Comments on: The Ghost Breakers http://thehogshead.org/the-ghost-breakers-3655/ Harry Potter News and Commentary Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:50:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Johnny http://thehogshead.org/the-ghost-breakers-3655/comment-page-1/#comment-456237 Johnny Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:28:39 +0000 http://thehogshead.org/?p=3655#comment-456237 <b>Fricka</b>, I often get confused with <b>revgeorge</b>, being that we're depressed that our baseball teams didn't make the playoffs. It's okay. :) You raise a good point about the stereotypes. The line about Lawrence painting Alex's face white was probably the only line that could be construed as racist. You certainly can look at that period in Hollywood history where black actors had parts that made them look silly. I'm kind of in the middle as far as whether it happened in this film. Willie Best had a great deal of screentime and lines, which was a lot for an African-American actor then. Best and Hope's characters are equally afraid of ghosts and yet it is Hope (and Goddard) that faints in the end. Best is a comedian and has worked with Hope once or twice since that movie. Your comment on Cuban stereotypes (you can extend it to Hispanics in general) is very interesting. It certainly raised red herrings as none of the Cuban characters in the film were actually the villain. A white guy was. <b>Red Rocker</b>, I agree. I love Bob Hope. Fricka, I often get confused with revgeorge, being that we’re depressed that our baseball teams didn’t make the playoffs. It’s okay. :)

You raise a good point about the stereotypes. The line about Lawrence painting Alex’s face white was probably the only line that could be construed as racist. You certainly can look at that period in Hollywood history where black actors had parts that made them look silly. I’m kind of in the middle as far as whether it happened in this film. Willie Best had a great deal of screentime and lines, which was a lot for an African-American actor then. Best and Hope’s characters are equally afraid of ghosts and yet it is Hope (and Goddard) that faints in the end. Best is a comedian and has worked with Hope once or twice since that movie. Your comment on Cuban stereotypes (you can extend it to Hispanics in general) is very interesting. It certainly raised red herrings as none of the Cuban characters in the film were actually the villain. A white guy was.

Red Rocker, I agree. I love Bob Hope.

]]> By: Fricka http://thehogshead.org/the-ghost-breakers-3655/comment-page-1/#comment-456152 Fricka Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:25:01 +0000 http://thehogshead.org/?p=3655#comment-456152 I've had some additional thoughts since my last post on this film.. The character of the black side-kick was clearly stereotypical; he reminds me of the character that used to pop up in some of the old Abbot and Costello and Charlie Chan films--the scardey-cat negro servant or employee. There's even a line spoken by Bob Hope that was probably innocent enough at the time, but which would be constructed as racist today: the one ending with something like, ". . .keep this up, and I'll have to paint you white." Also, the role of the Cuban male is very stereotyped in this. I got to thinking about this after I noted that it was hard to tell some of the males apart, as they all had mustaches, dressed well, seemed charming, and had similar facial features. I think several of the Cuban males ended up being friends rather than foe, but with the black and white filming, plus the casting of similar looking males, it was hard to tell who was which. The saying "They all look alike" must have been something that applied to characters in minority ethinic groups besides the negro or black, in Hollywood back then. I’ve had some additional thoughts since my last post on this film.. The character of the black side-kick was clearly stereotypical; he reminds me of the character that used to pop up in some of the old Abbot and Costello and Charlie Chan films–the scardey-cat negro servant or employee. There’s even a line spoken by Bob Hope that was probably innocent enough at the time, but which would be constructed as racist today: the one ending with something like,
“. . .keep this up, and I’ll have to paint you white.”
Also, the role of the Cuban male is very stereotyped in this. I got to thinking about this after I noted that it was hard to tell some of the males apart, as they all had mustaches, dressed well, seemed charming, and had similar facial features. I think several of the Cuban males ended up being friends rather than foe, but with the black and white filming, plus the casting of similar looking males, it was hard to tell who was which. The saying “They all look alike” must have been something that applied to characters in minority ethinic groups besides the negro or black, in Hollywood back then.

]]> By: Fricka http://thehogshead.org/the-ghost-breakers-3655/comment-page-1/#comment-456067 Fricka Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:31:27 +0000 http://thehogshead.org/?p=3655#comment-456067 Just finished watching the film. As Behold a Phoenix has written, the film has some definite gothic elements, such as the haunted castle, and of course the fact that it is in black-and-white makes it much more atmospheric. Bob Hope adds a interesting romantic/comedic element which keeps the film from taking itself too seriously. I did find that the proliferation of mysterious men was a bit much-- one or two would have been enough. They all seemed to look similar, too, --they were all mustachioed and sinister looking--and the fact that the film was in black-and-white, as I mentioned earlier, made it more difficult to tell the players apart. Then on top of that, Anthony Quinn played twins, one of whom was murdered in a hotel corridor.(Incidentally leading to one of the films funniest lines, when Bob Hope, thinking he shot the man, asks, " Is it murder to kill a perfect stranger?") Just finished watching the film. As Behold a Phoenix has written, the film has some definite gothic elements, such as the haunted castle, and of course the fact that it is in black-and-white makes it much more atmospheric. Bob Hope adds a interesting romantic/comedic element which keeps the film from taking itself too seriously. I did find that the proliferation of mysterious men was a bit much– one or two would have been enough. They all seemed to look similar, too, –they were all mustachioed and sinister looking–and the fact that the film was in black-and-white, as I mentioned earlier, made it more difficult to tell the players apart. Then on top of that, Anthony Quinn played twins, one of whom was murdered in a hotel corridor.(Incidentally leading to one of the films funniest lines, when Bob Hope, thinking he shot the man, asks, ” Is it murder to kill a perfect stranger?”)

]]> By: Fricka http://thehogshead.org/the-ghost-breakers-3655/comment-page-1/#comment-456063 Fricka Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:43:40 +0000 http://thehogshead.org/?p=3655#comment-456063 Oops, you are right! Sorry, Johnny! Forgive me. Oops, you are right! Sorry, Johnny! Forgive me.

]]> By: revgeorge http://thehogshead.org/the-ghost-breakers-3655/comment-page-1/#comment-455996 revgeorge Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:03:17 +0000 http://thehogshead.org/?p=3655#comment-455996 Except it was Johnny who posted this. ;) Except it was Johnny who posted this. ;)

]]> By: Fricka http://thehogshead.org/the-ghost-breakers-3655/comment-page-1/#comment-455992 Fricka Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:46:20 +0000 http://thehogshead.org/?p=3655#comment-455992 Sounds like a lot of fun, revgeorge. I agree with RR in re Bob Hope. I'm planning to watch and listen to this short film later this afternoon. :-) Sounds like a lot of fun, revgeorge. I agree with RR in re Bob Hope. I’m planning to watch and listen to this short film later this afternoon. :-)

]]> By: Red Rocker http://thehogshead.org/the-ghost-breakers-3655/comment-page-1/#comment-455988 Red Rocker Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:57:27 +0000 http://thehogshead.org/?p=3655#comment-455988 I remember seeing the movie - a long time ago. Seeing it described this way, sounds like the makers identified and included many of the classic elements of a gothic suspense story. BTW, I love Bob Hope. Seeing his name on the credits was always a guarantee of a certain kind of entertainment: you knew the movie wouldn't take itself too seriously, but it would still try to stick to the ostensible plot. I remember seeing the movie – a long time ago. Seeing it described this way, sounds like the makers identified and included many of the classic elements of a gothic suspense story.

BTW, I love Bob Hope. Seeing his name on the credits was always a guarantee of a certain kind of entertainment: you knew the movie wouldn’t take itself too seriously, but it would still try to stick to the ostensible plot.

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