The Smiling Ghost

Plot synopsis:
The elderly Mrs. Bentley (Helen Westley) and her lawyer see a newspaper ad from an unemployed and unmarried engineer seeking work doing “anything legal.” The lawyer calls the engineer, Alexander “Lucky” Downing (Wayne Morris), and sets up a meeting, during which Lucky is offered $1000 to feign an engagement to Mrs. Bentley’s granddaughter Elinor Bentley Fairchild (Alexis Smith) for one month. Lucky considers it a strange offer, but he needs the money so he takes the job.
What Downing doesn’t know is that Elinor’s three former fiancés have met horrible ends. The first, Johnny Eggleston, mysteriously drowned. The second, Paul Myron (David Bruce), was paralyzed when his car rolled over and has been confined to an iron lung ever since. The third, Alan Winters, died by snakebite while on the 18th floor of a Boston hotel.
Given the fate of her former beaus, there are those who believe Elinor is the victim of the “Smiling Ghost,” and she has been dubbed the “Kiss of Death Girl” by the local newspapers. Lil Barstow (Brenda Marshall), a reporter who has followed the case closely, has been in touch with Myron, who persuades her to talk Downing out of the engagement before he too becomes a victim of the ghost. Lil attempts to intercept Lucky at the train station where he and his nervous valet, Clarence (Willie Best), are to meet Elinor. Before Lil can warn Downing, however, Elinor smashes her camera and hustles Lucky and Clarence off to Bentley mansion. Downing is delighted to find Elinor so attractive and affectionate but has no idea what awaits him at the mansion. There he meets his prospective in-laws: a diabolical great-uncle Ames Bentley (Charles Halton), who shows Lucky his collection of shrunken heads and mentions that he's only missing a good Negroid specimen; cousin Tennant Bentley (Richard Ainley), who has a drinking problem; and Uncle Hilton Fairchild (Roland Drew) and his wife Rose (Lee Patrick), who will lose part of their fortune should Elinor marry.
That evening Tennant drunkenly objects to Lucky sleeping in what had been his room, so Lucky agrees to switch rooms with him. Later that night, a man who is presumably the Smiling Ghost emerges through a secret wall panel and attacks Tennant, no doubt believing him to be Downing. In the ensuing confusion, Downing encounters the reporter Lil Barstow outside, who tells him about the fate of the former fiancés and persuades him to leave. Lucky asks her, "Couldn't all these have all been accidents?" To which Lil reples, "Listen, it's more than an accident when a cobra strikes a man on the 18th floor of a Boston hotel." Convinced that the situation is perilous, Downing plans to sneak away with Clarence, who had found the semiconscious Tennant in a trunk in the cellar and is eager to depart; however, after Elinor confesses that she has fallen in love with him, he decides to stay and catch the "ghost" for her.
To find the ghost or whoever it is, Downing turns to Lil for help. She takes him to visit the crippled Paul Myron. Paul relates his ghost story, saying that the ghost appeared when he was pinned under his wrecked car and adding that the ghost resembled John Eggleston, Elinor’s first fiancé. Paul says he believes Eggleston drowned himself after Elinor broke off their engagement and is now intent on making sure she never marries. Downing rejects the idea that Eggleston is a ghost but finds it plausible that he faked his death and is bent on revenge. Lil and Lucky then pay a visit to Eggleston’s crypt in the cemetery and discover it empty. While there, Downing is attacked by the “ghost” and entombed. After he is rescued by Lil, he is even more determined to resolve the mystery. And to the end, he suggests to Elinor that they pretend to marry to lure the killer out of hiding. In the ensuing denouement, the Smiling Ghost is unmasked as Paul Myron and an unexpected espousal is thrown in for good measure.

Tags: revenge, murder

Review:
little film...Wayne Morris absolutely shines as the comic hero "Lucky Downing" and Willie Best give his usual excellent performance as Luckys Valet Clarence...It,s all about an heiress whos lost a few beau,s to shall we say "misfortune" Lucky answers an ad in the paper by the young ladys Grandmother..
Soon he and Clarence are enveloped in a mystery set in an old spooky mansion..with a cast of family characters who are all kooky or sinister in some fashion....Not a film that takes itself seriously, this is one of those comedy-horror gems that you can really enjoy on a dark night or a rainy day....definitely give this an 8******** on a 10 scale..try it you wont be dissapointed..
The ever-gorgeous Alexis Smith plays a wealthy heiress whose fiances have always met with ghastly fates before the nuptuals.
In a plot to unravel the killer's identity, poor Wayne Morris is duped into impersonating her new betrothed.
