The Living Ghost (1942)

The Living Ghost has James Dunn as a private detective trying to find a missing millionaire who all of a sudden shows up after Dunn as started his investigation. The problem is that Gus Glassmire is in some kind of catatonic state, he's walking around but he can't speak at all. Enough so that he cannot manage his affairs.Before he's hired Dunn is working some kind of swami act, but he was good in his day. Glassmire's secretary Joan Woodbury seeing him in his swami outfit just doesn't believe in his abilities. She provides just enough needle to keep him on his toes and she's even a bit of help. Dunn and Woodbury do have some decent chemistry.Dunn hangs around the mansion and pretty soon there's a real murderer among a nice group of suspects, more than a studio like Monogram would normally provide for one of these mysteries. The editing also isn't too bad, another thing that Monogram was not good with.In the end there are two suspects, one is rather obvious, the other would take a bit of figuring. The Living Ghost is not a bad B picture and for Monogram it's practically The Maltese Falcon.

"When a banker turns up missing, former detective Nick Trayne is brought in on the case to find him. When the banker turns up but appears to be in a trance, Trayne must now try to find out what happened to the banker. A household full of suspects makes for a tough case that our crack detective must solve and bring the culprit to justice," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.This variation of the "old dark house" plot is more tired than true. "The Living Ghost" angle turns out to be a good idea, but zombie Gus Glassmire (as Walter Craig) doesn't get enough screen time to really frighten. Writers Howard Dimsdale and Joseph Hoffman do well, considering. Detective James Dunn (as Trayne) and adorable Joan Woodbury (as Billie Hilton) are a delightful couple of sleuths. The supporting roles are performed admirably - right down to Harry Depp (as Homer Hawkins). If only the production were kicked up a notch, or two… **** The Living Ghost (11/27/42) William Beaudine ~ James Dunn, Joan Woodbury, Paul McVey

Living Ghost, The (1942) ** (out of 4) A detective is hired to find out who killed a man but once he's on the scene another victim falls into some sort of zombie-like state. Here's another "old dark house" film that has a rather boring mystery plot and lifeless direction from the usually reliable William Beaudine.Ghost Walks, The (1934) ** (out of 4) A screenwriter invites his producer's to an old dark house. He's paid a bunch of actors to act out his play so that the producer will put up the money but soon a real killer starts to stalk them. The premise is rather interesting but like most of these types of films of the era it really never gets too interesting due to the lackluster direction. Perhaps I've just seen way too many of these films but they all appear the same. Just a different cast.

Compared to what wins awards at made-up film festivals, attended by only five people not related to the film-makers, in tank towns around the world, this is a jewel.At least, William Beaudine's ghost isn't hanging around here asking..." wha-happen-to-MY FILM dude?" What happens in this film is millionaire Walter Craig (Gus Glassmire) disappears from his home, and special investigator Nick Trayne (James Dunn)is called upon to solve the mystery. This takes no time at all as Nick and his secretary Betty Hilton (Joan Woodbury) discover Craig in the library of his home a couple of nights later...minus his mental faculties. (Glassmire got to play a zombie again in 1943 in Columbia's "The Batman" serial.) Dr. Taggart (Forrest Taylor)and Dr. Bruhning (Lawrence Grant) opine that while half of Craig's brain is missing, he will definitely live on indefinitely. Tony Weldon (George Eldridge), friend of the family (and more friend to one member than others, as it turns out)lives on Craig's estate in a small cottage away from the big house, and assists in caring for Craig. George Phillips (J. Arthur Young), another friend of the family, is killed and Nick discovers the body with Craig standing over it.Nick and Betty do some fast Monogram sleuthing and find that a man named Carson has purchased the chemicals and rented a house in which Craig was subjected to the treatment that destroyed part of his brain. The real estate agent, however, knows the man to whom he rented the house only by his voice---don't ask---so Nick summons all the relatives and freeloaders and household help in order that he can make recordings of their voices. That night Tony Weldon attempts to kill Nick, but Nick overpowers him and it is revealed that Weldon is the man who masqueraded as Carson and, good friend that he was, performed the operation on Craig. Turns out that he and Helen Craig (Edna Johnson), Craig's second wife and second wives are always tramps in Monogram films, especially if the husband has a kid by the first wife, are really real-good-friends and much smitten with each other...and weren't too pleased when they learned that Craig's will leaves his entire fortune to his daughter Tina (Jan Wiley), and have kept him alive in the hope they might induce the half-wit to change the will in favor of Helen.Poor old William Beaudine. HIS FILM only played in about one-third of the 18,744 movie theaters operating in 1942 in the 48 states, plus Alaska, Hawaii and the District of Columbia, and 1271 in Canada, with total seating capacity far in excess of nine million paying patrons times five shows a day times three days bookings.Based on today's ticket prices, Beaudine's films grossed about half a billion. No telling what he could have done if he had won an award at the Cackalacky Film Festival.