Cosmo Topper, nearing 40, functions staunchly as a banking
officer in the big city, and a volunteer fireman in the little town where he
lives. But then he buys a used and infamous car, comes under the delinquent
influence of a couple of ghosts, and goes on an extended debauch in this
charming 1920s classic.
Topper (1926) is widely
credited with establishing the current comic thread in treatment of ghosts. It
led directly to the 1937 movie of the same name, starring Cary Grant, and the
1950s TV series, starring Leo G. Carroll. It led hardly less directly to
endless TV and movie treatments too numerous to name. The ghost comedy, with
all its permutations, is a hardy staple, with us to this day.
It’s easy to see why this slender work has all the credit. One
could call it a harmless fantasy of rebellion, except that Topper doesn’t come
out of it unscathed. He has frequent – near daily – hangovers, spends one night
in jail that we know of,
But Mr. Topper’s near-fatal vacation expands his life, his
opinions, and his social experience. He becomes enamored with, and loses
forever, the comely and obliging Marion Kerby, but emerges with a renewed
appreciation of his wife. This engaging, light piece completely deserves its place
as the seminal ghost comedy. Pick it up and be charmed, like generations
of readers before you.
Posts
