This was Hal Roach Studios first attempt at a so-called 'sophisticated comedy' and they do a brilliant job at it. This is an absolutely perfect example of this type of film, it's great fun.
By the late thirties sophisticated comedies had come of age. These relied not just on jokes but on having likeable, endearing and amusing characters - as wonderfully expounded by Richard Curtis many years later. This film got that just right - everyone in TOPPER is instantly engaging, you want to know them personally. Roland Young's character, Mr Topper like you, the viewer doesn't just want to be friends with Carey Grant and Constance Bennett, he wants to be like them too. That's what makes this picture so good. They're your friends, not just people in a story.
After years of trying to find his perfect idiom, Carey Grant finally struck gold with this - it was a role that could have been made for him. Similarly Constance Bennett who'd been a massive star since the silent days - without, in my opinion, much particular justification, was surprisingly marvellous in this. She and Carey Grant made the ideal couple, the wildest , craziest and nicest people you could ever wish to go to a party with.
There's also a lovely touch of nostalgia you might notice: the music playing in the hotel in last scene is that same old incidental music you will recognise from loads of Hal Roach's old Laurel and Hardy two reelers. Little touches like that help to give this a lovely warm feeling. And yes, even eighty years later, it's actually still funny!
By the late thirties sophisticated comedies had come of age. These relied not just on jokes but on having likeable, endearing and amusing characters - as wonderfully expounded by Richard Curtis many years later. This film got that just right - everyone in TOPPER is instantly engaging, you want to know them personally. Roland Young's character, Mr Topper like you, the viewer doesn't just want to be friends with Carey Grant and Constance Bennett, he wants to be like them too. That's what makes this picture so good. They're your friends, not just people in a story.
After years of trying to find his perfect idiom, Carey Grant finally struck gold with this - it was a role that could have been made for him. Similarly Constance Bennett who'd been a massive star since the silent days - without, in my opinion, much particular justification, was surprisingly marvellous in this. She and Carey Grant made the ideal couple, the wildest , craziest and nicest people you could ever wish to go to a party with.
There's also a lovely touch of nostalgia you might notice: the music playing in the hotel in last scene is that same old incidental music you will recognise from loads of Hal Roach's old Laurel and Hardy two reelers. Little touches like that help to give this a lovely warm feeling. And yes, even eighty years later, it's actually still funny!