All the standard ingredients are hauled out and refreshened--a gloomy dark mansion, secret passageways, sliding panels, and, as the title promises, the genuinely eerie apparition of a "smiling ghost." Done to a turn by an engaging cast, one wonders why the handsome, appealing and wryly comic Wayne Morris never achieved full-fledged stardom, and why did it take another 30 years for the dazzling Alexis Smith to be duly celebrated (on Broadway in 1971's "Follies")?.
If you are looking for a pleasant diversion that will make you laugh and be royally entertained with an old fashioned "B" mystery, this film is for you.
The family hires Wayne Morris as a decoy fiancee in an attempt to get the murderer out in the open.
This movie is great fun with such devices as a secret panel, some funny acting relatives, and Willie Best playing his usual knee knocking, scared character.
We would certainly and rightfully object if such antics were filmed today but, remember, this movie is from the early 1940s.
It's a fun movie and well worth a little more than 70 minutes of your' time..
I saw this movie yesterday morning at 6 AM on TCM during the celebration of Alexis Smith's Birthday Marathon.Its about a widow Elinor Bentley (Alexic Smith) who seemingly can get to her wedding day dued to the fact her grooms to be get canned before the day comes.So Elinor's grand mother sends out a add for 1000 bux for any man to be engaged with Elinor for 31 days.A man named by Alexander Downing (Wayne Morris) who is called "Lucky" applies for the ad and takes the job not knowing that this woman is known as "The Kiss of Death Girl" He brings along his valet Clarence (The Infamous Willie Best) along with him to assist him for the monthly duty to achieve the 1 grand.The rest of the movie is very funny, spooky, and a sort of mystery with it.If people loves movies such as this, then I'd look it up on ebay and purchase it!!!!!.
Unbeknowst to him, she is known as the "Kiss of Death" girl, and every one of her 3 previous suitors has been murdered by "the Smiling Ghost".An excellent, eerie "old house" film with secret panels, a midnite opening of a family crypt, the great "scared reaction' antics of Willie Best, and (of COURSE!)  the creepy-looking "smiling ghost" all make this a top-notch yarn.DEFINITELY worth seeing!Norm.
He just wants to know—"$1000 to do what?" The prospective employer's answer: "To be engaged for one month to my granddaughter." –It sounds okay, but Morris isn't told up front that said granddaughter's fiancés tend to mysteriously succumb to a "smiling ghost curse." A fun cast hams it up in this lively and none-too-serious old dark house comedy.
Two leading ladies give spirited performances: Alexis Smith is the rich girl whose fiancés don't last long, and Brenda Marshall the intrepid reporter who shows up to snoop around.
Willie Best, in a larger role than his usual bit part, is hilarious as Morris's reluctant assistant.
Alan Hale is lots of fun as a gun- toting butler.The plot is not exactly original but it moves at a nice quick pace.
("Why," Smith snaps at Marshall as they discuss their beau Morris, "every look you give him you could pour on a waffle.")The production values of this Warner Bros.
A worthwhile 70 minutes, especially for connoisseurs of the comedy-mystery B picture genre..
Wayne Morris is very good and Im surprised he wasnt in more movies.
But I feel the Willie Best makes the movie with his statements especially the one about his "FEETS"..
It was a "B" feature(something that has disappeared from the cinema now)a filler before the main film and it was an example of a genre very dear to our hearts at the time-the comedy thriller.Very much in the mould of The Cat and the Canary(I refer to the Bob Hope version of course) it was chock full of one-liners,sliding panels and eccentric characters not the least of whom was the wonderful Willie Best.Even after all these years I can still remember his words when he catches sight of the eponymous apparition.Overtaking a galloping horse he wails "Move over horse.Make way for someone who can really run".It gave us all a lot of fun then and some recollected pleasure now for me anyway..
He happens upon a rich eccentric family who are willing to pay him a great deal of money just to become engaged.He is happy to see the lady he is engaged to is pleasant to look at, but when he meets a super hot gorgeous reporter lady, he is evidently attracted to her, but he feels he must keep his loyalties, particularly since the lady he is engaged to knows how to manipulate men.It turns out she was engaged three times before, and a smiling ghost attacked all her suitors.
And our hero, who is named Lucky, learns too late he is a marked man.A lot of great adventure, spooks, night creepers, and an array of usual comic family members make this a deep movie, with trails leading in every direction.
It even has The Skipper in it- or at least his look alike dad (and don't act like you don't know who he is).What is great is the writing, acting, and the story, which turns up with an unexpected solution to the smiling ghost story.
You won't guess who is responsible.Did I mention this movie was fun, in a magical sort of way.
This is one.It's the great charisma of Lucky that carries this through, along with the super gorgeous looks and charisma of the lady reporter.
Underrated Gem. The Smiling Ghost is a wonderful 2-for-1 combination of comedy and mystery.
