Forgotten Television Christmas Episodes: Topper

Topper was a fantasy sitcom television series that ran for two seasons from October 9, 1953 to July 15, 1955.  Based on a 1937 movie of the same name which, in turn, was based on two novels by Thome Smith.  The film starred Cary Grant and Constance Bennett as a very rich irresponsible couple who die in a car crash and since they were never responsible enough to do good or bad deeds, remained on Earth, where they haunt their stuffy and overly serious friend, Cosmo Topper, played by Roland Young.  The series changes the plot slightly, with the couple dying in an avalanche while skiing along with a St. Bernard dog named Neil who died while trying to save them.  The stodgy and serious Cosmo Topper and his clueless wife buy their house, which is now haunted by the three ghosts.  Cosmo, is the only one that can see ghosts, which puts him in awkward situations that he must explain providing the humor.  Real life husband and wife, Anne Jeffreys and Robert Sterling star as Marion and George Kerby, with Leo G. Carroll playing the title role and lee Patrick playing his wife, Henrietta. The Kerbys try to bring excitement and joy into Cosmo’s life, providing comic commentary with wry wit on the situations they get Cosmo into, while Neil is often seen lapping up a martini, a vice he is a bit too fond of.

In its first season, the 12^th episode premiered on Christmas day and was themed appropriately.  Topper and the Kerbys are decorating the tree getting ready for a Christmas Eve get together with a couple of friends.  During which, Topper attempts to read passages from Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, a family tradition, but is constantly interrupted by his wife while George and Marion of course add witty comments throughout. Cosmo patient, but frustrated by his wife, finally suggests that she read the passages this time so he can hear it.  While she is reading, he nods off and has a dream that he is Cosmo Scrooge with a humorous version of a Christmas Carol re-enacted by the series actors.  After waking up, he realizes that all that was wrong before his nap is now put right and everyone is able to enjoy a Merry Christmas.

As a kid, I remember watching Topper when it was in re-runs, but don’t remember having seen the Christmas episodes.  The series was full of a lot of sight gags and special effects that was probably pricy and difficult to do in the 1950s.  Topper often must try to explain these events to people and not being the quickest on his feet, his explanations are often ridiculously funny.  In this episode, his wife sees Christmas ornaments floating through the air and hanging themselves on the tree.  Topper reasons this by saying this type of tree is magnetic, which his wife just shrugs off as truth.  I really enjoyed rewatching the show and it brought back many fond memories, but I did notice that Leo G. Carroll’s dramatic acting is spot on but his comic timing was just a bit off causing a slight hiccup in the overall witty and fast paced dialogue of the show.  Anne and Robert are wonderful as the high-spirited spirits.