Paulette Goddard (Mary) inherits a spooky mansion in Cuba that comes with a ghostly reputation. She isn't bothered and eagerly sets sail to check it out. However, she accidentally gets a couple of chaperones when broadcaster Bob Hope (Lawrence Lawrence Lawrence) and his valet Willie Best (Alex) make a get-a-way from a murder scene. The three of them head for Cuba and the haunted house despite warnings that Goddard will be killed if she sets foot there. There are a cast of suspects that pop up, but can you guess who the villain is?
This film starts on a fantastic stormy night. It's a great start to the film as you settle into a comedy that makes you feel safe with a cast that are all a joy to watch. We travel through some amusing situations and then, about two-thirds of the way through . Bam !......., we hit genuine spookiness. When we arrive at the haunted house, and we see zombie Noble Johnson and his mother Virginia Brissac, we could easily be in a creepy horror film. They are very convincing.
The set for the house is perfect and we get memorable sequences unfolding there, for example Paulette Goddard coming down the stairs dressed in a black dress as portrayed in a giant portrait above the staircase. This is eerie stuff worthy of a true chiller.
I have to say that it is one of the few times that a film succeeds with the comedy/creepy house combination. Such films usually fall flat on both counts. Not here. The film resolves itself neatly and is an entertaining way to pass the time.
This film starts on a fantastic stormy night. It's a great start to the film as you settle into a comedy that makes you feel safe with a cast that are all a joy to watch. We travel through some amusing situations and then, about two-thirds of the way through . Bam !......., we hit genuine spookiness. When we arrive at the haunted house, and we see zombie Noble Johnson and his mother Virginia Brissac, we could easily be in a creepy horror film. They are very convincing.
The set for the house is perfect and we get memorable sequences unfolding there, for example Paulette Goddard coming down the stairs dressed in a black dress as portrayed in a giant portrait above the staircase. This is eerie stuff worthy of a true chiller.
I have to say that it is one of the few times that a film succeeds with the comedy/creepy house combination. Such films usually fall flat on both counts. Not here. The film resolves itself neatly and is an entertaining way to pass the time.