The Ghost Breakers

Starring the delightful Paulette Goddard, wearing one fetching Edith Head designed outfit after another. Paulette is about to inherit a spooky castle in Cuba, of all places. This being 1940, Cuba is described in the movie as "truly the island of romance" and "vacationland!". Just as she is set to sign the papers, she and Bob Hope, whom she has befriended, are given dire warnings of the evil that lurks upon the estate..."A zombie has no will of its own. You see them sometimes walking around blindly, with dead eyes, following orders, not knowing what they do, not caring", to which Bob shoots back "You mean like Democrats?". But spunky Paulette signs anyway and leaves a stormy Manhattan for the long voyage to the 'island of romance' with Bob scrunched up in her travel trunk. Creepy events soon begin to take place after arriving in Havana(looking very spiffy back then) when Paulette and Bob accompanied by his manservant(remember them?!)head over to the cobwebbed filled castle. I would like to mention Pedro de Cordoba who plays the Cuban consulate helping Paulette in signing her papers of ownership. He only appears in one scene(the opening scene)but he carried the air of a true gentleman, very debonair and regal. I'm trying to think if there are men like him to be found in our present day and I'm drawing a big blank. That aside, I recommend this black and white classic produced by Arthur Hornblow Jr.                              11/3/08