ghost breakers blu ray

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THE GHOST BREAKERS (1940) – Blu-ray Review

Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard are Scared Stiff in This Classic Horror-Comedy.

DIRECTED BY GEORGE MARSHALL/1940

BLU-RAY STREET DATE: SEPTEMBER 15, 2020/KL STUDIO CLASSICS

“ I don’t think my kids have any idea who Bob Hope is! ”  

That was the realization of a friend when I mentioned that my family had watched the Hope vehicle  The Ghost Breakers the night before.  “Mine do”, was my matter-of-fact reply.  Thanks to my film critic gig, they’d seen various and sundry other Hope films ( Son of Paleface ,  Road to Bali ), but this would be their first time seeing the classic comedian at the top of his pre-WWII game.  Though deemed too scary for one, the rest ate it all up rather readily.  

Though eventually settling in as a sterling horror/comedy with both scares and laughs in earnest,  The Ghost Breakers (1940) takes some narrative scenic routes in getting there.   Hope plays Lawrence “Larry” Lawrence (you read that right), a radio crime reporter who, following a broadcast in which he calls out a particularly dangerous gangster, finds himself embroiled in a hotel shooting.  Pre-figuring  The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance  by twenty-two years, Larry assumes he accidentally murdered another gangster in a hotel hallway when in fact the fatal bullet originated from another room.  

That mess goes on just long enough to set Larry on the run, tethering him to the beautiful and rather mysterious Mary Carter, played by Paulette Goddard .  (This Hope/Goddard reunion comes on the heels of their 1939 initial pairing,  The Cat and the Canary , which is also newly available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber).  For good measure, most of this goes down during an electrical blackout and a thunderstorm.

After a prolonged wacky interlude on a cruise ship, Larry, Clark, and Larry’s assistant Alex (Willie Best) find their way to Havana, and the creepy,  Scooby-Doo -worthy haunted castle that Clark has inherited.  Thanks to the great direction of George Marshall ( Murder, He Says ,  in which Fred McMurray references “that movie  The Ghost Breakers ”;  Destry Rides Again ), the many fitful frights of the castle take on supernatural lives of their own (particularly a legitimately scary old woman played by Virginia Brissac and her very eerie zombie son, played by Noble Johnson) even as the core cast doesn’t miss a comedic beat.  In this way,  The Ghost Breakers  takes its place alongside of the other great horror-comedies if the era, including  Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein  and its own 1953 Martin & Lewis remake,  Scared Stiff , also directed by Marshall. 

Author/film historian Lee Gambin flies in with a practically breathless commentary track, enthusiastically spouting information about the cast, crew, the film itself, and related tangents.  The commentary’s rapid pace makes it difficult to keep up; if you become distracted by the film itself, you might get lost as Gambin veers off into thoughts on queer cinema or any number of other mental detours.  But, despite the exhaustion factor, the track is worthwhile.  More than once Gambin addresses the obvious subject of  The Ghost Breakers ’ inspirational relationship to  Ghostbusters .  (Yes, Dan Ackroyd was a big fan).  

Also discussed is the role of Willie Best (sometimes known as “Sleep n’Eat”), an African American with an unusually large amount of screen-time for the era.  Best as Alex delivers on the expected scare takes, and yes, he is the butt of a few of Hope’s racially motivated (though not at all hateful) quips.  But also, Alex is undeniably far more competent and in control than his boss.  He’s got a lot to do in the film, and several worthwhile spotlight moments.  It’s even accurate to say that, as far as token black characters go, Best has more going on in this film than Ernie Hudson does in  Ghostbusters forty-four years later.  Best, as evidenced by this 1940 film alone (to say nothing of his other 123 screen roles), is without question the top supporting player in this cast, and clearly something of an unsung pioneer as a black actor in Hollywood.

Besides the Gambin commentary, this new  The Ghost Breakers  Blu-ray also includes a short  Trailers from Hell  segment in which  Ed Wood  screenwriter Larry Karaszewski gives an appreciation.  The picture quality the new 2K master of this eighty-year-old visual-effects-adorned black and white comedy is pretty remarkable, all things considered.  

Functioning humorously within several genres and not without an indelible cinematic moment or two,  The Ghost Breakers  happily transcends the niche of “the Bob Hope comedy”.  In light of Hope’s later career, in which he was, to paraphrase one commentator,  “a cue card-reading celebrity who sleepwalked through ubiquitous TV specials”, (a persona that generated its own Dave Thomas spoof characterization on  SCTV ) it’s easy to forget that the man came from an earlier time of lightning talent and charisma.  That is the Bob Hope of  The Ghost Breakers – almost never not funny. 

