Well I am really out of step with the other reviewers here of this dated but still very entertaining comedy. I found the script to be really really amusing, the pacing fast and betraying stage play roots. Yes, the plot, about a man who has spent time in jail instead of being lost at sea as is believed, then returning home to discover his extended family have all but spent the insurance settlement paid upon his "death" is far fetched, it is supposed to be, it is merely a framework for the gags and set pieces, most of which still function very well despite their antiquity. Forget about Morgan and Burke having been in "Wizard Of Oz", this is a different beast, a Hollywood "screwball" comedy which I believe still works today. Watch it if you get a chance!
Add a Review
-
ptg-blues27 July 2012
-
... and if you've never heard of him then you know how well that went. Well, not everybody could be Van Johnson!
MGM certainly put a pretty good effort into this one, putting their better character actors and actresses in leading roles here, and in 1940 MGM had some of the best supporting actors around. It is all about a hapless pet shop owner, Vern Adams, who actually buys more animals than he sells who has an opportunity to sail to Australia and help an old friend divvy up half a million dollars for the town he is from. Before he leaves, he is talked into buying ten thousand dollars in travel insurance from one of his boarders.
Well, Vern is as bad a traveler as he is a businessman, and he winds up in jail in New York City for two months through a series of unfortunate events and never gets to travel to Australia. In the meantime the rich friend dies without making provisions for the town, but worse, the ship Vern was going to sail on sinks with no survivors. Vern's family naturally thinks he died and cashes in the life insurance policy, which certainly improves their lives - this was like two hundred thousand dollars back in 1940. But then "the ghost comes home" and the family realizes the insurance company will want their money back and they've already spent it. How does this work out? Watch and find out.
This has a fairly clever plot and pretty good acting. If you are a fan of the MGM formula and MGM stars - even the smaller ones - it is probably worth your time. Morgan is great as always as the befuddled "ghost" and Billie Burke excels as his dizzy but disappointed wife. Ann Rutherford is the Adams' daughter who fears she may have to marry the son of the town banker if she wants to get dad out of this insurance mess, and John Shelton plays the guy she really loves and the one who saves the day.
The problem is, Shelton just has no screen presence, nothing to make you remember him because he is oh so good or oh so bad. In the looks department he is dead average. Because he is at the center of the plot, I think he sinks the film by at least a star. You give the same role to every man James Stewart, and this film would have worked, but by 1940 Stewart was too big of a star to be in a B film like this. With Donald Meek in an uncharacteristically sinister role that is truly a delight. -
atlasmb1 June 2020Frank Morgan reunites with Billie Burke---not long after "The Wizard of Oz"---to play a married couple in this attempt at screwball comedy that falls short due to a script that lurches from scene to scene.
The story revolves around a misunderstanding. Everyone thinks Vern Adams (Morgan) died in a sea tragedy. His unexpected return launches a series of deceptions that create a hectic pace but few genuine laughs.
The colorful cast is worth seeing, however. Especially Ann Rutherford, between Andy Hardy films, who plays the Adams' daughter. Unfortunately, she is underused despite her strong contribution to the film's only romantic storyline. -
PaulCurt29 May 2002This fairly standard piece of situation comedy would be most appealing to fans of Frank Morgan, who is charming in his role. There is a curious appeal in seeing The Wizard of Oz married to Glinda the Good Witch, but unfortunately Billie Burke is in only a few scenes.
The script has some funny lines, and I'd be intrigued to find out how much of the dialogue was contributed by screenwriter Richard Maibaum, who wrote a lot of the James Bond movies.
Geez, this comment sounds much more lukewarm than I actually feel about the movie. Morgan is delightful and I enjoyed the time I spent watching the film...to about the same degree that I'd enjoy three good TV sitcoms. -
bkoganbing2 November 2017The Ghost Comes Home is mainly of interest for the presence of those Wizard Of Oz cast members Frank Morgan and Billie Burke. Morgan plays his usual henpecked milquetoast character who usually can't get a word in edgewise at home.
