cosmo Topper's car is a 1936 Lincoln Model K.
George and Marion Kerby
Topper & Topper Returns
Available on DVD
Topper/Topper Returns
Amazon Price: (as of 01/06/2010)
This DVD includes two movies: the original "Topper" and the second sequel, "Topper Returns." I own this DVD and am quite impressed with the quality of both films. I've watched the colorized version of "Topper Returns" on VHS and the movie is plagued with audio and video dropouts. These films are presented in their original black & white versions; run time: 184 minutes.
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Marion & Cosmo:
Marion Kerby: Why don't you stop being a mummy for a few minutes and come to life? Of course, there's nothing wrong with being a mummy if you had any fun getting that way.
Cosmo Topper: But I ... I didn't, you see.
Marion Kerby: No, I can tell that by the way you're staring at my knees.
Vote For Your Favorite Cast Members
Topper Cast on the Internet Movie Database
Roland Young and Constance Bennett
1
Hoagy Carmichael as Himself
4 points
2
Roland Young as Cosmo Topper
3 points
3
Constance Bennett as Marion Kerby
2 points
4
Cary Grant as George Kerby
2 points
5
Three Hits and a Miss as Themselves
2 points
6
7
8
Eugene Pallette as Casey
1 point
9
Arthur Lake as the Elevator Boy
1 point
10
11
Virginia Sale as Miss Johnson
1 point
12
13
14
Elaine Shepard as the Secretary
1 point
Topper Lobby Card
Topper Cast Biographies
Courtesy of Wikipedia
Cary Grant, Roland Young and Constance Bennett
1
Hoagy Carmichael
3 points
2
Alan Mowbray
2 points
3
Arthur Lake
2 points
4
Roland Young
1 point
5
Billie Burke
1 point
6
Constance Bennett
1 point
7
Cary Grant
1 point
8
Eugene Pallette
1 point
9
Hedda Hopper
1 point
10
Theodore von Eltz
1 point
11
J. Farrell MacDonald
1 point
Topper Lobby Card
Marion & Cosmo:
Marion Kerby: Let's go have some dinner.
Cosmo Topper: Oh no, we cannot eat on an empty stomach!
Marion Kerby: Then we better have a few drinks first!
"Old Man Moon"
by Hoagy Carmichael
My favorite scene in the movie is when the legendary Hoagy Carmichael joins an inebriated George and Marion Kerby to sing the film's signature tune, "Old Man Moon." Carmichael's song is woven throughout the film, and several variations are performed by the vocal quartette "Three Hits and a Miss" while George and Marion are out for an evening on the town. 
Hoagy Carmichael's "Old Man Moon" Lyrics
Hoagy Carmichael
A Few Facts Courtesy of Wikipedia
Hoagland Howard "Hoagy" Carmichael was an American composer, pianist, singer, actor, and bandleader. He is best known for writing "Stardust" (1927), "Georgia On My Mind," and "Heart and Soul", three of the most-recorded American songs of all time.Alec Wilder, in his study of the American popular song, concluded that Hoagy Carmichael was the "most talented, inventive, sophisticated and jazz-oriented" of the hundreds of writers composing pop songs in the first half of the 20th century.
Carmichael attended Indiana University and the Indiana University School of Law, where he received his Bachelor's degree in 1925 and a law degree in 1926. He was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity and played the piano all around the state with his "Collegians" to support his studies. He met, befriended, and played with Bix Beiderbecke, the great cornetist (and sometime pianist) and fellow Mid-westerner. Under Beiderbecke's spell, Carmichael started to play the cornet as well, but found that he didn't have the lips for it, and only played it for a short while. He was also influenced by Beiderbecke's impressionistic and classical musical ideas. On a visit to Chicago, Carmichael was introduced by Beiderbecke to Louis Armstrong, who was then playing with King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, and with whom he would collaborate later.
Stardust Melody
The Story of Hoagy Carmichael
Stardust Melody: The Life and Music of Hoagy Carmichael
Amazon Price: (as of 01/06/2010)
Jazz trumpeter and author Richard M. Sudhalter chronicles Hoagy Carmichael's personal life and musical development, from his early years at Indiana University through his time in Florida, New York City, Hollywood, and Palm Springs, California. Exhaustively researched, and featuring interviews with Carmichael's relatives and colleagues, the book is essential for all popular music, American culture, or Indiana collections.
