The Ghost Breakers
starring
Bob Hope ■ Paulette Goddard
(1940)
The two stars of "The Cat and the Canary" find love and laughter in a haunted house!
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Mary Carter inherits her family's ancestral home, located on a small island off Cuba, and, despite warnings and death threats, decides to take possession of the reputedly haunted castle. She is joined by radio broadcaster Larry Lawrence who, believing he has killed a mob gunman, flees New York with his butler, Alex. Once on the island the threesome enter the eerie castle and after viewing the ghost of one of Mary's ancestors and fighting off a menacing zombie, they find the key to the castle's treasure but are interrupted by an all-too-human foe.
This is the one and only movie that I fell in love with over the radio...errr...Old Time Radio on cassette tape that is... I heard one of the Screen Director's Playhouse radio show productions of The Ghost Breakers when I checked out a whole set of Old Time Radio tapes from the library. I just about died laughing as I listened to Bob Hope reprise his role from the movie. At first opportunity I found the movie version and watched it. It was even better than the show!
Now, I've never been a huge Bob Hope fan but The Ghost Breakers is definitely my favorite of his films. His delivery of the hysterical one-liners is just priceless! It is also pretty much the only horror film that I'll watch...and re-watch... Another plus is the costumes. Designed by one of Hollywood's best known, and talented, designers, Edith Head. She started in costume design in the 1920's and the last film she worked on released in 1982. Her costumes are recognizable in their simplicity and just their 'interesting-ness'. Her book, Edith Head's Hollywood, is an amazing look into Hollywood's Golden Era and best love actresses. If you are politically correct, stay far away from this movie! But if you are a classic movie fan, love total comedy, and if you realize that painting something from 1940 with a modern brush just won't work, well this movie just might be for you. In fact, one clip about zombies from this movie is probably one of the most popular youtube videos to share around election season. The Ghost Breakers is one of my favorite comedy movies and in my opinion a must watch. Grab that popcorn and sit back for some chills and a lot of laughs, you just can't beat the one-liners and zingers in this movie! 
85 Minutes
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Principal Cast
Bob Hope ... Larry Lawrence
Paulette Goddard ... Mary Carter Richard Carlson ... Geoff Montgomery Paul Lukas ... Parada Willie Best ... Alex Pedro de Cordoba ... Havez (as Pedro De Cordoba) Virginia Brissac ... Mother Zombie Noble Johnson ... The Zombie Anthony Quinn ... Ramon Mederos / Francisco Mederos Tom Dugan ... Raspy Kelly Paul Fix ... Frenchy Duval Lloyd Corrigan ... Martin
Filming Location(s)
Paramount Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Quotes
Raspy Kelly: They don't mind a little publicity. They kinda like it.
Larry Lawrence: I know. I plug them, and they'll plug me. Alex: A lot of folks don't like you, boss. I expect some of these mornings when I come to get you outta the bed, I'll have to pull the sheet up instead of down. Parada: Are you the one advising Miss Carter to sell the castle? Larry Lawrence: No, my advice is keep the castle and sell the ghosts. Geoff Montgomery: It's worse than horrible because a zombie has no will of his own. You see them sometimes walking around blindly with dead eyes, following orders, not knowing what they do, not caring. Larry Lawrence: You mean like Democrats? Alex: Hey, boss, you ain't goin' upstairs, are ya? Where those ghosts is? Larry Lawrence: Listen, you stay there, and if a couple a fellas come runnin' down the stairs in a few minutes, let the first one go. That'll be me. Alex: If somebody passes you, that'll be me. Alex: Is that a mummy? Larry Lawrence: Yes, it's her great-great-great grand-mummy. |
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Thanks to IMDB.com for most of the info for this movie.