Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Latest
    • Thank You
    • 4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)
    • 3999. The Pianist (2002)
    • 3998. Philadelphia (1993)
    • 3997. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
    • 3996. The Green Mile (1999)
    • 3995. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
    • 3994. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Home
    • Blog
      • All Posts
      • Best Of The Year
        • Best Of 2015
        • Best Of 2016
        • Best Of 2017
        • Best Of 2018
        • Best Of 2019
        • Best Of 2020
        • Best Of 2021
        • Best Of 2022
      • The Decade In Review
      • Box Office Analysis
      • James Bond
      • Oscars
      • RANKED
      • Star Wars
      • The Big Questions
      • Top 10
      • World Cinema
    • Ratings
      • Top 250
      • Top 100 Foreign Films
      • Bottom 50
      • 0 – 1.9
      • 2 – 3.9
      • 4 – 5.9
      • 6 – 7.9
      • 8 – 10
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Anthology
      • Animation
      • Christmas
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Documentary
      • Drama
      • Fantasy
      • Film-Noir
      • History
      • Horror
      • Kids’
      • Musical
      • Psychological
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Short
      • Silent
      • Sport
      • Superhero
      • Survival
      • Thriller
      • Western
    • Release Year
      • 2020s
      • 2010s
      • 2000s
      • 1990s
      • 1980s
      • 1970s
      • 1960s
      • 1950s
      • 1940s
      • 1930s
      • 1920s
    • Country
      • Afghanistan
      • Argentina
      • Australia
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Brazil
      • Cambodia
      • Canada
      • Chile
      • China
      • Colombia
      • Costa Rica
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • East Timor
      • Faroe Islands
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Georgia
      • Greece
      • Hong Kong
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Ireland
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Japan
      • Latvia
      • Lebanon
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Mexico
      • New Zealand
      • Nigeria
      • North Korea
      • Norway
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Philippines
      • Poland
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • South Africa
      • Soviet Union
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • Syria
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Uganda
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • Uruguay
      • Vietnam
      • Zambia
    • About
    The Mad Movie Man
    You are at:Home»Review»2315. The Ghost Breakers (1940)

    2315. The Ghost Breakers (1940)

    0
    By The Mad Movie Man on October 15, 2018 1940, 6 - 7.9, 80-89 mins, Comedy, Horror, Movies Of 2018, Oct 18, Review, Romance, United States
    6.9 Light-hearted, but not hilarious
    • Acting 7.0
    • Directing 6.9
    • Story 6.7
    • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

    Starring: Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard, Willie Best

    Director: George Marshall

    Running Time: 85 mins


    The Ghost Breakers is an American film about a radio broadcaster and an heiress who investigate a mysterious haunted castle in Cuba.

    While this is a light-hearted and fairly enjoyable movie, and one that’s very much of its time, The Ghost Breakers isn’t the most hilarious watch, particularly for viewers of the current day. In comparison to some of the other Golden Age horror comedies that have held up over time – Abbott and Costello comes to mind above all – this movie doesn’t quite have the energy or ingenuity to really grab you, and although it features a trio of likable performances from Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard and Willie Best, it’s not a film that had me rolling on the floor laughing at any point.

    One of the strange things when watching this film is that you might think of it all as very generic, following the most predictable and clichéd of horror comedy plots. Well, while this isn’t the first of the genre ever to be made, the style that seems dated and clichéd nowadays was very much the fashion then, and therefore the same level of criticism you might give a film now for falling such a generic line doesn’t necessarily apply here.

    On the whole, though, The Ghost Breakers is a fairly enjoyable film, and most of its entertainment value comes from the odd fun comedic setup, as well as those very enjoyable lead performances.

    The first act in particular proves a chuckleworthy watch, as we see Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard brought together through a series of comic mishaps, and end up on a wild adventure as we jump between ridiculous misunderstanding to ridiculous misunderstanding. Again, it’s not comedic gold dust, but it does enough to provoke a grin or two throughout.

    What’s more is that Hope and Goddard are very entertaining on screen together, and as well as having a good bit of chemistry that makes their relationship all the more convincing, both pull off a good amount of comedy throughout, with Hope excelling in his classic role, while Goddard is also delightful to watch. Meanwhile, there’s an unsung hero in the form of Willie Best, who’s just as entertaining as the lead two in the sidekick role of Hope’s bumbling manservant.

    Of course, there are elements of the way Best’s character is written that seem rather outdated nowadays, but if you look past that, he plays the dunderheaded assistant with a good bit of energy, and adds a pleasing degree of slapstick to proceedings alongside the lead duo, which I was very entertained by throughout.

    With all that said, watching this film isn’t quite the laugh-a-minute rollercoaster you may want. In comparison to the likes of Abbott and Costello, The Ghost Breakers doesn’t quite have the zip in terms of energy to really entertain, getting a little too bogged down in its story to allow the sillier side of the movie to flourish.

    It’s an undoubtedly easy-going film, but if things were a little less serious at times, and a little more slapstick-oriented, I feel that this could have been a significantly funnier film, rather than one that occasionally sparks a chuckle, but little more, and that’s why I’m giving it a 6.9 overall.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    The Mad Movie Man, AKA Anthony Cullen, writes articles and reviews about movies and the world of cinema. From January 1st, 2013 to December 31st, 2022, he watched and reviewed a movie every day. This is the blog dedicated to the project: www.madmovieman.com

    Related Posts

    8.2

    4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

    7.8

    3999. The Pianist (2002)

    8.2

    3998. Philadelphia (1993)

    Follow Me Online!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Tumblr
    New Releases
    8.2
    December 25, 2022

    3994. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

    5.6
    December 10, 2022

    3969. Falling For Christmas (2022)

    6.9
    December 4, 2022

    3956. The People We Hate At The Wedding (2022)

    5.4
    December 3, 2022

    3954. Disenchanted (2022)

    7.4
    December 3, 2022

    3953. Meet Cute (2022)

    7.6
    November 23, 2022

    3934. Do Revenge (2022)

    7.0
    November 18, 2022

    3929. The Wonder (2022)

    6.7
    November 13, 2022

    3924. See How They Run (2022)

    Recommended Movies
    8.7
    Review
    September 30, 20140

    705. There Will Be Blood (2007)

    8.7
    Review
    March 28, 20140

    505. 12 Angry Men (1957)

    8.3
    Review
    October 20, 20130

    323. Cast Away (2000)

    8.1
    Review
    December 21, 20140

    790. The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946)

    8.2
    Review
    December 31, 20220

    4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

    Popular Posts
    December 31, 2022

    Thank You

    8.2
    December 31, 2022

    4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

    7.8
    December 30, 2022

    3999. The Pianist (2002)

    8.2
    December 29, 2022

    3998. Philadelphia (1993)

    7.5
    December 28, 2022

    3997. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)

    9.1
    December 27, 2022

    3996. The Green Mile (1999)

    7.6
    December 26, 2022

    3995. Doctor Zhivago (1965)

    © 2023 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.