Ghosts on the Loose (1943)
Directed by William Beaudine, Ghosts on the Loose is a fast-paced comedy-horror hybrid featuring the popular East Side Kids gang, a young Ava Gardner, and the ever-creepy Bela Lugosi. Released by Monogram Pictures, this film blends slapstick antics with spooky setups, making it a cult favorite among fans of low-budget 1940s genre mashups.
Plot Summary
Mugs McGinnis (Leo Gorcey) and his pals are helping newlyweds Danny (Bobby Jordan) and Betty (Ava Gardner) fix up their new home. But thanks to a mix-up, they end up redecorating the wrong house—one that’s being used by a group of Nazi sympathizers posing as spiritualists, led by the sinister Emil (Bela Lugosi).
As the gang stumbles upon secret passages, moving portraits, and mysterious noises, they suspect the house is haunted. What follows is a series of comic misadventures involving mistaken identities, patriotic sabotage, and plenty of ghostly gags.
Cast Highlights
- Leo Gorcey as Mugs McGinnis
- Huntz Hall as Glimpy
- Bobby Jordan as Danny
- Ava Gardner as Betty (in one of her earliest credited roles)
- Bela Lugosi as Emil
- Ernest Morrison, William Benedict, and Stanley Clements round out the East Side Kids crew
Behind-the-Scenes Trivia
- This was the first credited film role for Ava Gardner, who was billed in some theaters as “Mrs. Mickey Rooney” following her recent marriage
- It marked the final appearance of Ernest Morrison (“Scruno”) as an active East Side Kid
- The film was shot in just six days, a testament to Beaudine’s nickname “One-Take Beaudine”
- A long-standing rumor claimed Lugosi sneezed and accidentally said a four-letter word on camera. In reality, he was sneezing in Hungarian—“Hapci!”—which was misinterpreted