Wayne Morris does a terrific job as a young, good looking, and somewhat naive young man, who accepts a contract to impersonate the next fiancé of a woman whose previous fiancés have all come to a bad end.
Alexis Smith plays the star crossed woman he pretends to marry, and Brenda Marshall is the local reporter who develops a crush on the young man.
Smith and Marshall really played off each other nicely, and they are two of the most beautiful women I've ever seen on screen.
The script is well written, the film is well directed, and the actors all seem to understand their roles and "sell" them brilliantly.And, as with a lot of other reviewers, I have to send a "well done" to Willie Best, who plays the young man's valet.
He was really funny and talented, and could easily have taken his place as one of the comedy greats in a less segregated era.In this film, you get comedy and a very credible murder mystery in one easy-to-take package!
A bumbling rube(Wayne Morris) is hired to be a decoy groom to bring the identity of the villain to light.Also in the cast are Alan Hale, Brenda Marshall and Willie Best..
Stick two of these together with a 10 minute Intermission where they (the theater owners) can sell more of that $10 popcorn should do the trick.There was an art here, an all American art, that made it fun to go to the movies.
Wayne Morris, known from 1950 on for his Westerns, here plays Alex "Lucky" Downing, a man with more than a few odd dilemmas, each one causing the next.
Fortunately the girl turns out to be very attractive (Alexis Smith as Elinor Bentley).
Secondly there is a female reporter interested in the story of the smiling ghost (Brenda Marshall as Lil Barstow) who is also attracted to our hero.This film has plenty of comedy, with Alan Hale as a detective under cover as a butler who from the first time you see him doesn't act or speak like a butler, not to mention Wayne Morris' likable every-man style.
It also has plenty of atmosphere with the spooky dark Bentley mansion, fog in the graveyard at night, and a rather strange member of the Bentley family whose hobby includes collecting shrunken heads.The only real negative in the film is the use of racial stereotypes as humor in the person of Clarence (Willie Best), Alex' assistant and friend.
Clarence is portrayed as being superstitious and cowardly comic relief, and it's sad but not the least bit atypical for movies made at this time to put African Americans into such roles.
Besides that one negative, I'd rate it as one of the better B comedy/thrillers made in the 40's, especially when you realize that it was made at Warner Brothers, which wasn't a studio particularly well known for that genre..
When the story begins, Lucky Downing (Wayne Morris) is recruited to pose as a young lady's fiancé for one month...for $1000!!
Well, his nickname isn't Brains...so you can only assume he's there for the duration!This movie is very similar in style to films such as "The Ghost Breakers" which, incidentally, ALSO featured Willie Best as the leading man's valet.
This isn't surprising since Best's shtick was playing the old stereotypical scared black man, though such stereotypes are no doubt offensive today.Overall, despite its shortcomings, this is an entertaining film which will hold your interest..
Smiling Ghost, The (1941) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Somewhat entertaining "old dark house"/comedy.
A man agrees to marry a woman for $1,000 but what he doesn't know is that her previous three fiancés have all died in the hands of the smiling ghost.
The first half of the movie works wonderfully well with plenty of nice laughs and some good atmosphere.
The second half falls apart, although the ending seems to have influenced several episodes of Scooby Doo. If you're a fan of the genre then I'm sure you've seen countless "old dark house" films and even though this one isn't perfect it's still one of the better ones in the genre..
Wayne Morris is a private detective hired to be a 30 day fiancé to catch a killer in this kooky and creepy B-mystery, costarring Alexis Smith, Brenda Marshall, Alan Hale, David Bruce, and Willie Best.
Willie is his sidekick who is in the stereotyped role of a black man being afraid of ghosts.
It seems that Alexis' fiancés have been having bad luck in the staying alive department, so enter Wayne and Willie, but Willie is not having a good time when things get strange.
Brenda Marshall is a reporter who wants a scoop on Wayne's investigation and they form an alliance, which leads to feelings for each other.
"The Smiling Ghost" is a better-than-average b-mystery short due to the talented stars involved and the humorous situations Wayne and Willie get themselves into.
If you're looking for a good time with this type of film come an October night, Halloween night, or any other night for that matter, then this will certainly please..
Sometimes B-Fun is as Good as A-Fun. A surprisingly snappy little mystery comedy with Wayne Morris in his juvenile days sporting a patented brand of big guy innocence that he was very good with.
Brenda Marshall plays a spunky, sassy reporter and is sexier than Alexis Smith which is no mean achievement.
Willie Best shows why the prevailing racial attitudes kept a major talent from blossoming.
He was truly a great comedian underneath the necessary character feature of a low I.Q. that all black actors of the day had to assume.Here, he's not quite so dumb and gets to use his formidable physical skills.
