''Three Live Ghosts'' is a 1929 American

Pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship guidelines, popularly known ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

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 wor ...

and starring

Beryl Mercer Beryl Mercer (August 13, 1882 – July 28, 1939) was a Spanish-born American actress of stage and screen who was based in the United States. Early years Beryl Mercer was born to British parents in Seville on 13 August 1882. Her father wa ...

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 Joan Geraldine Bennett (February 27, 1910 – December 7, 1990) was an American stage, film, and television actress. She came from a show-business family, one of three acting sisters. Beginning her career on the stage, Bennett appeared in more t ...

; 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 Imperial Russia, and came to the United States when he wa ...

. The screenplay concerns three veterans of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

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 the ...

, 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 ''Three Live Ghosts'' is a novel by Frederic Isham published in 1918. He adapted it into the 1920 Broadway play of the same name produced by Max Marcin. There were also three film adaptations: * ''Three Live Ghosts'' (1922 film), a British com ...

''. Mercer, McNaughton, and Allister would reprise their roles for a 1936 remake produced by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...

Cast

as Mrs. Gubbins *

Hilda Vaughn Hilda Vaughn (December 27, 1898 – December 28, 1957) was an American actress of the stage, film, radio, and television. Early years Hilda Weiller Strouse, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Eli Strouse, Vaughn attended Vassar College and the Ame ...

as Peggy Woofers *

as Bolton *

as Rose Gordon *Nanci Price as Alice *Charles McNaughton as Jimmie Grubbins * Robert Montgomery as William Foster *

Claud Allister Claud Allister (born William Claud Michael Palmer, 3 October 1888 – 26 July 1970) was an English actor with an extensive film career in both Britain and Hollywood, where he appeared in more than 70 films between 1929 and 1955. Life and ...

as Spoofy * Arthur Clayton as Paymaster *

as Crockery Man *

Shayle Gardner Shayle Gardner (22 August 1890 – 17 May 1945) was an actor from New Zealand actor. Partial filmography * '' The Indian Love Lyrics'' (1923) * '' St. Elmo'' (1923) * '' The Chinese Bungalow'' (1926) * ''Tommy Atkins'' (1928) * '' Sailors Don't Ca ...

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 {{1920s-comedy-film-stub