Topper Takes a Trip (1938)
Directed by Norman Z. McLeod, Topper Takes a Trip is the whimsical sequel to the 1937 hit Topper, continuing the supernatural adventures of the befuddled banker Cosmo Topper. This time, the ghostly Marion Kerby returns solo—without her husband George—to help Topper reconcile with his estranged wife and earn her own entry into heaven.
Plot Summary
After the events of the first film, Mrs. Topper (Billie Burke) sues Cosmo (Roland Young) for divorce, believing he’s been unfaithful. Marion Kerby (Constance Bennett), now a solo spirit, descends from the afterlife to set things right. She follows Cosmo to France, where he’s trying to win back his wife, and uses her ghostly powers to meddle in everything from roulette wheels to hotel beds. Along the way, she’s joined by a ghost dog named Atlas, adding even more chaos to the mix.
Cast Highlights
- Constance Bennett as Marion Kerby
- Roland Young as Cosmo Topper
- Billie Burke as Mrs. Topper
- Franklin Pangborn as the Hotel Manager
- Verree Teasdale, Alan Mowbray, and Alexander D’Arcy in supporting roles
- Skippy the Dog as Atlas (Skippy was already famous for playing Asta in The Thin Man)
Behind-the-Scenes Trivia
- This was the second of three films adapted from Thorne Smith’s novels by producer Hal Roach
- Cary Grant, who played George Kerby in the original Topper, declined to return; a clip from the first film was reused to explain his absence, and he was credited accordingly
- The film features a Philco “Mystery Control” remote, a real 1939 wireless device, visible in the background of a bar scene—despite the film being released a year earlier
- Actress Marie Barde made her final film appearance in this production
