"Топпер" фильмі және әуесқойтар шайқасы

1937 film by Norman Z. McLeod

Topper is a 1937 American supernatural comedy film directed by Norman Z. McLeod, starring Constance Bennett and Cary Grant and featuring Roland Young. It tells the story of a stuffy, stuck in his ways man who is haunted by the ghosts of a fun loving married couple. The film was adapted by Eric Hatch, Jack Jevne and Eddie Moran from the 1926 novel by Thorne Smith. It was produced by Hal Roach and distributed by Metro Goldwyn Mayer. The supporting cast includes Billie Burke and Eugene Pallette. Topper was a huge hit with film audiences in the summer of 1937. Topper was the first black and white film to be digitally colorized, re released in 1985 by Hal Roach Studios.

George and Marion Kerby are as irresponsible as they are rich. When George wrecks their classy sports car, they wake up from the accident as ghosts. Realizing they are not in heaven or hell because they have never been responsible enough to do good deeds or bad ones, they decide that freeing their old friend Cosmo Topper from his regimented lifestyle will be their ticket into heaven. Topper, a wealthy bank president, is trapped in a boring job. Worse still, Clara, his social climbing wife, seems to care only about nagging him and presenting a respectable façade. On a whim, after George and Marion die, Topper buys George's flashy sports car. Soon he meets the ghosts of his dead friends, and immediately they begin to liven up his dull life with drinking and dancing, flirting and fun. The escapades lead quickly to Cosmo's arrest, and the ensuing scandal alienates his wife Clara. However, because of Topper's scandal, some of the people Clara would like to socialize with now become interested in her and Topper. Cosmo moves out into a hotel with Marion who claims she is no longer married since she is dead. Clara fears she has lost Cosmo forever. The Toppers' loyal butler suggests that she lighten up a bit; she decides he's right and dons the lingerie and other attire of "a forward woman". After Cosmo has a near death experience and nearly joins George and Marion in the afterlife, Cosmo and Clara are happily reunited, and George and Marion, their good deed done, gladly depart for heaven.

Topper was followed by the sequels Topper Takes a Trip (1938) and Topper Returns (1941). A television series premiered in 1953 and ran for two seasons (78 episodes). It starred Leo G. Carroll as Topper and Robert Sterling and Anne Jeffreys as the ghosts, who died in an avalanche while skiing. They are accompanied by the ghost of Neil, a St. Bernard dog who died trying to rescue them. A television pilot for a proposed new series, Topper Returns, was produced in 1973. It stars Roddy McDowall as the nephew of Cosmo Topper (now deceased) and Stefanie Powers and John Fink as the Kerbys, who have transferred their attention to a younger generation. A TV movie remake (and pilot for a new TV series), Topper (1979) was also produced starring Kate Jackson, Jack Warden and Andrew Stevens. According to the article on Nearly Departed, a short lived American TV series of the 1980s starring Eric Idle of Monty Python fame, it was based on the same premise. In 1999, Hugh Wilson was in talks with producer John Davis to direct a remake of Topper but the film was never produced.

Topper was the first black and white film to be digitally colorized, re released in 1985 by Hal Roach Studios, with color by Colorization, Inc.