No matter whether you remember Bob Hope or not, and whether you want a good classic Hollywood laugh or a good macabre scare, you now know who to call.  Catch a break and catch  The Ghost Breakers .  

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The ghost breakers (blu-ray).

Description

• Cast & Crew

Screen greats Bob Hope (My Favorite Blonde, Road to Utopia) and Paulette Goddard (Nothing But the Truth, Reap the Wild Wind) co-star in another comedy-thriller, a year after their smash hit The Cat and the Canary. Ghosts and gags collide in this witches’ brew of laughs, with Bob Hope as a Manhattan radio commentator who finds himself marooned on an island of the walking dead! Larry Lawrence (Hope), sought in connection with a murder he did not commit, eludes New York police by hiding in a steamer trunk. Soon the trunk (and Larry) are aboard a ship bound for Cuba, where the trunk’s owner, pretty Mary Carter (Goddard), is sailing to take possession of a recent inheritance: a “haunted” castle. Sensing that Mary is in danger, Larry and his valet Alex (Willie Best, Whispering Ghosts) precede her to the island, which is inhabited by a ghost, a zombie and perhaps even a flesh-and-blood fiend. There’s romance, comedy and chills as Hope and Goddard contend with earthly and un-earthly foes—and try to keep from ending up as ghosts themselves. Director George Marshall (Murder, He Says) also directed the 1953 remake, Scared Stiff, starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The stellar cast includes Paul Lukas (The Lady Vanishes), Anthony Quinn (Zorba the Greek) and Paul Fix (El Dorado).

Brand New 2K Master

NEW Audio Commentary by Author/Film Historian Lee Gambin

TRAILERS FROM HELL with with Larry Karaszewski

Theatrical Trailer

Optional English Subtitles

• George Marshall - Director
• Bob Hope - Actor
• Paulette Goddard - Actor
• Anthony Quinn - Actor
• Richard Carlson - Actor
• Willie Best - Actor
• Paul Lukas - Actor
• Pedro de Cordoba - Actor
• Paul Fix - Actor

For press and publicity inquiries, please email [email protected] . A selection of press materials for this title may be available for download here .

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The Ghost Breakers (1940) - Blu-ray Review

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[tab title="Movie Review"]

It’s the simplest twist of fates as Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard return to do battle with the supernatural in The Ghost Breakers !  Voodoo, ghosts, and island-bound zombies!  Add in a criminally underrated performance from Willie Best and you have the makings of another REEL CLASSIC ! 

Appearing only one year after the wildly successful The Cat and the Canary , this film - directed by George Marshall (who also helmed a number of Laurel and Hardy films and would go on to direct the remake of this film, Scared Stiff with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis ) - solidified the nuances of what became the horror/comedy genre offerings cemented by a famous series of Abbott and Costello films, Hold That Ghost and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein .

Opening with power outage due to a heavy lightning storm, The Ghost Breakers establishes itself as a horror/comedy pretty quickly as crime reporter Lawrence Lawrence ( Hope ), who has his friends call him Larry, goes on the air from a Manhattan radio station with the latest information on crime boss, Frenchy Duval ( Paul Fix ).  His one-liners zigzag this way and that, as he delivers the news and leaves us already clutching our sides on this dark and stormy night.

The high-rise they are invited to just happens to be the same one that Mary Carter ( Goddard ), having just inherited a plantation and house in Cuba called Castillo Maldito, resides in and Larry, in a funny but freak accident involving a revolver and the pitch-black building, finds himself in her trunk as she is bound and determined - in spite of all the warnings she’s received not to - to go to Cuba to inspect her property. 

Dead bodies, mysterious phone calls from a Mr. Mederos ( Anthony Quinn ), and island zombies are not going to deter her plans at owning and operating a part of Cuba.  Especially when she and Larry and Alex set foot in the abandoned mansion and begin to explore, opening up a mysterious plot to rob her of her inheritance.  Throw in a sparkling necklace and the fact that she bares a stunning resemblance to one of the plantation’s past owners and you have a frightfully fun time on your hands with The Ghost Breakers !

The Ghost Breaker s , a pure comic jewel from 1940, is now on blu-ray with a sparkling new 2K transfer thanks to Kino Lorber Studio Classics .

