The Ghost and the Guest - 1943

03/29/24 • 76 min

"The Ghost and the Guest" from 1943 is a poverty row comedy that also includes elements of the mystery and old, dark house genres. The one-liner humor holds up in some cases, and it did have Mike and Amber laughing. However, this movie also contains a disturbing thread of execution by hanging. It's played for laughs in the movie, but it exposes how pervasive and dangerous racism was used as a comedic trope. This makes a commentary on this movie nuanced but important in being aware of how racism was coded in early movies.

Title: The Ghost and the Guest

Director: William Nigh

IMDB Rating: 4.5 out of 10

Rating: Not rated

Content warnings: Racism, misogyny, murder, execution, and a discussion of lynching, which doesn't occur in the movie, but which we address in the commentary

Hilarious tagline: “A newlywed couple winds up spending their honeymoon night in an old, dark, spooky mansion."

5th Edition Character: Honeyboy, an undead in search of his jewels, and his gang of jewel thieves

Learn more at World of Welstar:

Twitter: @WorldofWelstar

Instagram: @world_of_welstar

Facebook: @worldofwelstar

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/talien

Watch this movie on YouTube: https://youtu.be/650pQTwqrhM

Buy the 50 movie set: https://amzn.to/3Nj5PGn

Reference Material:

History of Lynching in America: https://naacp.org/find-resources/history-explained/history-lynching-america

As American as the Blues: Lynching in Film and TV: https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/blog/as-american-as-the-blues-lynching-in-film-and-tv/

These show notes contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, Mal and Tal Enterprises, LLC may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Title: The Ghost and the Guest

Director: William Nigh

IMDB Rating: 4.5 out of 10

Rating: Not rated

Content warnings: Racism, misogyny, murder, execution, and a discussion of lynching, which doesn't occur in the movie, but which we address in the commentary

Hilarious tagline: “A newlywed couple winds up spending their honeymoon night in an old, dark, spooky mansion."

5th Edition Character: Honeyboy, an undead in search of his jewels, and his gang of jewel thieves

Learn more at World of Welstar:

Twitter: @WorldofWelstar

Instagram: @world_of_welstar

Facebook: @worldofwelstar

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/talien

Watch this movie on YouTube: https://youtu.be/650pQTwqrhM

Buy the 50 movie set: https://amzn.to/3Nj5PGn

Reference Material:

History of Lynching in America: https://naacp.org/find-resources/history-explained/history-lynching-america

As American as the Blues: Lynching in Film and TV: https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/blog/as-american-as-the-blues-lynching-in-film-and-tv/

These show notes contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, Mal and Tal Enterprises, LLC may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

The Face at the Window - 1939

Another Tod Slaughter vehicle, "The Face at the Window," shows us 1880 France, where a serial killer is stalking Paris. After a bank is robbed and a clerk is killed, presumably by the murder known as "The Face," a wealthy benefactor seeks to exploit the banker and his daughter to get what he wants. The true identity of the killer is finally revealed only with the use of an elaborate ruse. Mike and Amber take on this film which makes some unnecessary turns, but finally lands with a sensational conclusion.

Title: The Face at the Window

Director: George King

IMDB Rating: 5.9 out of 10

Rating: NR

Content warnings: Abuse, kidnapping, mental illness and ableism, violence, assault, murder, misogyny

5th Edition Character: Le Loup, a werewolf mastermind and his half-ogre brother

Learn more at World of Welstar:

Twitter: @WorldofWelstar

Instagram: @world_of_welstar

Facebook: @worldofwelstar

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/talien

Watch this movie on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EqLr9smtuc

Buy the 50 movie set: https://amzn.to/3Nj5PGn

These show notes contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, Mal and Tal Enterprises, LLC may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

Ghosts on the Loose - 1943

"Ghosts on the Loose" is a comedy/old, dark house movie from 1943. It starred a comedy group called "The East Side Kids," which was a rotating cast of young men who starred in many movies of the time. Amber and Mike take you through the plot, which includes the bust of a ring of propagandists and an ending that didn't need to be there which needs some explanation, because it includes a potentially upsetting symbol from World War II that we don't use casually today.

Title: Ghosts on the Loose

Director: William Beaudine

IMDB Rating: 5.0 out of 10

Rating: Not Rated

Content warnings: Overlooked female characters, war symbolism, trivialization of illness

Hilarious tagline: "You'll yell with glee when these happy-go-lucky hooligans invade the shivery domain of the Man of a Thousand Horrors! It's Chill-arious!"

5th Edition Character: Emil, a bardish wear-boar that awakens other animals

Learn more at World of Welstar:

Twitter: @WorldofWelstar

Instagram: @world_of_welstar

Facebook: @worldofwelstar

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/talien

Watch this movie on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Z3oRaL9Kcgo

Buy the 50 movie set: https://amzn.to/3Nj5PGn

These show notes contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, Mal and Tal Enterprises, LLC may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.