I used to watch this show as a young kid. I think that the younger couple and the dog (the ghosts) were killed in a skiing accident, and came back to their home where the older couple was now living. Topper could see the ghosts, who were always getting involved somehow with the Toppers' lifestyle. The St Bernard dog was a lush, even as a ghost, and drank martinis from a glass on the floor. The show had the same tempo and flavor as the Burns$Allen show. Mrs. Topper was a ditzy lady, too. Mr. Topper was formal and proper.

Wasn;t there an old Hollywood movie with this plot?

Originally posted by sbowling
I used to watch this show as a young kid. I think that the younger couple and the dog (the ghosts) were killed in a skiing accident, and came back to their home where the older couple was now living. Topper could see the ghosts, who were always getting involved somehow with the Toppers' lifestyle. The St Bernard dog was a lush, even as a ghost, and drank martinis from a glass on the floor. The show had the same tempo and flavor as the Burns$Allen show. Mrs. Topper was a ditzy lady, too. Mr. Topper was formal and proper.

Wasn;t there an old Hollywood movie with this plot? yes, in fact, the show was based on the movie (I think there were 2 "Topper" movies) and it had the same characters! ABC remade the movie in 1979 or 80 as a TV movie.

Yes there was two Topper movies one starring Cary Grant and Constance Bennet.. and anohter one called Topper Returns with some actors/actresses that I cannot remember the names of at the moment. The movies are very good.. and they come as a double feature on the same disk.. :D. You should check them out! I didnt know there was a Topper show. I must get the dvd!

I wish somebody would rerun this show. It's one of the few sitcoms I haven't seen.

yes, I wish someone would show it. I vaguely remember seeing an episode years ago somewhere, when I was around 10 or something, around 66 or 67.

I would love to see it! Topper and Topper returns are such fun movies!!! I wish they made another one. I am glad to know that there is a show about it. Gosh, Operation Petticoat was also a tv show.. which was a Cary Grant movie too at first. I havent seen that show either!!! Must have been funny though!

maybe you can find ssome episodes of it on VHS or DVD, but I doubt it. Since it's not being rerun (as far as I know) it probably wasn't very popular.
Like I said before though, the first movie was remade by ABC as a TV movie in 79 or 80, so that's probably availible on tape.

Originally posted by treky
maybe you can find ssome episodes of it on VHS or DVD, but I doubt it. Since it's not being rerun (as far as I know) it probably wasn't very popular.
Like I said before though, the first movie was remade by ABC as a TV movie in 79 or 80, so that's probably availible on tape.
erghh why did they remake it? bah. I have the original movie with Cary Grant and Constance Bennet on DVD also I have Topper Returns.. I could watch this movie at least ten times in a row..!

I used to watch this show all the time. I think this was around 1960, and it was probably in reruns. I thought it was a great show and very funny, at least that's a small child's opinion. Leo G. Carroll did great in Roland Young's role (the actor who was Topper in the movie).

Just a point (perhaps interesting), Anne Jeffreys and Robert Sterling (George and Marian Kerby) were on an episode of Murder, She Wrote (in the 90s). I caught that episode on A&E the other day.

The dog (Neil the St. Bernard) must have weighed nearly 200 pounds.

Originally posted by CelineFan
I would love to see it! Topper and Topper returns are such fun movies!!! I wish they made another one. I am glad to know that there is a show about it. Gosh, Operation Petticoat was also a tv show.. which was a Cary Grant movie too at first. I havent seen that show either!!! Must have been funny though! sorry to dissapoint you, but the "Operation Petticoat" TV show wasn't that great. I remember seeing it when it was first on, about 1977 or 78. The movie's much better.

Just a little trivia about it. That movie was the first picture that Tony Curtis made after his marragie to Janet Leigh. And, his daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis, was one of the stars of the show.

I own all 4 Topper movies and 3 episodes of the tv series that I purchased on dvd at the dollar store of all places -- anyway I would like more.

The movies are as follows:

#1 Topper
#2 Topper Takes A Trip
#3 Topper Returns
#4 Topper ( Tv Remake w/ Kate Jackson and Rue Mclanahan)

If anyone wants to trade for eps let me know

...wss produced by John W. Loveton & Bernard L. Schubert (who also produced "MR. & MRS. NORTH" and later went bankrupt), sponsored by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. {Camel cigarettes} on CBS (Fridays, 8:30-9pm[et]), and lasted 78 episodes (1953-'55). The "architect" of the TV version was George Oppenheimer (he created Neil and the other characters outside of the original ones by Thorne Smith), who wrote the majority of the scripts [with a young newcomer named Stephen Sondheim during the first season] along with Phil Rapp {"THE BICKERSONS"}.