Topper & George:
(At the reading of the annual report)
Cosmo Topper: Bullion abroad and in transit, thirteen million, two hundred and two thousand, eight hundred and fifty-four dollars and no cents.
George Kerby: No sense.
Cosmo Topper: I just said that, Mr. Kerby.
George Kerby: So did I.
Topper Lobby Card
Topper is Available Black & White or Colorized
In fact, Topper was the first black & white film to be colorized in 1985.
Critic's Choice Video & DVD
Blu-ray Titles New and Old, Classic Remastered Films
The Topper Movie Series
Topper on Squidoo
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Topper
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Topper: In Development
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Comedian Steve Martin is scheduled to reteam with Bringing Down the House director Adam Shankman for a remake of the supernatural comedy Topper, based on Thorne Smith's novel. The original 1937 film starred Roland Young as Cosmo Topper, a stuffy, he...
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The Jovial Ghosts: The Misadventures of Topper
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Thorne Smith was one of the most successful authors of American humor in the late 1920s, whose works brought joy to those living in the largely joyless Depression era. He is most famous for Topper, which was immortalized on the silver screen by film...
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Topper Takes a Trip
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In the first of two sequels to the original film, wealthy banker Cosmo Topper's life is once again complicated by ghosts. Topper Takes a Trip opens in divorce court, where Clara Topper has accused her husband of infidelity. Topper attempts to explain...
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Topper Returns
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In the third of producer Hal Roach's Topper comedy films, most of the action takes place in an old, dark mansion, complete with trap doors and secret passageways. Roland Young returns as banker Cosmo Topper, and along with his chauffeur Eddie, offers...
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The Topper TV Series
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Thorne Smith's lively characters enjoyed an international audience through a trio of popular Topper movies, and gained new fame when CBS Television produced the episodic comedy series, Topper, in 1953. Veteran character actor Leo G. Carroll was cast...
Welcome, Movie Fans
Have you ever had a chance to watch "Topper?"
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Reply
- Cptindy Cptindy Nov 7, 2009 @ 6:54 pm
- I remember being sick when I was little and being up late. My mother turned on the TV and we watched Topper! From that day forward I would look through the TV guide for the next showing! Black and White is the only way to watch Topper!
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Reply
- BFuniv.com BFuniv.com Aug 8, 2009 @ 12:55 pm
- Loved the TV series. If there was still fun viewing like that available I wouldn't have given away my TV. Maybe I can get my kids the movies for Christmas so I can watch them on their TVs.
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Reply
- AndyPo AndyPo Nov 19, 2008 @ 8:51 am
- Excellent lens. I had forgotten about these films. I shall see if I can rent the DVDs
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Reply
- Serenity_Prayer_Gifts Serenity_Prayer_Gifts Oct 28, 2008 @ 6:33 pm
- Used to watch the Topper TV show, many moons ago! :-) Nice lens!
Thanks for joining my fans and for sharing! :-)
Courtesies
Answers.com: Topper
The Classic Movie Corner
TFI: True Femmes Invisible
Film Images by Moderntimes
The Ultimate Cary Grant Pages
The Internet Movie Database: Topper
Funny Phantoms by Staci Layne Wilson
Topper Movie Poster by MovieGoods.com
Indiana University: The Hoagy Carmichael Collection
Creative Commons License
Plagiarism is No Laughing Matter
© 2009 Kim GiancaterinoThis Squidoo Lens by Kim Giancaterino is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Mona Lisa Simpson © FOX Broadcasting Company
About the Author
Lensmaster KimGiancaterino has been a member since October 30 2006, has rated 8,463 lenses, favorited 4,157, and has created 293 lenses from scratch. Kim Giancaterino donates their royalties to Asante Africa Foundation. This member's top-ranked page is "2010: Will You Be Saying Two Thousand Ten or Twenty Ten?". See all my lenses
by KimGiancaterino
Producer Hal Roach brought Thorne Smith's zany characters to life in three films: Topper, Topper Takes a Trip and Topper Returns.
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