B ghost/haunted house story is kind of fun.
Attractive Wayne Morris is hired to be the fiancée of lovely Alexis Smith, the "kiss of death" girl, and there the fun begins.
Beautiful Brenda Marshall is the reporter on the trail of a good story.
What spoils this film, of course, is the character of Clarence, performed by Willie Best.
It's a shame, because there's no doubt that Best was a fine talent, and we know he was a wonderful singer.Other than that, it's a neat entry into the genre, with Wayne Morris very beguiling with his "aw, shucks" earnestness and good looks.
B-Feature Fun. Lots of laughs and smiles in this second feature from Warners.
Wayne Morris is duped into becoming the fourth husband of Alexis Smith, in an attempt to break the "curse", the curse being that the other three husbands died under mysterious circumstances.
If it shows up in the TV guide one day, you could do a lot worse than "The Smiling Ghost"..
Elinor Fairchild (Alexis Smith) has been engaged three times...only to have each of her suitors die or become crippled.
Unemployed Alex "Lucky" Downing (Wayne Morris) agrees to be engaged to her for $1,000.
When he goes to stay at her house with her strange family it seems he's marked for death too...It's a B film all the way (just look at the cast) but not a bad one.
Also there's a very lively score and this was filmed on some beautiful sets (I'm assuming they were from an "A" film being done at the time).The cast all plays the roles to perfection--especially Morris and Brenda Marshall as a newspaper woman.
That's Willie Best--he plays a black valet named Clarence.
I think the cause of the deaths was they read the script.Willie Best does his usual great job playing the scared, funny Negro character, but I suggest you see him High Sierra.I like good crap, but this flick is just plain crap.Find my description vague & boring?
Saw this film at the old Capital Cinema, Broadway, Mill Hill London NW7 during the dark days of the blitz, age about eight or nine.
This is a lesser film of hers, but showing more of a comedic side.So, the villain is not all that great of a mystery.
Surprisingly fun spooky-comedy film; underrated.
This is a very good little film in the comedy-horror genre.
It could have been a vehicle for Red Skelton as in his "Whistling..." series by MGM at the same time, but the studio was also working to elevate Wayne Morris to the forefront, perhaps due to so many actors being off and involved in the war effort.At any rate, the film only has one real flaw -- it's so obvious from early on who the serial murderer is.
Here, it's the latter that makes this film very watchable.Wayne Morris was a pleasant enough presence on the screen, though I doubt he was ever destined to become a real A-lister.
He does nicely here as the slightly befuddled hero, who despite your early expectations falls in love with the right girl...although the film doesn't really give us enough of a reason why he falls in love with her.
Alexis Smith -- the second lead and supposed romantic lead (a semi-wealthy young woman whose fiancees all seem to get murdered) -- does fine, but is upstaged by Brenda Marshall (playing a newspaper woman), who turns out to be the real flame in our hero's eye.
Helen Westley is dandy as the grandmother of Alexis Smith.But the actor who really shines here is Willie Best, as the Black manservant of Wayne Morris.
But, that was not possible back in the 1940s, so he makes the most of his role here.The cast is just loaded with slightly oddball characters, almost all of whom might just be the murderer, but you know from very early on that it's the man in the iron mask (so to speak).
All rather standard for this genre of film.It's fun.
Smiling Ghost is a weak "B"-grade mystery-comedy.
While the dialogue has some occasional flashes of mild wit, most of the comedy is crude slapstick involving cowardly comedian, Willie Best.Alexis Smith is none too flatteringly photographed and Brenda Marshall looks quite plain.
Mr. Morris is his usual dumb, brash self, but the film's real tour-de-force comes from Charles Halton, completely unrecognizable, both in voice and appearance, as the crazy uncle with the shrunken heads.
It's all about the murders of the various men engaged to wealthy socialite Alexis Smith and the private investigator (Wayne Morris) who agrees to become engaged to her so they can unmask the hideous nightmare who almost appears to be a dream.
There's salty matriarch Helen Westley (who hires Morris for the job in the first place), her cynical daughter (Lee Patrick) and the paunchy Alan Hale among others.
Morris's sidekick (Willie Best) is both his secretary/chauffeur and becomes the desired model for an eccentric member of the family who collects heads (simply because he hasn't collected a black one yet), and Brenda Marshall is Morris's acquaintance, a lady photographer dying to unmask the killer herself.While today, black character performers like Willie Best are looked back on as the example of how African American actors were typecast, if you simply look on them as characters, you will find them extremely likable and enjoy what they had to contribute, no matter how stereotypical they were.
Willie Best made me laugh not because he was playing a cowardly or less than smart character.