Morgan signed an MGM contract in 1935 and did the vast majority of films for that studio from then on in. They divide into two parts, those for whom he's in support of some of their top stars and B films like this one where he's the lead.
Morgan is his usual befuddled self with wife and kids and a pair of sponging brothers-in-law operating a pet store that barely makes ends meet. meet. One day he receives a trans-Pacific call from Australia and it's from a school days friend Richard Carle who struck it rich in the land down under. Come on down says Carle, he's making out his will and wants some advice on who in his old home town should benefit.
So it's off to New York where he manages to walk into a nightclub brawl and does 60 days of municipal hospitality. He misses the boat and it gets sunk with all on board lost. His family thinks him dead and they cashed in on a $10,000.00 insurance policy. Think of that in today's dollars and they came into quite a windfall.
Knowing that if he's seen the whole family is in trouble, those who've walked all over him all these years. Especially those two sponges Nat Pendleton and Frank Albertson. The worm does turn.
Of course there's been fraud committed, unintentional but still fraud. How it all gets resolved is for you to watch the film. But it has a lot to do with traveling bandleader John Shelton who came through Morgan's small town and got involved with daughter Ann Rutherford.
Also in this cast are again a lot of familiar character players like Donald Meek, Hobart Cavanaugh, and a slew of others that make watching films of this era such a joy.
A nice product from MGM's B picture unit. -
vincentlynch-moonoi28 July 2012The "but" here is that if there was any question as to the quality acting done by Billie Burke, that is answered here. Lousy.
On the other hand, the movie is carried by one factor alone -- the delightful characterization by Frank Morgan. Of course, nothing much new here...Frank Morgan usually played Frank Morgan...and that's why we liked him. As with many of his MGM B films, Morgan wasn't given much to work with. A story line which could have been made into a pretty decent film...but wasn't...and that's why it's a B movie. A few of Morgan's MGM B films were pretty good...this one really wasn't. Morgan really shined as the lead supporting actor in many of MGM's A movies.
You'll see faces of quite a few character actors here that you'll recognize, though none stand out. It's just "that" kind of picture.
So, enjoy Frank Morgan, and find interesting that the Good Witch and the Wizard Of Oz are playing together one more time...and right after "The Wizard Of Oz". -
moonspinner5524 September 2005There's not a ghost to be had in this flimsy comedy about a hen-pecked husband returning home to his family after failing to board a cruise-ship which eventually sunk. Much to his embarrassment, the family, thinking he was dead, already cashed in on his insurance policy. Inept slapstick does reunite Frank Morgan with Billie Burke one year after "The Wizard of Oz", and Morgan in particular manages a very natural, sweet performance--but his efforts are wasted on such foolish material. Poorly-directed, poorly-produced movie is full of stupid supporting characters and surprisingly cruel jokes. Not even The Wizard himself could give this one a home... * from ****
-
O.K., so it isn't the wizard married to the Good Witch of the North, just the same actors, but it is quite a coincidence that it is the year after that classic family musical fantasy. Frank Morgan heads to New York from a small town to catch a ship to meet a wealthy old friend giving him money to help out their home town. Circumstances have him missing that ship, presumed dead, and coming back to humorous results. Billie Burke puts aside magic wands as she expresses shock over his return in her bird-twittering like fashion, and it is revealed that the family is now in jeopardy of going to jail because of insurance fraud.
Burke and Morgan are aided by a fine supporting cast, including Donald Meek as an annoyingly suspicious neighbor, Ann Rutherford as Morgan and Burke's daughter, John Shelton as her love interest, Nat Pendleton as the handyman forced into marriage to a prickly spinster (Renie Riano), a Mary Wickes/Margaret Hamilton type who has already buried two husbands who couldn't handle the work she demands to run her farm. The scenes with Pendleton moving furniture up and down the stairs to Morgan's hiding place and with the romantically starved widow are comic highlights giving this "B" feature something to rise above its pedestrian qualities. -
I think one of the more overlooked actors of his day was Frank Morgan. While he's known today for playing the Wizard in "The Wizard of Oz", he also starred in quite a few charming films for MGM...films that provided him a chance to play a likable fellow. My favorite is "A Stranger in Town"...but this one is awfully good as well.
