This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

James Dunn had been Fox's breezy leading man in the early 1930s but by the late 30s he was drinking heavily and could not find much work. This is one of the films he made before he showed people what a fine and sensitive actor he was in "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" (1945).Directed by workhorse William Beaudine it is a "quickie" Monogram production that starts out dealing with psychics and zombies but fizzles out half way through. When a banker, Mr. Craig, turns up missing, the family decide to call in Nick Trane (James Dunn), an eccentric private detective who is earning a living as a psychic. He meets all the assorted relatives, including pretty Billie Hilton (Joan Woodbury) and wacky Aunt Delia (Minerva Urecal) who believes she has psychic powers. Suddenly Mr. Craig turns up in a trance like state. Nick and Billie join forces to find the culprit. He organises to meet Mr. Phillips in the garden but then Phillips turns up dead. Mr. Craig then starts to walk around in a zombie like state - he has a knife and tries to kill Nick. There is also an odd butler, who suffers from insomnia, as well as hijinks at a haunted house. There is even a title, in my DVD that says - "Please wait one moment - while we change reels"!!!!James Dunn shows the same likability that he had early in his career. Minerva Urecal found a home at "Mother's" in the Peter Gunn TV series of the 50s.

An ex-detective is called out of retirement to investigate a recent kidnapping. However, once on the job, one of the suspects becomes a zombie-like being and no one knows exactly how this occurred nor where the missing man is. And, to top it off, murder (or at least attempted murder) is in the air!This is a modest little film produced by poverty row studio, Monogram. B-Detective films like this were a dime a dozen during the 30s and 40s, so there isn't much to distinguish this from the thousands of somewhat similar films. Since it was such an inexpensive film, the film was directed by William Beaudine (a man well known for NEVER shooting re-takes), the actors were all second-tier talent and it starred James Dunn. While not a household name, Dunn had bounced around for years and he did have a lovely role in the great film A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN. Here he has a nice, witty personality and plenty of excellent one-liners. In fact, this was the best thing about the film--whereas the mystery itself was purely secondary...at best. Due exclusively to Dunn's easy-going personality, he makes this simple little film quite watchable.

Have a house full of suspects. Bring in some unconventional detective who acts, at times, like an idiot, to solve the case, and you have this movie. Throw in the pretty sidekick, the tough mouthy female, and that adds another dimension. Saying that, I've already seen it a few times before. It doesn't mean that the byplay isn't fun and the murder isn't a challenge to figure out. After all, there is a guy who walks around with half a brain. Still, it is lacking. The seriousness of the murder is tossed aside and they go on this long escapade. The romance blooms while they search for the killer. I wish that they didn't have to spend so much time in a dark basement during the climax of the movie. I know that part of the suspense is based on the unknown aspects of the dark, but it goes on, and, frankly, I couldn't see anyone. I do like these old black and white mysteries, but, often, if you've seen one, you've seen the rest.

The Living Ghost stars James Dunn as Nick Trayne, a retired detective hired to look into the mysterious disappearance of banker Walter Craig. Working with Craig's pert secretary Billie Hilton (Joan Woodbury), Nick is questioning Craig's alarmingly suspicious friends and relatives when the missing banker (Gus Glassmire) suddenly turns up in a strange, zombie-like state. Soon a dead body is discovered, and the trail leads Nick and Billie to a nearby shack where strange experiments have recently been conducted and, in time, to the real culprit.During the entire case Billie has been both helpful as well as a royal pain-in-the-neck to Nick, and of course the two fall in love. In the final scene after kissing Billie, who is now his future bride, Nick suddenly remembers what a hard time she has given him throughout the case. He then chases her out the front door (where even though the door closes and we do not get to follow them outside) we can clearly hear Nick giving Billie something he had promised her early on in the case: a good old-fashioned spanking!The Living Ghost is a much overlooked and underrated crime melodrama with horror and comedy touches.