Austrian 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.
Review of The Ghost Comes Home
