• McLeod directed some good Marx Brother’s movies. This movie is part screwball 1930’s comedy depression escapism, part marx brothers slapstick, and part HG Wells/James whale invisible man
  • Spawned multiple sequels (without cary grant who essentially became a star in 1937 with this and the awful truth
  • Very dark death drunk driving premise
  • Supporting characters are superb- it’s really a film that stars constance bennett and roland young (uncle willy from Philadelphia story)—Grant is third banana and then we have alan mowbray as the hilarious one-lining wry butler and billie burke who would be glenda the good witch in wizard of oz in 1939. Eugene Pallette shows up latter on and I laugh every time I see him in a movie. Ward Bond is also here as a driver
  • It’s a situation magical comedy- we have an uptight man who gets life advice from two ghosts who are essentially 1920’s flappers (or whatever a male flapper is with grant)—it could be a woody allen comedy like alice, purple rose of cairo or midnight in paris–
  • Same capture method with police locking hands to get invisible characters like in the invisible man 1933- special effects borrowed from that movie though McLeod is no James Whale in the execution and tracking shots to show invisible people moving
  • Brisk, wipe edits, champagne and caviar rich acting eccentrically absurd—comedy escapism
  • Recommend- low end