Smiling Ghost is a weak "B"-grade mystery-comedy. The solution of the mystery is obvious, even though the scriptwriters unfairly make a clumsy attempt to throw the audience off the scent by having the madman killer turn up both fortuitously and inconsistently - or maybe it was just plain inept plotting.
The characters are all familiar "B"-grade denizens too. While the dialogue has some occasional flashes of mild wit, most of the comedy is crude slapstick involving cowardly comedian, Willie Best.
Alexis Smith is none too flatteringly photographed and Brenda Marshall looks quite plain. Mr. Morris is his usual dumb, brash self, but the film's real tour-de-force comes from Charles Halton, completely unrecognizable, both in voice and appearance, as the crazy uncle with the shrunken heads.
At first sight, Chester Clute has a more characteristic part, but his appearance has an unusual development. Nice to see some more of our favorite cameo players like Clem Bevans, Renie Riano, Vera Lewis, Tom Dugan and Emmett Vogan too.
Lee Patrick's part is not large, but she has a few effective lines which make her appearance stay in the memory. She is very indulgently treated by director Lewis Seiler and photographer Arthur Todd, both of whom seem to have taken a set against their main female leads.
The lighting in the ghost sequences is fairly atmospheric, though it was a mistake to film full-length shots in which the ghost's slight but obviously solid body renders him a figure of considerably less menace.
The film adheres to all the conventions of the "B"-grader though the number and lavishness of the sets is way, way above the usual "B" budget. But the director rarely makes the most effective use of his opportunities and the direction tends to be as dull and routine and filling-in-time as most of the dialogue.
There is no music credit, so one can assume the music is canned but it is effective. Other credits are competent, though the film would be much improved by sharper film editing.
The characters are all familiar "B"-grade denizens too. While the dialogue has some occasional flashes of mild wit, most of the comedy is crude slapstick involving cowardly comedian, Willie Best.
Alexis Smith is none too flatteringly photographed and Brenda Marshall looks quite plain. Mr. Morris is his usual dumb, brash self, but the film's real tour-de-force comes from Charles Halton, completely unrecognizable, both in voice and appearance, as the crazy uncle with the shrunken heads.
At first sight, Chester Clute has a more characteristic part, but his appearance has an unusual development. Nice to see some more of our favorite cameo players like Clem Bevans, Renie Riano, Vera Lewis, Tom Dugan and Emmett Vogan too.
Lee Patrick's part is not large, but she has a few effective lines which make her appearance stay in the memory. She is very indulgently treated by director Lewis Seiler and photographer Arthur Todd, both of whom seem to have taken a set against their main female leads.
The lighting in the ghost sequences is fairly atmospheric, though it was a mistake to film full-length shots in which the ghost's slight but obviously solid body renders him a figure of considerably less menace.
The film adheres to all the conventions of the "B"-grader though the number and lavishness of the sets is way, way above the usual "B" budget. But the director rarely makes the most effective use of his opportunities and the direction tends to be as dull and routine and filling-in-time as most of the dialogue.
There is no music credit, so one can assume the music is canned but it is effective. Other credits are competent, though the film would be much improved by sharper film editing.