[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: Kino Lorber Available on Blu-ray - September 15, 2020 Screen Formats: 1.37:1 Subtitles : English SDH Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

Screen greats Bob Hope ( My Favorite Blonde, Road to Utopia ) and Paulette Goddard ( Nothing But the Truth, Reap the Wild Wind ) co-star in another comedy-thriller, a year after their smash hit The Cat and the Canary . Ghosts and gags collide in this witches’ brew of laughs, with Bob Hope as a Manhattan radio commentator who finds himself marooned on an island of the walking dead! Larry Lawrence ( Hope ), sought in connection with a murder he did not commit, eludes New York police by hiding in a steamer trunk. Soon the trunk (and Larry) are aboard a ship bound for Cuba, where the trunk’s owner, pretty Mary Carter ( Goddard ), is sailing to take possession of a recent inheritance: a “haunted” castle. Sensing that Mary is in danger, Larry and his valet Alex ( Willie Best, Whispering Ghosts ) precede her to the island, which is inhabited by a ghost, a zombie and perhaps even a flesh-and-blood fiend. There’s romance, comedy and chills as Hope and Goddard contend with earthly and un-earthly foes—and try to keep from ending up as ghosts themselves. Director George Marshall ( Murder, He Says ) also directed the 1953 remake, Scared Stiff , starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis . The stellar cast includes Paul Lukas ( The Lady Vanishes ), Anthony Quinn ( Zorba the Greek ) and Paul Fix ( El Dorado ). 

With a crisp black-and-white 2K transfer, The Ghost Breakers lands on blu-ray thanks to the crackling efforts of Kino Lorber Studio Classics .  Shadows, while not too terribly detailed, are thick and atmospheric throughout. Black levels - of which there are a lot thanks to all the tuxedos and suits - are powerful and thick.  Presented with an aspect ratio of 1.37:1, the film looks marvelous and easily beats the poor appearance on television and on home video DVD that has previously dogged it thanks to its 1080p handling.  The black-and-white photography here sizzles. The blacks and grays are handled expertly by the transfer.  

You’ll be laughing through the scares thanks to the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track which accompanies this film.

Supplements:

Commentary :

• There is a NEW Audio Commentary by Author/Film Historian Lee Gambin that is everything you could ask for when it comes to diving into a film’s history.

Special Features:

There’s the Lee Gambin commentary, Trailers from Hell segment, and the film’s original trailer included with the release.

• TRAILERS FROM HELL with with Larry Karaszewski
• Theatrical Trailer

Blu-ray Rating:

[tab title="Film Details"]

MPAA Rating: Unrated. Runtime: 85 mins Director : George Marshall Writer: Walter DeLeon Cast: Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard, Richard Carlson Genre : Comedy | Horror Tagline: The two stars of "The Cat and the Canary" find love and laughter in a haunted house! Memorable Movie Quote: "I just love talking to luggage. I used to be a porter." Theatrical Distributor: Paramount Pictures Official Site: Release Date: May 10, 2019 DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: June 21, 1940. Synopsis : Screen greats Bob Hope (My Favorite Blonde, Road to Utopia) and Paulette Goddard (Nothing But the Truth, Reap the Wild Wind) co-star in another comedy-thriller, a year after their smash hit The Cat and the Canary. Ghosts and gags collide in this witches’ brew of laughs, with Bob Hope as a Manhattan radio commentator who finds himself marooned on an island of the walking dead! Larry Lawrence (Hope), sought in connection with a murder he did not commit, eludes New York police by hiding in a steamer trunk. Soon the trunk (and Larry) are aboard a ship bound for Cuba, where the trunk’s owner, pretty Mary Carter (Goddard), is sailing to take possession of a recent inheritance: a “haunted” castle. Sensing that Mary is in danger, Larry and his valet Alex (Willie Best, Whispering Ghosts) precede her to the island, which is inhabited by a ghost, a zombie and perhaps even a flesh-and-blood fiend.

