Topper Returns
Topper Returns is a 1941 American supernatural comedy thriller film directed by Roy Del Ruth and written by Jonathan Latimer. The third and final installment in the initial series of supernatural comedy films inspired by the novels of Thorne Smith, it succeeds Topper (1937) and Topper Takes a Trip (1938).
| Topper Returns | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Roy Del Ruth |
| Written by | Jonathan Latimer |
| Based on | Characters created by Thorne Smith |
| Produced by | Hal Roach |
| Starring | Joan Blondell Roland Young Carole Landis Billie Burke |
| Cinematography | Norbert Brodine |
| Edited by | James Newcom |
| Music by | Werner R. Heymann |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Release date |
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Running time | 88 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $500,000 |
| Box office | $500,931 |
As in the prior films, Roland Young plays Cosmo Topper, a mousy banker who gets into trouble because of his ability to see and speak with ghosts, and Billie Burke plays his wife, who is constantly befuddled by his strange antics. The plot revolves around a murder mystery. Joan Blondell portrays a slain woman who seeks out the reluctant Topper and enlists his help in identifying her killer and saving her friend, played by Carole Landis. Most of the action takes place in a spooky mansion filled with eccentric characters, trapdoors and secret passages.
The film was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Special Effects (Roy Seawright and Elmer Raguse) and Best Sound Recording (Elmer Raguse). A TV series, Topper, premiered in 1953 and ran for two seasons. A pilot called Topper Returns (1973) was later made for a proposed TV series. There was also a made-for-TV remake, Topper, in 1979.
In 1969, Topper Returns entered the public domain in the United States because the claimants did not renew its copyright registration in the 28th year after publication.