Vern Adams is a bit of a henpecked milquetoast...and a bit of a nobody. He's a nice enough guy but no one, including his family, takes him very seriously. Out of the blue, he receives a phone call from Australia! It's an old childhood friend who announces he wants to leave $500,000 to his hometown AND he wants Vern to come to Australia, all expenses paid, to see him and discuss what how the money will be used. Suddenly, folks LOVE Vern and he's a hero in his town.
Unfortunately, through a series of bad choices, Vern misses his ship and ends up in jail. No one in town knows this...and when he get out of jail he learns this old friend has died AND left nothing in the will about the legacy. He's worried his friends and neighbors will now hate him...but this turns out not to be the case. Why? Because the ship sank and he's been declared dead...and the family has collected on his insurance policy!! So, his family is in trouble for insurance fraud (after all, they've spent all the money) and Vern has no idea what to do next. How does he extricate himself from this mess? See the film.
As was often the case with Morgan's films, excellent writing and his sweet acting carry the film. Overall, clever, original and well worth seeing. -
malcolmgsw1 December 2023I was getting ready to watch this film on my television when the house was plunged into darkness did to a failure at a junction box. So with the aid of a flashlight i found my portable dv d player and put on the disc. It was this or nothing. I just could not believe the witless farce that played out before me in the dark and cold. It only.kept.my interest because the delightful Billie Burke was fratured,and I had just purchased her biography. The script seemed at times.as if it note the fingerprints of at.least twelve uncredited writers. They had each contributed one idea to the plot that was retained. Frank !organ does his usual mugging to try and raise a laugh.
-
Calaboss10 December 2004Starring Frank Morgan and Billie Burke, who starred as "The Wizard" and "The Good Witch" in The Wizard Of Oz a year earlier, you'd expect quite a bit from this movie. Unfortunately, it's a far cry from that 1939 classic.
In an incredibly far-fetched comedic plot, a family father (Morgan) is presumed dead and his wife (Burke) and family cash in his life insurance policy. Dad comes home unexpectedly, of course, and hilarity ensues (well, kinda).
An inoffensive little movie that is well acted all around, but really has little story to offer. It can still keep your interest for 80 minutes when the other 90 cable channels are offering nothing better, as is often the case. I'm always amazed by the quaintness of these earlier films, when people actually fainted when surprised (did that ever REALLY happen?) and grown brothers slept in the same bed.
Pleasant enough, just don't expect movie magic. -
I started watching this because it features some of my favorite actors. Since it's an MGM movie, I figured it would be good for some pleasant comedy, and maybe even more.
Instead, it turned out to be a train wreck. The script, which is terrible, goes nowhere. There is no comedic timing in the movie, though it features some first-rate comedians, like Frank Morgan and Billie Burke.
How, I kept wondering, could MGM have produced this? How?
I have no idea. -
ksf-23 May 2019This one has a cast of comedy masters -- Frank Morgan (The Wizard!) Billie Burke (Glinda, the Good Witch.... and SOoooo many roles in BIG big films. and of course, the real life wife of Florenz Ziegfeld, of the showgirls fame.) Co-stars Reginald Owen, Nat Pendleton, and the under-stated, mild mannered Donald Meek. Vern (Morgan) must go to australia to help an old friend, but he seems to be having trouble getting there. He misses the boat, then the wacky-ness really begins. a whole lot of silliness about half way through, but its all fun if you go along with it. It has everything a caper needs: insurance companies, dressing in drag, kidnapping, and swindling all around. A little slow and un-even in parts, but it picks up steam and gets back on track. Ends on a high note, and it turns out to be much ado about nothing! Fun. Directed by Wilhelm Thiele, who had various levels of success in germany and the US. Good stuff. Can't miss, with Frank Morgan, Billie Burke, and Donald Meek!
