Hold That Ghost

"Here's That ALL-AMERICAN LAUGH TEAM!"

1941 1h 26m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 79

ComedyHorror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Two bumbling service station attendants are left as the sole beneficiaries in a gangster's will. Their trip to claim their fortune is sidetracked when they are stranded in a haunted house along with several other strangers.

“Here's That ALL-AMERICAN LAUGH TEAM!”

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Cast

Bud Abbott
Chuck Murray
Lou Costello
Ferdinand Jones
Richard Carlson
Doctor Jackson
Joan Davis
Camille Brewster
Mischa Auer
Gregory
Evelyn Ankers
Norma Lind
Marc Lawrence
Charlie Smith
Shemp Howard
Soda Jerk

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Arthur Lubin
Writers: Robert Lees, Frederic I. Rinaldo, John Grant
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

86 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

85 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Arthur Lubin, shot by Elwood Bredell. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Philip Cahn shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello and Richard Carlson carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Here's That ALL-AMERICAN LAUGH TEAM!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0033723 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 79 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Arthur Lubin directs. Elwood Bredell behind the camera. Philip Cahn cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

186 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
285 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Arthur Lubin, shot by Elwood Bredell. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Editor Philip Cahn shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Bud Abbott and Lou Costello and Richard Carlson carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Here's That ALL-AMERICAN LAUGH TEAM!".
7IMDB entry: tt0033723 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 79 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
9Classified under 13 themes, including "casino", "hostage", "detective", "haunted house".

The technical file

Cinematography: Elwood Bredell
Editing: Philip Cahn
Costume design: Vera West
Runtime: 86 min · 1h 26m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Hold That Ghost (1941)

Also by

Arthur Lubin

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2016-05-23
★ 8/10
Look, from now on, keep one eye on that candle, another eye on that one, and with the other eye watch me! Hold That Ghost is directed by Arthur Lubin and collectively written by Robert Lees, Frederic Rinaldo & John Grant. It stars Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Richard Carlson, Joan Davis, Mischa Auer, Evelyn Ankers, and Marc Lawrence. Music is by Hans J. Salter and cinematography by Elwood Bredell. This is the fourth film from Abbott and Costello and finds the boys back on form after a dip in quality with their previous film, In the Navy. Here they play a couple of inept gas station workers who through a bizarre coincidence inherit a gangster's will. This pitches them up at a haunted house, where strangers are in their midst and a host of spooky goings on gets in the way of finding a hidden stash of cash. One of their better efforts for sure, the gags fly off the tongues and the skits are still fresh and exciting. Strong support also helps the flow of things, while musical relief from the zaniness comes via the Andrews Sisters. Well constructed all round really, just keep your eyes on those candles for us! 8/10

Production companies