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Bonus Captures for The Cat and the Canary :

Bonus Captures for  The Ghost Breakers :

The Cat and the Canary: 1:14:26.295

1. 33 :1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 47,984,856,650 bytes

The Cat and the Canary: 20,810,071,872 bytes

The Ghost Breakers: 23,726,980,416 bytes

Video Bitrate: 32.85 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit Commentaries:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps

Edition Details:

� Brand new audio commentary tracks on both films with Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby � Kim Newman on �The Cat and the Canary� and �The Ghost Breakers� (20:47) � � The Ghost Breakers� 1949 radio adaptation (30:02) Trailers �The Cat and the Canary� (3:40) �The Ghost Breakers� (2:14) A limited edition collector�s booklet (2000 copies) featuring new writing by Craig Ian Mann

Blu-ray Release Date: December 5th, 202 2 Transparent Blu-ray Case

Chapters 7 / 9

Menus / Extras

The Cat and the Canary

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The Ghost Breakers 1940

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The Cat And The Canary/Ghost Breakers (Blu-ray)

1939/1940 USA

£ 19.99

Technical details.

• Country: USA
• Language: English
• Year: 1939/1940
• Runtime: 160
• Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
• Colour: Black & White
• Certificate: PG
• Subtitles: English SDH (optional)
• Genre: Horror
• SKU: EKA70481
• Release Date: Dec 5, 2022

Ghosts and gags galore in this charming double-bill of horror-comedies starring Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard. The Cat and the Canary (dir. Elliott Nugent, 1939) – A decade after the death of an eccentric millionaire, his remaining relatives gather for the reading of the will at his abandoned mansion set deep in the Louisiana bayous. His niece Joyce (Paulette Goddard) is named the sole inheritor, but under the condition that she does not go insane within the next 30 days. The timid Wally (Bob Hope) vows to protect Joyce who must spend the night in the haunted mansion along with her jealous relatives, a creepy maid and a homicidal maniac who has just escaped from a nearby sanitarium. The Ghost Breakers (dir. George Marshall, 1940) – Larry Lawrence (Hope), sought in connection with a murder he did not commit, eludes New York police by hiding in a steamer trunk. Soon the trunk (and Larry) are aboard a ship bound for Cuba, where the trunk’s owner, pretty Mary Carter (Goddard), is sailing to take possession of a recent inheritance: a “haunted” castle. Sensing that Mary is in danger, Larry and his valet precede her to the island, which is inhabited by a ghost, a zombie and perhaps even a flesh-and-blood fiend. There’s romance, comedy and chills as Hope and Goddard contend with earthly and un-earthly foes—and try to keep from ending up as ghosts themselves. Eureka Classics is proud to present both films in their UK debuts on Blu-ray.

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Limited Edition slipcase [2000 copies]
• 1080p presentation of both films from scans of the original film elements supplied by Universal, with The Ghost Breakers presented from a new 2K master
• Optional English SDH
• Brand new audio commentary tracks on both films with Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby
• Kim Newman on “The Cat and the Canary” and “The Ghost Breakers”
• “The Ghost Breakers” 1949 radio adaptation
• Reversible sleeve featuring original poster artwork
• A limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Craig Ian Mann [2000 copies]

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The Cat And The Canary + The Ghost Breakers Blu-ray Out Dec 2022

Eureka Entertainment has an interesting release this December with a Bob Hope double feature. The Cat And The Canary + The Ghost Breakers Blu-ray arrives on the 5th December 2022 in the UK.

Both The Cat and the Canary (1939) and The Ghost Breakers (1940) are horror-comedies that star Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard .

I’ve added the trailer at the bottom of the page.

The Cat And The Canary + The Ghost Breakers Blu-ray

Eureka say “1080p presentation of both films from scans of the original film elements supplied by Universal, with The Ghost Breakers presented from a new 2K master”.

This is a limited edition release of just 2000 copies which comes with a few interesting extras.

BLU-RAY TECHNICAL SPECS

• Video: 1080p High Definition
• Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
• Optional English SDH
• Running Time: 160 mins approx

SPECIAL FEATURES

• New Audio Commentary Tracks On Both Films With Kevin Lyons & Jonathan Rigby
• Kim Newman on “The Cat and the Canary” & “The Ghost Breakers”
• “The Ghost Breakers” 1949 Radio Adaptation
• Reversible Sleeve Featuring Original Poster Artwork
• A Limited Edition Collector’s Booklet (2000 Copies)

You can pre-order now on Blu-ray £19.99 from Amazon . (Prices correct as of 24.11.22).

The Amazon links on this page are affiliate / associate links. By buying through the links we may receive a commission for the sale.

The Cat And The Canary + The Ghost Breakers releases on 5th December 2022 in the UK.