-
loloandpete2 October 2023Austrian director Wilhelm Thiele is not a notable name in the pantheon of great directors, most of his work was in German language films and he would probably be best known for a brace of Tarzan films in his Hollywood career, not comedy. But he does a very good job of marshalling a first rate cast here in a fun, quickie film version of an adapted stage play. Frank Morgan is the nice, but befuddled and bewildered pater familias at the heart of the story. So valuable was he to MGM, that he was given a lifetime contract! Just the year before, of course, he had memorably played the title role of The Wizard of Oz and interestingly Billie Burke had played Glinda, the good witch, in the same movie, they are reunited in this offering and work well together. Morgan brings his trademark milquetoast character back to good effect here but also is hugely enjoyable when a twist makes him a tongue in cheek, stern authoritarian. His daughter, played by Ann Rutherford is paired with John Shelton to provide the romantic interest and rather than being dull or insipid they spar wonderfully and strike comedic sparks off each other. Rutherford, in particular, is a marvellously spunky ingenue. But this is a cast that bats all the way down and character actors have a field day here; Reginald Owen is great fun as a musician who assumes a disguise, Donald Meek, a delight as a slimy and unscrupulous banker and Nat Pendleton as a lazy lunk and Renie Riano as a tomboyish suitor to him, provide an enjoyably off centre 'romance'. Even Richard Carle in a brief, one scene cameo, makes his Mark as "Old Fishface". Highly recommended to lovers of silver screen comedy.
-
jarrodmcdonald-122 April 2022Frank Morgan is a unique presence in all his films, especially the ones he made at MGM. After his success in THE WIZARD OF OZ, the studio created light-hearted vehicles that would continue to showcase his talents. These were modestly budgeted programmers featuring some of the best contract players. They included young up-and-comers as well as established pros who specialized in offbeat characterizations like Mr. Morgan's stock in trade.
In THE GHOST COMES HOME, he is married to Billie Burke and they run a pet shop. Scenes where we see him at work feature a bunch of lovable animals, including a penguin. Morgan is not very successful selling pets and his wife worries what the townsfolk must think of them. She says his failure as a small business owner is an embarrassment, and she can no longer walk in public with her head held high!
In addition to marital discord, Morgan has to deal with moocher relatives (Nat Pendleton and Frank Albertson) who don't help at the pet shot or around the house. If he could get rid of them, he would.
There is a bright spot. Morgan and Burke have a daughter (Ann Rutherford) who inherited dear old dad's genial nature, even though she's being pushed by mother to marry a rich banker's son (Tom Rutherford, no relation off screen).
The main plot kicks into gear when Morgan is summoned from their humble berg of Edenville (probably down the road from Carvel) to a dying man's estate in Australia. It seems an old pal wants to leave a fortune to the town, and he's chosen Morgan to handle the transaction. Of course, the greedy banker (Donald Meek, in a villainous turn) intends to oversee this.
However, when Morgan leaves for down under, he ends up in New York City where he encounters trouble with the police. Locked in jail for two months, he misses the boat, literally, which is a good thing since it sinks like the Titanic.
This leads to a set of unexpected consequences. While he's presumed dead, Morgan's family cashes a life insurance policy and lives it up. Meanwhile, Morgan receives help from a handsome bandleader (John Shelton) after he's sprung from the slammer. It facilitates Morgan's return to Edenville as a very much alive ghost.
Shelton falls in love with the family's daughter which saves her from marrying the banker's son. But they all have to work together to find a way to reimburse the insurance company, so life can go back to normal.
There's a fun sequence near the end where Shelton and his band pull a scam on the banker, who had previously swindled Morgan. Because of this, they are able to obtain the dough needed for the family to get out of debt.
THE GHOST COMES HOME is not exactly a screwball comedy, but several silly situations take place. And order is restored in the end. In these kinds of feel-good studio programmers, that's the most important thing.