Review of The Ghost Breakers (1940) by Blake P — 17 Aug 2011

A lot of laughs are in this one folks! Mary (Goddard) has inherited the dreaded Black Island Castle that has been in her family for centuries. She's excited at first, but when murder suspect Larry (Hope) and his sidekick (Best) get in the picture, the fun begins! "The Ghost Breakers" was one of the many pairings of Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard.

Their previous film "The Cat and the Canary" (which is unfortunately not on NF) was a big hit, and I KNOW the studio wanted some more green. Hope and Goddard are considered by many to be two of the best comedy actors, and here they of course, prove it.

Hope is as usual good, his comedic timing is spot on, and every trip, every fall is hilarious, and never tiring or annoying. The fast-talking silly character that seems to be in every single movie of his is put to good use, and when he has a chance to wave a gun, is it funny? Of course.

Goddard also (as usual) is quite a watch, and even though she had many many many comedy roles throughout her career, this is kind of a slide. She isn't silly or goofy here, but seems to play the innocent pulled into the mix.

Though it was not was I was expecting, she has great chemistry with Bob and they're really fun together. I love these two, but the person that won me over AND made me laugh the most was Hope's sidekick played by Willie Best.

It was a shock to me that he was black in the first place: most African-Americans had bit parts in the olden days, and he could have gotten billed third had it not been for his skin color. His slow, dim-witted persona is SO good here, and almost makes Bob seem smart for once.

He delivers fun lines, and when his eyes go wide, what can I say? He's got to be one the best black comedic actors in the '40's. "The Ghost Breakers" is funny and short, and isn't a waste of time at all.