Lucky Ghost (1942)

67-68 mins | Fantasy | 10 February 1942

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HISTORY

The onscreen credits incorrectly spell actor and newspaper columnist Harry Levette's name "Lavette." Actor Vernon McCalla's surname is misspelled "McCella." The MPH review notes that this film was the second of seven films planned for production by Jed Buell. Lucky Ghost is a follow-up to the 1940 Buell film Mr. Washington Goes to Town, which also starred Mantan Moreland and F. H. Miller and featured the characters "Brutus Blake" and "Blackstone." (See AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1931-40; F3.2929.) Lucky Ghost was originally titled Lady Luck. Material contained in the MPAA/PCA Collection at the AMPAS Library indicates that the film underwent a title change in late 1941 or early 1942. The reason for the change in title is not noted in the records. ...

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The onscreen credits incorrectly spell actor and newspaper columnist Harry Levette's name "Lavette." Actor Vernon McCalla's surname is misspelled "McCella." The MPH review notes that this film was the second of seven films planned for production by Jed Buell. Lucky Ghost is a follow-up to the 1940 Buell film Mr. Washington Goes to Town, which also starred Mantan Moreland and F. H. Miller and featured the characters "Brutus Blake" and "Blackstone." (See AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1931-40; F3.2929.) Lucky Ghost was originally titled Lady Luck. Material contained in the MPAA/PCA Collection at the AMPAS Library indicates that the film underwent a title change in late 1941 or early 1942. The reason for the change in title is not noted in the records.

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SOURCE CITATIONS
SOURCE
DATE
PAGE
The Exhibitor
25 Feb 1942
---
Motion Picture Herald Product Digest
21 Feb 1942
p. 518
CAST
PRODUCTION CREDITS
NAME
PARENT COMPANY
PRODUCTION COMPANY
NAME
CREDITED AS
CREDIT
DIRECTORS
William X. Crowley
Dir
Edwin Monfort
Asst dir
PRODUCERS
Prod
Assoc prod
WRITERS
Story
Story
PHOTOGRAPHY
Dir of photog
ART DIRECTOR
Eugene Stone
Art dir
FILM EDITOR
Film ed
MUSIC
Mus dir
Mus by
and His Chocolate Drops
SOUND
PRODUCTION MISC
Prod mgr
SOURCES
SONGS
"If Anybody Cares," "When You Think of Loving, Think of Me" and "Can't Use It Anymore," music and lyrics by Don Swander and June Hershey; "In Old Darktown," music and lyrics by McClure Morris.
DETAILS
Alternate Titles:
Lady Luck
Spooky Lucky Ghost
Release Date:
10 February 1942
Production Date:

Duration(in mins):
67-68
Length(in feet):
5,489
Length(in reels):
6
Country:
United States
Language:
English
PCA No:
6533
Passed by NBR:
Yes
SYNOPSIS

After being ordered by a judge to get out of town, ne'er-do-well Washington Delaware Jones and his pal Jefferson hit the road in search of a new home. While traveling, they discuss the possibility of getting white-collar jobs. Because they are both hungry, Washington and Jefferson decide to pursue careers as food tasters. They begin training for the profession by posing as food inspectors and stealing chickens from a chicken coop. The duo then come across a wealthy man named Brown, stranded on a country road because his car has run out of gas. While Brown's chauffeur is off looking for gas, Washington and Jefferson engage Brown and his friend Dawson in a dice game. After winning all of Dawson's and Brown's money, Washington and Jefferson take their car and instruct the chauffeur to drive them to Dr. Brutus Blake's Sanitarium and Country Club. When Washington and Jefferson arrive at Blake's elegant but crooked establishment, Blake thinks that they are rich and plans to fleece them in a fixed crap game. While Washington and Jefferson settle into the sanitarium, Blake and his partner, Blackstone, become embroiled in a bitter argument. The argument eventually leads Blackstone to threaten Blake with informing on his activities. Later, when Blake sees Washington dancing with the hostess, he flies into a jealous rage and picks a fight with him. Blake is knocked unconscious in the fight when a punch he intends for Washington lands on a wall and dislodges a hanging plate over his head. Calm is soon restored, however, when the hostess reminds Blake that Washington and Jefferson are wealthy and that he needs ...

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After being ordered by a judge to get out of town, ne'er-do-well Washington Delaware Jones and his pal Jefferson hit the road in search of a new home. While traveling, they discuss the possibility of getting white-collar jobs. Because they are both hungry, Washington and Jefferson decide to pursue careers as food tasters. They begin training for the profession by posing as food inspectors and stealing chickens from a chicken coop. The duo then come across a wealthy man named Brown, stranded on a country road because his car has run out of gas. While Brown's chauffeur is off looking for gas, Washington and Jefferson engage Brown and his friend Dawson in a dice game. After winning all of Dawson's and Brown's money, Washington and Jefferson take their car and instruct the chauffeur to drive them to Dr. Brutus Blake's Sanitarium and Country Club. When Washington and Jefferson arrive at Blake's elegant but crooked establishment, Blake thinks that they are rich and plans to fleece them in a fixed crap game. While Washington and Jefferson settle into the sanitarium, Blake and his partner, Blackstone, become embroiled in a bitter argument. The argument eventually leads Blackstone to threaten Blake with informing on his activities. Later, when Blake sees Washington dancing with the hostess, he flies into a jealous rage and picks a fight with him. Blake is knocked unconscious in the fight when a punch he intends for Washington lands on a wall and dislodges a hanging plate over his head. Calm is soon restored, however, when the hostess reminds Blake that Washington and Jefferson are wealthy and that he needs their money. While Washington and Jefferson are graciously escorted into Blake's gambling room, the ghosts of Blake's dead relatives discuss their regret at having bequeathed the place to him. Because they feel that Blake has turned the sanitarium into a sinful place, the ghosts send the ghost of Ezra Dewey, Blake's uncle, to straighten out the situation. The invisible Ezra arrives at the sanitarium just as Blake has lost the place in a bet to Washington and Jefferson. Much to the dismay of the ghosts, the sanitarium under the management of Washington and Jefferson remains a sinful place. Ezra is now joined by the other ghosts in his effort to rid the property of all the noise and sinful activity. Meanwhile, Blake and Blackstone make plans to regain control of the sanitarium by having the sheriff arrest Washington and Jefferson on trumped-up charges. The scheme is soon thwarted by Ezra, who overhears the plans and spooks Blake by telling him that his dead relatives are ashamed of him. The ghosts then scare away Jefferson, Washington and the others by haunting the sanitarium. After handing over their dice and money to a piano-playing skeleton, Washington and Jefferson run away.

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Legend
Viewed by AFI
Partially Viewed
Offscreen Credit
Name Occurs Before Title
AFI Life Achievement Award

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