''Three Live Ghosts'' is a 1929 American

Pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was an era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry that occurred between the widespread adoption of sound in film in the late 1920s and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship gui ...

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

Thornton Freeland Thornton Freeland (February 10, 1898 – May 22, 1987) was an American film director who directed 26 British and American films in a career that lasted from 1924 to 1949. Early success He was born in Hope, North Dakota in 1898 and originally ...

and starring Beryl Mercer,

Harry Stubbs Harry Oakes Stubbs (December 7, 1874 – May 9, 1950) was an English-born American character actor, who appeared both on Broadway and in films. He was born on December 7, 1874, in Southampton, Hampshire, England. Stubbs immigrated from England ...

, and Joan Bennett; with Robert Montgomery, and

Tenen Holtz Tenen Holtz (born Alex Elihu Tenenholtz; February 17, 1887 – July 1, 1971) was an American actor. He appeared in nearly 60 films between 1926 and 1961. Biography Holtz was born in Ozeran, Volhynia district, now in Ukraine, and came to th ...

. The screenplay concerns three veterans of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

who return home to London after the

armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from t ...

, only to find they have been mistakenly listed as dead.BFI Database
/ref> It was based on the 1920 play ''Three Live Ghosts'' by Frederic S. Isham. Made in the early sound era when Hollywood savored any successful play and its dialogue, this film is a rendition of the Broadway play and also a remake of the 1922 Paramount silent, '' Three Live Ghosts''. Mercer, McNaughton, and Allister would reprise their roles for a 1936

remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same s ...

produced by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

Plot

Cast

* Beryl Mercer as Mrs. Gubbins * Hilda Vaughn as Peggy Woofers *

as Bolton * Joan Bennett as Rose Gordon * Nanci Price as Alice * Charles McNaughton as Jimmie Grubbins * Robert Montgomery as William Foster * Claud Allister as Spoofy * Arthur Clayton as Paymaster *

as Crockery Man * Shayle Gardner as Briggs * Jack Cooper as Benson * Jocelyn Lee as Lady Leicester

References

External links

* * * 1929 films 1929 comedy films 1920s English-language films Silent American comedy films American films based on plays Films set in London American remakes of British films Films directed by Thornton Freeland 1929 directorial debut films Sound film remakes of silent films American black-and-white films 1920s American films Films scored by Hugo Riesenfeld English-language comedy films {{1920s-comedy-film-stub

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links