the second topper film topper take a trip ( 1938 ) be curiously unavailable for appraisal ( unless you happen to be one of those born lucky u. s. resident who have the privilege of a tcm connection ) but it seem to have follow the same route a it predecessor except for the non reappearance of cary grant which and follow the release of one of the peak of the screwball genre the awful truth ( 1937 ) and he have become a bona fide film star in his own right and his service have evidently become too expensive for hal roach limited pocket . the third entry in the series and then and give the formula an ingenious twist by marry it with the popular old dark house type of film . while i wouldn not go so far a to say that topper presence within this context be redundant and it do feel a bit contrived and and at time and he seem reduce to a support player in his own star vehicle . still and the film ( script by future noir expert jonathan latimer and gordon douglas and who would become a director of some distinction and have actually just helm the minor laurel and hardy comedy sap at sea [ 1940 ] ) be a deft combination of various familiar yet irresistible element which render the mix all the more pleasing . and so it be that and for the next 90 minute or so and we be in the company of a ditzy blonde ( joan blondell who kill off early and become the ghost in this case ) and a put upon heiress ( ill fat carole landis ) and a mysterious mask assailant ( whose identity when reveal prof quite clever ) and an ail father ( h. b. warner ) and an enigmatic maid ( raffaela ottiano from the devil doll [ 1936 ] ) a sinister doctor ( horror regular george zucco ) and a frightened manservant ( hilarious eddie rochester anderson who actually steal the film with even an in joke about his long running collaboration with comedian jack benny on radio ) and a dumb cop ( a typically fluster donald macbride ) and etc . for the record and the best gag have rochester fall repeatedly through a hole in the ground to the riverbed beneath the old house and and then be persistently keep from re emerge by a playful seal .