Whispering Ghosts

1942's "Whispering Ghosts" served as a rare leading role for Milton Berle, still seven years away from TV stardom as 'Uncle Miltie,' for Sol Wurtzel's 'B' picture unit at Fox. In an obvious nod to Bob Hope's "The Ghost Breakers," Berle plays a radio sleuth, H. H. Van Buren, trying to solve the ten year old ax murder of a ship's captain who had hidden a cache of diamonds on his schooner the Black Joker. Also like Hope, Willie Best is on hand to provide wisecracks aplenty, but here, sadly, the ghosts are nonexistent. Instead, we get a pair of ham actors posing as the dead captain's first mate, Long Jack (John Carradine), and sweetheart Meg (Renie Riano), plus the captain's grand niece and heir (Brenda Joyce). The only real mystery is why nobody found the jewels before, the culprit's identity painfully obvious right from his opening scene. Carradine, Grady Sutton, and Milton Parsons are on hand to prop up the second half, as the picture remains anchored to that houseboat and doesn't budge. More serious and less cowardly than Bob Hope, Milton Berle proves himself capable of carrying a picture, though his material is substandard, his constant racial banter with Best providing the most amusement. For John Carradine, it was quite a comedown from acknowledged 'A' classics like "The Grapes of Wrath" and the recent "Son of Fury" to this ignominious little 'B,' but he's genuinely funny raising his eye patch to get a better look at the note handed to him by Berle. By his second scene, he's already revealed to be an actor named Norbert, so all the ghost talk is a cheat. He was constantly in demand as a freelance actor over the next four years, but many of the Poverty Row choices made resulted in a decline in his screen fortunes, due to his unwavering devotion to Shakespeare, and the company he wanted so desperately to succeed during the difficult war years. Incidentally, 'Long Jack' was also the name given to him in his favorite film, "Captains Courageous," while at one point, he is referred to by Berle as Dracula!

"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.

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.

Van Buren (Berle) "The Man Who Lifts the Veil" in a weekly radio mystery series, attempts to solve an actual murder that occurred several years before. This film is VERY much like the film "Mystery Broadcast", but the latter is a MUCH better film. Berle seems "out of place" here, and his wisecracks tend to "fall flat" in many scenes (esp. aboard the ship, the "Black Joker"). What saves this film from being mediocre is the "scared reaction " comedy of Willie Best, and the strange assortment of characters. It's quite enjoyable to watch, but is NOT a "classic mystery"! Norm

Whispering Ghosts (1942)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Radio host H.H. Van Buren (Milton Berle) does a weekly show where he introduces a cold case and then the following week gives away the real murderer. With the latest mystery expected to bring him a ton a new listeners he realizes that he really doesn't know who the killer is so he heads out to a creepy boat where he comes under attack from a man with a hatchet.

WHISPERING GHOSTS is a comedy that has several of the "old dark house" elements thrown in for fun. Of course, the biggest difference is that they involve a ship instead of a house but for the most part this Fox comedy is entertaining enough if you enjoy these old time mysteries. It certainly helps that you've got a pretty good cast of characters and plenty of horror elements.

We should be honest that the entire story isn't anything too great but at just 75 minutes the director and cast get enough out of it to make for an entertaining movie. Berle appears to be having fun playing this wannabe detective and he and Willie Best actually have a very good chemistry together. Their work certainly brings a few laughs from the screenplay. Also on hand is Brenda Joyce as the new owner of the ship of John Carradine gets to play a weird man who ends up on the ship.

The horror elements are a plenty as there's a lot of fog, mysterious figures walking around, scary glowing eyes and other items. WHISPERING GHOSTS certainly isn't a masterpiece but it's a solid entertaining.