Movie Review: Lucky Ghost (1942)

Synopsis: Two down-on-their-luck friends, Washington and Jefferson, fleece a pair of rich men at a game of dice and with more money than they've ever seen, they visit a club run by Dr. Brutus Blake. Another run of good luck at dice results in the pair winning the club, which they later learn is haunted by the relatives that Blake inherited it from.

Who's in it? The movie stars Mantan Moreland, F. E. Miller, Maceo Bruce Sheffield, Florence O'Brien and Arthur Ray.

Review: I was a bit undecided about watching Lucky Ghost because I was concerned an all-Black comedy made in the 1940s would focus too much on stereotypes and leave me feeling a lot more uncomfortable than entertained. However, I ended up giving it a shot and, for the most part, it wound up being better than expected.

The pair of Washington (Moreland) and Jefferson (Miller) reminded me a bit of Abbott and Costello, with Washington in the Costello role of always accidentally himself into trouble (and somehow being a hit with the ladies). And I have to admit; I was entertained as I watched the pair go from rags to riches practically overnight thanks to Washington's skill rolling dice.

Blake (Sheffield) added a nice touch to the film as well as the main villain. He was a tough guy who wasn't afraid to use violence to get his way and, once he became the friends' newest foil, I wondered just how that would end up impacting the movie. He just seemed like the kind of guy who would try to get revenge one way or another.

Ironically, even though the movie primarily is about the ghosts that haunt the club, they were my least favorite part of the movie. Frankly, with everything I said above about Blake, it just felt as though they weren't needed and the way the movie ended because of them was a disappointment as a result. 

I would have much rather seen this movie leave out the hauntings and focused solely on the conflict between Blake, Washington and Jefferson, especially since it just got a lot more dumb than funny at the very end of the film. Not to mention, there were a whole lot of loose ends that were left unresolved.

Final Opinion: It was better than I thought it was going to be and I would consider myself a fan of Washington and Jefferson. Unfortunately, the movie just tries to do too much by forcing in an unneeded haunting and derailing what had been a good story without the ghosts.

My Grade: C

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Here are some reviews of other 1940s comedies:

Movie Review: Spooks Run Wild (1941)

Movie Review: Tanks a Million (1941)

Movie Review: Ghosts on the Loose (1943)\

Movie Review: Lost in a Harem (1944)