Often in the horror genre we find ourselves presented with films that are remakes or variations of a previous conceptual designs or tropes this movie is a little of “The Old Dark House [1932]” as well as a remake of The Ghost Breakers [1940] that starred Bob Hope however, to be fair this flick is a remake of two other silent films on the same theme from 1914 and 1922 and even a stage play made after the success of The Cat and the Canary [1939]. Now it might confuse some of why is this movie included in the horror genre and honoring a review on The Horror Times, well you can see it is in the Other Worldly Heading, that is because first it’s comedy-horror-musical, it would be hypocritical for me to eventually include The Rocky Picture Show [1975] with neglecting coverage of this film. In addition, in the article Reflections of a Horror Fanatic slated for publication in December 2023 that reflects on my 50-years as a dedicated fan of the genre, this film is included as it served as another entry-point into the great comedic teams that spoof our beloved films.
Therefore, using The Ghost Breakers’ blueprints other comedic teams built front there such as The Bowery Boys, Three Stooges, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein [1948] then to this vehicle that starred Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, a team that used pratfalls, physical comedy, well-timed zingers, and music to advance themselves in popularity. Although, those curious one must admit that Laurel and Hardy had dabbled in horror-comedies in the early 1930s. Also, to assist in having a solid film the studio, Paramount, brought back the previous director, George Marshall, to handle all the zany antics, and ghostly haunting. The film notes the inclusion of six writers, and this needs a bit of explanation, first Paul Dickey and Charles W. Goddard were responsible for the stage-play, then Herbert Baker and Walter DeLeon penned The Ghost Breakers version, and finally Ed Simmons and Norman Lear provided some update humor and modernized language fittingly for a production 13-years later.
The story opens with a dark and stormy night, at a night club with gangsters led by mob-boss ‘Shorty’ out to rid himself of any male competition to ‘his girl’ Rosie (Dorothy Malone (Rest in Pieces [1987])), someone already found that out the hard way. In addition, Rose seems intent to play the field, and a new love interest of Larry’s, who knew about Pierre, a French waiter, talk about a tangled love connection. Incidentally the start of this movie begins similar to Abbott and Costello’s film Hold That Ghost [1941], except now Larry Todd (Dean Martin), a nightclub singer and poor buddy Myron Mertz {not a repeat his actual character name you‘d have to see the film to understand} (Jerry Lewis) is the busboy turn horrible waiter, spilling a huge plate of spaghetti throughout the restaurant and on many customers. The disruption causes Larry to intervene to safe Myron, by putting in his act, opens to a slapstick routine that has Dean portraying an outraged husband catching Myron kissing his wife, and ends with Myron getting sillily slapped to the floor, not liking Larry switches roles with Myron and still gets beaten up, it’s just the variation of the ‘straight man’ versus the ‘buffoon’ found in many comedic teams.
Larry learns that Shorty is gunning for him, and there’s a price on his head he grabs his gun, but Myron has gone to intercede in the matter for him, leading to a classic ‘reflection’ exchange of Myron and his conscience to toughen himself to face down a pack of mobsters. As shown here:
Then entering the mix is another subplot storyline involving Ms. Mary Carroll (Lizabeth Scott) who is traveling the next day to Havana, Cuba via a cruise; it is here we have a look into yesteryear of the 50s where hotels had fireplaces and when blackouts occurred bellhops brought lit candelabras to the rooms. She utters “It’ll be a nice night for a murder” to a stranger, a peculiar statement the brings fear and instantaneous regret. This leads to an entryway to learn about a lost island and an old castle she inherited that’s presumably filled bats, cobwebs, and ghosts, but someone offers $50,000 ($500k nowadays), nevertheless executive Mr. Cortega (George Dolenz (The Climax [1944])) gives no more info. Shortly after arriving at the same hotel, a nervous Larry inadeptly believes he killed some as chaos and commotions flow together people hurried into the hallway among a cameo appearance by Jesslyn Fax (Rear Window [1954] and The Ghost and Mr. Chicken [1966]). Larry forces his panic-stricken way into Mary’s room she of course gives aid to him and escapes via a trunk to the loading dock. Setting up another comic routine i.e., ‘the dummy’ in which Larry uses a very pliable Myron as his to showcase a ventriloquist sequence with Frank Fontaine, acting highly drunk, though I still think Foster Brooks did it better.
They find themselves stowaways but succeed in their plan with the help of Mary and another entertainer Carmelita Castinha (Carmen Miranda (in her last screen role)) gets them some work in her troop. Larry states “He’s a ghostbuster” to Mr. Cortega (which means he’s the first, by 31-years to those other Ghostbusters [1984].
Incredibly it is not until the 78-minute mark of the movie that we have the duo reaching the haunted island/castle. Then a curious appearance by a character named Tony Warren (William Ching (My World Dies Screaming [1958])) who is the mirror image of Peter Graves, it’s quite uncanny, who warns about venturing to the island due to voodoo curses and zombies those without a soul and mindless creature, and one such lives with his mother (Belle Mitchell (Slipping Into Darkness [1978]) often portrayed the minor roles without any credit). A spectral being and shenanigans occur before a little tantalizing leg action for the male gaze in the form of Mary taking late evening swim in waters of swamp/shore coastal waters of the lost island, soon enough she’s dressing like her great-great grandmother and alarming of the nearby zombie (Jack Lambert) and dispatched by the dynamic team. Ending the near the film we have the secrets revealed, namely one that has found itself repeated often in films the playing of an ominous pipe organ to reveal something greater, for example Goonies (1985), and by the end we have comedic horror spoofed.
The film made sure to include the famous Morro Castle which guards the harbor of Havana, and was the backdrop for the hilarious Brochure scene; it is very similar to scene where someone is hopelessly unable to either read a map correctly or fold one, here is another fine example:
The movie really becomes a series of gags and humor more with the ghosts and voodoo zombies, from Myron dressing a lounge singer to ensure the performers get paid for their survivability – self-sacrifice one’s dignity to benefit others and its clear he’s not happy about his outfit, but performs “Mamae Eu Quero”
Overall, everyone performs according and shoots the incredible skills to do so many falls never get hurt, it is a testament to the physical craft, and Dean Martin as the hip lounge singer with a voice carrying well and still has time to comedically support Jerry’s performances; this was the last flick of Carmen who sadly died of sudden heart attack .
First we have two films on opposite of the coin, Scared Stiff to one side and the other is The Ghost Breakers, both are solid comedy it depends on your preference for with Bob Hope or Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis; and while some will criticize the films for lack multi-cultural diversity once more one cannot view a film of the 30s, 40s, 50s, or actually any decade previous to the modern age, it’ll never appear correctly, you need to elevate it for the era it was created. While Scared Stiff doesn’t really deliver too much on the scares, or chills, and spends so little time on the haunted island and the zombie interaction is very light especially for today’s audience, but still becomes a worthy addition to comedic musical films of other worldly cinema still influencing films today and remains one of the more popular movies.
TAGLINES:
- They’re funnier than ever on the GIANT PANORAMIC SCREEN With Stereophonic Sound
- They’re making a spook-tacle of themselves!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046280/
IMDb Rating: 6.4/10
Baron’s Rating: 6.5/10