{"id":6037,"date":"2008-11-30T13:19:11","date_gmt":"2008-11-30T20:19:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=6037"},"modified":"2021-01-01T00:05:45","modified_gmt":"2021-01-01T07:05:45","slug":"topper-takes-a-trip-1938","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=6037","title":{"rendered":"Topper Takes a Trip (1938)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Topper&#8217;s too nice a fella to be in trouble&#8230; I&#8217;m going to get him out!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Poster-203x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"203\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-23547\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Poster-203x300.jpg 203w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Poster-86x128.jpg 86w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Poster.jpg 454w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 203px) 100vw, 203px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen Mrs. Topper (Billie Burke) catches her husband (Roland Young) with the ghost of Marion Kerby (Constance Bennett), she flees to France to obtain a quick divorce; meanwhile, her conniving friend (Verree Teasdale) arranges for a faux baron (Alexander D&#8217;Arcy) to woo and marry Burke for her money, and Marion does what she can to help Topper (Young) win his wife back.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Comedy<\/li>\n<li>Con-Artists<\/li>\n<li>Constance Bennett Films<\/li>\n<li>Divorce<\/li>\n<li>Fantasy<\/li>\n<li>Ghosts<\/li>\n<li>Marital Problems<\/li>\n<li>Roland Young Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nThis sequel (the first of two) to the enormously successful comedic fantasy <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=5923\"><em>Topper<\/em> (1937)<\/a> is tiresome on every level. The storyline is weak and utterly predictable; the characters are &#8212; without exception &#8212; annoying cliches; and none of the cast members (either principals or extras) react to the proceedings in a remotely realistic fashion. Roy Seawright&#8217;s Oscar-nominated ghostly &#8220;photographic effects&#8221; (which made the original <em>Topper<\/em> such a delight for audiences at the time) quickly become boring: one can only watch so many items drifting through the air on invisible wires before the &#8220;joke&#8221; becomes stale:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Ghost.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Ghost-1024x724.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"453\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-60943\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Ghost-1024x724.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Ghost-300x212.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Ghost-128x91.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Ghost-768x543.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Ghost-382x270.png 382w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Ghost.png 1455w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>And while Young&#8217;s slapsticky pratfalls were amusing in the first film, they&#8217;re overused for laughs here. As usual, Burke&#8217;s bubble-headed socialite (&#8220;Too bad the people in America aren&#8217;t French&#8221;) is insufferable:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Burke.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Burke-1024x726.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"454\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-60945\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Burke-1024x726.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Burke-300x213.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Burke-128x91.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Burke-768x545.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Burke-381x270.png 381w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Burke.png 1451w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>and reliable character actors Franklin Pangborn (with a bad French accent): <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Pangborn.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Pangborn-1024x722.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"451\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-60942\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Pangborn-1024x722.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Pangborn-300x212.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Pangborn-128x90.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Pangborn-768x542.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Pangborn-383x270.png 383w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Topper-Takes-a-Trip-Pangborn.png 1445w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>and Alan Mowbray are simply wasted. <em>Topper Takes a Trip<\/em> is, unfortunately, &#8220;comedy&#8221; at its low-brow worst, and certainly not must-see viewing. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><br \/>\nNothing. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nDefinitely not. While I can excuse Peary for listing the original <em>Topper<\/em> in his book as must-see viewing, his inclusion of both its sequels truly baffles me. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0032043\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/fantasticmoviemusings.com\/2016\/01\/16\/topper-takes-a-trip-1939\/\">SciFilm Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.fosteronfilm.com\/horror\/haunt\/topper2.htm\">Foster on Film Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/614615\/topper-takes-a-trip#articles-reviews?articleId=99396\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Topper&#8217;s too nice a fella to be in trouble&#8230; I&#8217;m going to get him out!&#8221; Synopsis: When Mrs. Topper (Billie Burke) catches her husband (Roland Young) with the ghost of Marion Kerby (Constance Bennett), she flees to France to obtain a quick divorce; meanwhile, her conniving friend (Verree Teasdale) arranges for a faux baron (Alexander D&#8217;Arcy) to woo and marry Burke for her money, and Marion does what she can to help Topper (Young) win his wife back. Genres, Themes,&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=6037\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6037","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6037","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6037"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6037\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60946,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6037\/revisions\/60946"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6037"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6037"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6037"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}