Review of The Ghost Breakers

I can't be too hard on this film because I remember enjoying it so much, many, many years ago but it certainly is not the easiest watch today. Willie Best as the wide eyed black butler is hard to watch; so much of the dialogue affecting him causes one to wince with embarrassment and I can't help but feel that if the gags had been really funny and not just about colour, it would not seem so difficult today. Bob Hope's performance is fine but too many of his one liners seem too mannered and predictable. I guess we have got used to much faster and furious comedy but even so, particularly the first section, on board the boat, the comedy seems very strained. Things do improve in the haunted house when much more emphasis is upon the horror of the situation and the gags can come alongside much more effectively, the special effects being particularly impressive. Paulette Goddard comes out of this most successfully, for me, with her bold lack of costume and strong expressive looks. Probably worth seeing more for its early influence upon later horror films than as a comedy.