The Smiling Ghost (1941): Cast & Plot
The Smiling Ghost is a 1941 comedy horror film directed by Lewis Seiler, starring Lee Patrick as Rose Fairchild, Alexis Smith and Helen Westley. It runs 1 hour 11 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 11m (71 min)
- Director
- Lewis Seiler
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Smiling Ghost About?
The premise of The Smiling Ghost without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
It blends eerie and cheery tones as Elinor Bentley Fairchild, whose last three fiancés have died or been maimed, seeks to break the curse. Her aunt hires Lucky Downing to become engaged to her for a month, but Lucky soon becomes the target of what appears to be the ghost of one of the former suitors.
The Smiling Ghost Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- black servant
- jealous cousin
- b movie
- spiral staircase
- haunted mansion
- creaky footsteps
- night noises
- fear
- feet do your stuff fear
- racial stereotype
- stock footage
- insanity
+38 more Show fewer
- double take
- grindhouse film
- woman bound and gagged
- locked in a coffin
- electrical outage
- guard dog
- marriage engagement
- comedy farce
- fistfight
- grandmother granddaughter relationship
- dagger as weapon
- based on story
- african american
- servant
- secret panel
- lightning storm
- drunkenness
- interrupted wedding ceremony
- impostor
- valet
- new york city
- great dane
- changing hotel rooms
- series of murders
- human guinea pig
- reference to mary queen of scots
- midnight
- scream
- cellar
- face mask
- woman in jeopardy
- change of heart
- feigning illness
- dark comedy
- whodunnit mystery
- locked room mystery
- femme fatale
- romantic comedy
The Smiling Ghost Cast & Characters
Lee Patrick leads the cast as Rose Fairchild, with Alexis Smith as Elinor Bentley and Helen Westley as Grandmother Bentley. Directed by Lewis Seiler; 14 actors are credited in all.
- Director Lewis Seiler
-
Lee Patrick as Rose Fairchild - Alexis Smith as Elinor Bentley
- Helen Westley as Grandmother Bentley
- Wayne Morris as Alexander "Lucky" Downing
Also Starring in The Smiling Ghost
· 10 more- David Bruce Paul Myron
- Brenda Marshall Lil Barstow
- Willie Best Clarence
- Charles Halton Ames Bentley
- Richard Ainley Tennant Bentley
- Roland Drew Hilton Fairchild
- Clem Bevans Sexton at cemetery
- Alan Hale Norton
- Arthur Aylesworth Justice Of The Peace
- George Meader Dinwiddle
More from Lewis Seiler
More films directed by Lewis Seiler: The True Story of Lynn Stuart, Battle Stations, Women’s Prison and The Bamboo Prison.
The Smiling Ghost Plot Summary
What happens in The Smiling Ghost from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 5-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
The story unfolds around the elderly Mrs. Bentley (Helen Westley) and her sharp-witted lawyer, who respond to a newspaper ad from a recently unemployed and unmarried engineer seeking work “doing anything legal.” The pair arrange a meeting with the man, the enigmatic Alexander “Lucky” Downing (Wayne Morris), and soon present him with a strikingly modern offer: $1000 to pretend to be engaged to Mrs. Bentley’s granddaughter, Elinor Bentley Fairchild (Alexis Smith, for one month. Lucky, though puzzled by the oddness of the proposal, needs the money and agrees to take the job, stepping into a web that feels more like a trap with every passing moment.
Full summary
The whole story of The Smiling Ghost, scene by scene
How Well Do You Know The Smiling Ghost?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What amount of money does Mrs. Bentley offer Lucky to pretend to be engaged to her granddaughter?
The Smiling Ghost Also Known As
2 alternative titles: “Verlobung mit dem Tod” and “O Fantasma Risonho”.
- Also known as
-
- Verlobung mit dem Tod
- O Fantasma Risonho
Seen The Smiling Ghost?
Movies Like The Smiling Ghost
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Lucky Ghost, Smile and Haunted Spooks.
The Smiling Ghost FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Smiling Ghost, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Smiling Ghost?
The Smiling Ghost runs 1 hour 11 minutes (71 minutes).
When was The Smiling Ghost released?
The Smiling Ghost was released on September 6, 1941.
Who directed The Smiling Ghost?
The Smiling Ghost was directed by Lewis Seiler.
More films by Lewis Seiler Who is in the cast of The Smiling Ghost?
The Smiling Ghost stars Lee Patrick as Rose Fairchild, Alexis Smith as Elinor Bentley and Helen Westley as Grandmother Bentley, among 14 credited actors.
Does The Smiling Ghost have a post-credit scene?
No. The Smiling Ghost has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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