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The Bob Hope Collection: The Cat and the Canary / The Ghost Breakers

• Blu-ray $35.00

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Product Description

Two-disc set includes: The Cat And The Canary (1939)Take one gloomy mansion in the Louisiana bayou, add a group of relatives gathered for a will reading and marked for elimination by a mysterious killer, and sprinkle in some classic Bob Hope one-liners, and you get this lively updating of the "old dark house" chiller. Paulette Goddard is the heiress who catches wise-cracking actor Wally Campbell's (Hope) eye. Third film version of the 1922 stage play co-stars Gale Sondergaard, George Zucco, John Beal, Douglass Montgomery. 75 min. BW/Rtg: NR The Ghost Breakers (1940)Radio crime show host Larry Lawrence (Bob Hope) went on the run after getting mixed up in the murder of a mobster (Anthony Quinn), and wound up sharing a stateroom with Cuba-bound heiress Mary Carter (Paulette Goddard). On the island, the pair encounters a haunted house, zombies, hidden treasures, and the dead gangster's twin brother (Quinn, again). Spirited fright farce also stars Richard Carlson, Paul Lukas, Noble Johnson, and Willie Best. 85 min. BW/Rtg: NR Standard; Soundtrack: English; audio commentary; theatrical trailers. Region Free

Product details

• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ Unrated (Not Rated)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 6.73 x 0.59 inches; 10.37 Ounces
• Audio Description: ‏ : ‎ English
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ IMP2302
• Director ‏ : ‎ Elliott Nugent, George Marshall
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Import
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 157 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ November 6, 2020
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Paul Lukas, Anthony Quinn, Robert Ryan, Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English
• Producers ‏ : ‎ The Bob Hope Collection: The Cat and the Canary / The Ghost Breakers
• Language ‏ : ‎ English (Dolby Digital 2.0)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Imprint Records
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08GL3N6R1
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2
• #8,130 in Comedy (Movies & TV)

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The Cat and the Canary

Bob Hope helps beautiful heiress Paulette Goddard keep her inherited fortune - and stay alive - in Elliott Nugent's classic horror-comedy The Cat and the Canary . With a cracker of a mystery, steady direction ramping up the tension, and Bob Hope's penchant for slinging one-liners, this 1939 gem is still a wild 75-minutes of classic Hollywood entertainment. Kino Lorber Studio Classics delivers a worthwhile Blu-ray featuring a dated but strong transfer with an effective audio mix and a great audio commentary to tackle the bonus features. Recommended

• TECH SPECS & RELEASE DETAILS Technical Specs : Blu-ray DIsc Video Resolution/Codec : 1080p AVC/MPEG-4 Length :72 Release Country :United States Aspect Ratio(s) :1.37:1 English Descriptive Audio : English: DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono Subtitles/Captions : English SDH Special Features : \• Audio Commentary by critic Lee Gambin • Theatrical Trailer Movie Studio : Kino Lorber Release Date : September 15th, 2020

Story Review Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

The family of Cyrus Norman has gathered per the instructions of the millionaire's will at the stroke of midnight ten years to the minute after his fateful death. It is there that his lawyer Mr. Crosby (George Zucco) will read the will. With cousins of distant relations in attendance, socialite Joyce Norman (Paulette Goddard) is named heir. But stipulations in the will account for another heir should Joyce be proven insane or - gasp - die within the next 30 days. With so many people standing to earn a large sum of money, Joyce's only chance for survival - and entertainment - is the goofball actor Wally Campbell (Bob Hope) who is all too happy to rekindle their old romance. All would be well if it weren't for an escaped insane murderer prowling the grounds of the old estate.  

With the one-two punch of Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard's thriller-horror/comedy hybrids of The Cat and the Canary and 1940's The Ghost Breakers , Hollywood quickly caught wind of the box office potential of taking their best comedic teams and scaring the pants off them to the delight of audiences everywhere. Soon everyone from Abbott and Costello to The Three Stooges were enjoying the prospects of a few fright-fueled comedies. While The Cat and the Canary lands somewhere in that horror/comedy echelon, it's closer to being something akin of an Agatha Christie murder mystery like 10 Little Indians only with a comedic bent.  

To the credit of Elliott Nugent and writers Walter De Leon and Lynn Starling working from the play by John Willard, this is a breezy 75-minute feature that never overplays its hand. It sets up the stakes and the major players in fast order, gets the plot out of the way, and lets the hijinks ensue. While you don't get a ton of time to get to know the side players and their motivations, the setup that there is a mysterious possible second beneficiary to the will is enough. Millions of dollars is a chance worth taking even if the crime is a small case of murder. The thrills and chills ramp up steadily but the film never loses sight of the fact that Bob Hope is the star.  