Any other questions?

Yes, I have a question: Do you know why the series ended? [Was it bad ratings, did one or more of the stars quit, was it the finances of the producers, or some other reason?]

...there were several reasons: one of them was R. J. Reynolds' reluctance to sponsor a full second season in 1954-'55. I believe Procter & Gamble became an "alternate" sponsor by mid-season, but I'm not sure. Apparently, not enough Camel cigarettes were being sold to justify continuing the show...which was a distant second to their Friday night competition, William Bendix's "THE LIFE OF RILEY" on NBC, which was another reason. There may have been other problems as well {I mentioned that Loveton & Schubert, the producers, eventually declared bankruptcy, and the show was folded into Official Films' TV library for years}...Anne Jeffreys might have some answers.

Thanks for that info, TV Knowledge Fan - you sure live up to your name!

I gotta come around more often to check this board......

btw, what is "Official Films' TV library"?

...they had a library of TV series they syndicated, including "MY LITTLE MARGIE", Bob Cummings' "MY HERO", Stu Erwin's "TROUBLE WITH FATHER", Mike Wallace's "BIOGRAPHY", and "TOPPER". The company sort of dissolved into other hands by the late '60s.

{Sorry for the delay in answering your question!}

:tv:

I remember enjoying the series very much as a small child, but after realizing they'd all been killed in an avalanche including the poor dog, it creeped me out. Funny!

I remember enjoying the series very much as a small child, but after realizing they'd all been killed in an avalanche including the poor dog, it creeped me out. Funny!

Finally! Someone felt the same way as I did. I was very young when this show was on, so my my mom explained it to me, and I was actually scared of the show.:lol:

It's funny how kids can sometimes "misinterpret" the intention of a sitcom. But sure, these are ghosts, and we were taught that ghosts are scary. It makes sense that you were scared of these characters from a child's perspective, but I hope as an adult you have had an opportunity to enjoy the show on a comedy basis.

I seem to remember in the original movie, they were killed not by an avalanche, but in a car wreck. Perhaps the TV producers felt relating that every week was too gruesome and changed it. (Tho suffocating to death is not my idea of an improvement.)

I wish somebody would rerun this show. It's one of the few sitcoms I haven't seen.

Your wish is my command. Topper

This is all I can find. And these have been verified as Public Domain. Like many shows from that time period, some were lost for various reasons. But I did a search and most are not under copyright but a few are. The ones I include are all public domain. I would love a complete selection but that may never happen in any lifetime.

DroopyVids
:crazy:

Your wish is my command. Topper

This is all I can find. And these have been verified as Public Domain. Like many shows from that time period, some were lost for various reasons. But I did a search and most are not under copyright but a few are. The ones I include are all public domain. I would love a complete selection but that may never happen in any lifetime.

DroopyVids
:crazy:
Thanks so much. :)

maybe you can find ssome episodes of it on VHS or DVD, but I doubt it. Since it's not being rerun (as far as I know) it probably wasn't very popular.
Like I said before though, the first movie was remade by ABC as a TV movie in 79 or 80, so that's probably availible on tape.

I remember seeing the ABC tv movie in 1979. Jack Warden played Topper, and Andrew Stevens & Kate Jackson (married at the time) played the ghostly couple haunting his house.

Thanks so much. :)

It appears that people would rather use the Pirate Sites instead of the honest sites. The system needs rebuilt one more time and I really don't have the will to do it anymore. 9 visits a day doesn't make a popular site and not worth the money spent.

I would like to thank those few of you that have supported droopyvids in the past. It's been a fun run for the last 4 years but it's time to move on. I went back to teaching music and computers to take up one day a week of my time. Maybe I will expand that while getting my chops back.

Daryl Hunt
Droopyvids

:wave:

I've read the 2 Topper books by Smith, I prefer them over the movies, though I do enjoy those. Still haven't gotten to see the TV series.

It appears that people would rather use the Pirate Sites instead of the honest sites. The system needs rebuilt one more time and I really don't have the will to do it anymore. 9 visits a day doesn't make a popular site and not worth the money spent.

I would like to thank those few of you that have supported droopyvids in the past. It's been a fun run for the last 4 years but it's time to move on. I went back to teaching music and computers to take up one day a week of my time. Maybe I will expand that while getting my chops back.

Daryl Hunt
Droopyvids

:wave:

I changed my mind. Droopyvids has also expanded to Militaryvids for you Military History Buffs.

Tried to support what I thought was a Veterans Support but it turned out it was more snake oil sales. Plus, my age is getting in the way. Unlike many, the reruns most see, I saw first run. You can do the math on that one.

:crazy: