Whispering Ghosts

Watching Whispering Ghosts and Milton Berle's scenes with Willie Best I was put in mind of Bob Hope with Willie Best in The Ghostbreakers. It was obvious that 20th Century Fox was trying to turn Berle into their version of Bob Hope with films like these. But super stardom would have wait until television for Milton Berle.

That being said Whispering Ghosts isn't a bad comedy. Berle plays a criminologist who solves mysteries on his radio show. But he's advancing theories of crimes where the principals are long dead. When he offers to solve the mystery of Brenda Joyce's uncle who was murdered and left a buried treasure there a few folks still alive who want said treasure.

Joyce's uncle was a sea captain and he was killed aboard his ship. His will contains the usual cryptic clues as to the whereabouts of the treasure. As is usual a few cast members die before the mystery is solved.

Uncle Miltie has his usual wisecracks, but the funniest is John Carradine all made up in pirate costume telling Berle and Best he was first mate to Joyce's uncle. Carradine looked like he was having a great old time shivering everyone's timbers as a pirate, Rene Riano comes in a close second as Carradine loony sister.

Whispering Ghosts while done on the cheap is still a fun film and a must for Uncle Miltie's fans.

This is my second consecutive review of a movie starring a comedian who'd eventually become a bigger success on a new phenomenon called television several years later. Milton Berle made one of his few starring features during the '40s in a vehicle which would have been suitable for Bob Hope or Red Skelton-except he seems to play the role mostly straight with whatever wisecracks only intermittently funny. Still, this was a pretty intriguing mystery he did and there's still some pleasures like some of his banter with Willie Best as his servant as well as a player from my favorite movie-It's a Wonderful LIfe-in this case, Charles Halton, appearing in an early scene. Actually, there are also some nice visually chilling and occasionally funny touches to recommend as well. I was surprised to see someone else other than Berle dressed in drag here. Oh, and seeing John Carradine was also a hoot to see! So on that note, Whispering Ghosts is worth a look for any Berle completists out there.

"Whispering Ghosts" was an odd movie because although it stars Milton Berle, he isn't very much like you'd expect. While this comedian made his name on stage with his almost encyclopedic knowledge of jokes (a few were even his own), here he isn't exactly doing comedy. And, in fact, sometimes he seems more like a macho hero type! This was definitely NOT what I expected to see!

The film is a murder mystery film--very much a staple of B movies of the era. In this case, H.H. Van Buren (Berle) has a radio show and through it ends up getting caught up in a murder mystery and hunt for stolen diamonds aboard an old, possibly haunted, boat. On hand to help him is Willie Best--who played pretty much the same sort of role in a similar film, Bob Hope's "Ghost Breakers". The only problem is that while Best's character KNOWS bad things are afoot, Van Buren actually thinks it's all an act and that he's not in any danger at all.

Overall, this is a mildly interesting film but mostly of interest as a curiosity because it stars Berle...even if he doesn't seem much like Berle here. Nothing outstanding in any way...just a very typical B- mystery with an atypical sort of leading man.

Light comedy flavors this mystery by way of exaggerated characters, with a few sight gags and small touches of situational humor adjoining. Those characters are rather the key, though, because the story introduces so many that the film starts to feel overstuffed. At the same time, while the cast performs admirably in the roles they're given, the scenario is overdone to the point that with more lively jocularity the picture would fit neatly among the works of more famous comedians - say, Laurel and Hardy, or Abbott and Costello. For as suitably well as this is made, however, it feels distinctly lacking and hollow. I said "light comedy," but the truth is that the levity is so gentle that it doesn't really leave an impression. Plot development comes across as meager - and given how many characters are involved, also scattered - so any vibes of tension or suspense mostly wallow in the conglomeration of light and sound. Why, murder is committed, and the occurrence comes and goes with such passivity that one could easily miss that it had happened at all! 'Whispering ghosts' isn't abjectly terrible, but mark this as an older film that doesn't particularly stand very tall 80 years later.

I do rather like the ensemble, including not least of all Willie Best; Euclid is written as so over the top that the role is almost a stereotype, but Best does a fine job and kind of steals the show. The production design is solid; the sets look outstanding, and are the single best part of the picture. Kudos to those who worked behind the scenes on this one - only, would that the contributions of writers Lou Breslow and Philip MacDonald, or director Alfred L. Werker, were as noteworthy. Even the climax arrives with an abruptness that feels contrived, emphasizing how scenes and dialogue are written with such nonchalance, and executed with even more, that robs them of any import. I think there are good ideas here, but "think" is the key word, because the movie communicates narrative beats so lackadaisically that I'm not sure I could retell the story. The last thing any film should do is allow a viewer's attention to wander, but here we are.

I've watched many features hailing all the way back to the silent era and absolutely loved them. A preponderance of the best movies that have ever been made, or will be made, come from the first half of the twentieth century. 'Whispering ghosts,' sadly, does not join that honored company, nor does it ever come close. The generosity of acknowledging "simpler entertainment for a simpler time" doesn't even really apply here, as no matter the era, what a movie above all requires is to capably convey its tale, and this falls short. It's fleetingly adequate for a diversion on a lazy day, but unfortunately I think 'Whispering ghosts' is a title that's best reserved for when you really have nothing else to watch in the moment.

A radio detective and his sidekick investigate the death of a ship captain a decade earlier, and head to a ghost ship to pick up on some clues. An unusual group of people gather on the wreck of a ship, and so does the murderer who likes brandishing his hatchet.

Fast-paced mystery with some good gags. Got a soft spot old dark house mystery, only difference it's on a ship. Though the role of the radio detective was tailor made for Bob Hope, Milton does a good job, his rapport with his sidekick is amusing. Fun mystery.