Throughout, Hope is called upon to provide some brave-faced cowardly comedy. As was the case with The Ghost Breakers the man could be his own straight man if the need called. He runs off the jokes with ease, but he never overplays the comedy for yucks. He can mug for the camera but he holds it back enough that it never breaks the 4th wall. The jokes help serve the story instead of the story being in service of the jokes. It may be a Hope vehicle but it's a thriller first with some classic horror elements to spice things up with Bob doing his best to keep the laughs going:

Throughout, the cast is in great form. Hope obviously can hold the audience interest and Paulette Goddard is an effective leading lady, but it's the colorful cast of side characters who can steal the show in their own way. Gale Sondergaard is fun as the spooky spiritually-influenced caretaker. John Beal, Douglass Montgomery, Elizabeth Patterson, and Nydia Westman all get moments within their respective roles. Westman especially gets some bonus comedic time proving herself to be a silly cowardly capable character alongside Bob Hope.  

I hadn't sat down to this movie in ages. A wonderful play, I've gotten to see this performed live on stage and while the play does have some comedy elements, it's not as funny as this movie. It can't be when you have Bob Hope headlining! The first Hope movie I ever saw as a kid was The Ghost Breakers so it's the one I've returned to most often, but I always love sitting down for this one. The Cat and the Canary is a genuine classic that's perfect viewing for the fall season.  

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray

The Cat and the Canary arrives on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. Pressed on a Region A BD-25 disc, the disc is housed in a standard sturdy case. The disc loads to a static image main menu with traditional navigation options.  

• TECH SPECS & RELEASE DETAILS Technical Specs : Blu-ray DIsc Video Resolution/Codec : 1080p AVC/MPEG-4 Length :72 Release Country :United States Aspect Ratio(s) : 1.37:1 Audio Formats : English: DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono Subtitles/Captions : English SDH Special Features : \• Audio Commentary by critic Lee Gambin • Theatrical Trailer Movie Studio : Kino Lorber Release Date : September 15th, 2020

Video Review

Judging from the older Universal Studios opening logo, this 1.37:1 1080p transfer wasn't sourced from a recent restoration or remaster. Not to say that is a bad thing, there are just some cooked in flaws likely the result of the old master source. Details, while not eye-popping, are appreciable throughout. Facial features, costuming, and the film's impressive set-design work are all on display. Close-ups and middle shots look the best but overall the show features some nice refined lines with an organic grain presence. Black levels are pretty good, most of the time reaching that deep inky tone we like to see, but there are a few sequences where contrast is a little hot, and blacks take on a lighter gray tone. Grayscale overall is in good shape with clean shadows.  

The biggest issue with this master is some slight frame judder. It's most apparent during the opening credits, but every few seconds it looks like the frame wants to dance a little before settling down for a stretch. It's not terrible, or all that distracting, but it's one of those things where you see it once, you keep seeing it. After that, there is some age-related specking and a couple of scratches. I hadn't watched this one in some time, I never owned it on DVD even so my memories of past rentals and TCM viewings are hazy, but I'd say this transfer does the film justice. It certainly could use a restoration but that's true for most films. The current condition shouldn't dissuade anyone from a purchase.  

Audio Review

Along for the ride is a perfectly effective DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono mix. Similar to The Ghost Breakers , this mix is perfectly good at what it does and that's largely focusing on dialog and important key sound effects with a few breaks for scoring to punctuate the mood. Atmospherics are pretty restrained, there's not a lot of "dead air" where someone isn't talking or Bob Hope isn't making a joke. A funny moment where Hope is having a conversation with croaking bullfrogs and a few jaunts into the swamps gives the most sense of an atmospheric location. There is some slight hiss throughout, but nothing terrible. The main issue for this mix was I felt the need to pop the volume up a bit more than normal, which in turn led me to hear more hiss. You don't need to ride the volume once you get it set comfortably.  

Special Features

As with the case for most Kino Lorber Studio Classics releases, bonus features aren't a robust package, however the new audio commentary with Lee Gambin is well worth it. Back to back with The Ghost Breakers Lee put in the time for these releases and offers up some fun anecdotes detailing the production. After that, we get a theatrical trailer and a collection of trailers for other KLSC releases.  

• Audio Commentary featuring Lee Gambin

Bottom Line

Final thoughts.

It's hard to pick a favorite between The Cat and the Canary and The Ghost Breakers - both are great movies in their own ways both with Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard in terrific form together. The Ghost Breakers may have a steadier stream of comedy but The Cat and the Canary is probably the better plot leaning into the murder mystery tropes to prop up the humor. At 75-minutes the movie moves fast but doesn't leave anything to waste either. All in all a fun way to spend an evening. Kino Lorber Studio Classics has done a fine job with this release offering up a respectable transfer with solid audio and another great audio commentary to dominate the bonus features. If you're a Bob Hope fan or just like some old-school horror/comedy antics, The Cat and the Canary is Recommended .  

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THE CAT AND THE CANARY and THE GHOST BREAKERS (Eureka Classics) [Blu-ray]

• Blu-ray £21.08

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Product description

Ghosts and gags galore in this charming double-bill of horror-comedies starring Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard.

The Cat and the Canary (dir. Elliott Nugent, 1939) – A decade after the death of an eccentric millionaire, his remaining relatives gather for the reading of the will at his abandoned mansion set deep in the Louisiana bayous. His niece Joyce (Paulette Goddard) is named the sole inheritor, but under the condition that she does not go insane within the next 30 days. The timid Wally (Bob Hope) vows to protect Joyce who must spend the night in the haunted mansion along with her jealous relatives, a creepy maid and a homicidal maniac who has just escaped from a nearby sanitarium.

The Ghost Breakers (dir. George Marshall, 1940) – Larry Lawrence (Hope), sought in connection with a murder he did not commit, eludes New York police by hiding in a steamer trunk. Soon the trunk (and Larry) are aboard a ship bound for Cuba, where the trunk’s owner, pretty Mary Carter (Goddard), is sailing to take possession of a recent inheritance: a “haunted” castle. Sensing that Mary is in danger, Larry and his valet precede her to the island, which is inhabited by a ghost, a zombie and perhaps even a flesh-and-blood fiend. There’s romance, comedy and chills as Hope and Goddard contend with earthly and un-earthly foes―and try to keep from ending up as ghosts themselves.

Eureka Classics is proud to present both films in their UK debuts on Blu-ray.

SPECIAL EDITION BLU-RAY FEATURES*

Limited Edition slipcase (2000 copies) | 1080p presentation of both films from scans of the original film elements supplied by Universal, with The Ghost Breakers presented from a new 2K master | Optional English SDH | Brand new audio commentary tracks on both films with Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby | Kim Newman on “The Cat and the Canary” and “The Ghost Breakers” | “The Ghost Breakers” 1949 radio adaptation | Trailers | Reversible sleeve featuring original poster artwork | PLUS: A limited edition collector’s booklet (2000 copies) featuring new writing by Craig Ian Mann

“solid comedy entertainment [ The Ghost Breakers ]” – Variety

“ The amalgam of farce and horror is very successful [ The Ghost Breakers ]” – The New Yorker

“An entertaining, comedic, and fright-fully good time! [ The Cat and the Canary ] ” – Blu-ray.com

“Elliott Nugent has directed it smartly, taking full advantage of the standard chiller devices for frightening the susceptibles of his audience but never losing sight of his main objective―comedy […] the objective is carried briskly and to our complete satisfaction. [ The Cat and the Canary ] ” – New York Times

Product details

• Rated ‏ : ‎ Parental Guidance
• Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 17.4 x 13.8 x 1.6 cm; 109 Grams
• Director ‏ : ‎ Elliott NUGENT, George MARSHALL
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 40 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ 5 Dec. 2022
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Bob HOPE, Paulette GODDARD
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Eureka Entertainment
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BGQ9B9Z2
• Country of origin ‏ : ‎ United Kingdom
• 324 in Thriller (DVD & Blu-ray)
• 378 in Horror (DVD & Blu-ray)
• 964 in Blu-ray

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Product Key Features

• Studio KL Studio Classics
• Format Blu-ray
• Movie/TV Title The Ghost Breakers
• Sub-Genre Horror
• Aspect Ratio 1.37:1
• Genre Comedy Video
• Item Length 6.66in
• Item Height 0.29in
• Item Width 5.19in
• Item Weight 0.14lb.

Additional Product Features

• Duration 85min.
• Number of Discs 1
• Release Year 1940
• Country/Region of Manufacture United States

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