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4.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 4.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Ghost Parade remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have twenty minutes to spare and you like seeing people get scared of their own shadows, you should watch Ghost Parade. It is not a masterpiece, but it is a fun relic from that time when movies were just figuring out how to talk. 👻
I think anyone who likes those old Scooby-Doo cartoons would enjoy this. It has that same energy where everyone is running through doors and screaming for no real reason. If you hate loud, screechy acting or movies that look like they were filmed through a foggy window, you will probably hate this one.
The whole thing takes place in Mosby Manor. It’s one of those classic movie houses that has secret panels and probably smells like mothballs and wet dog. Marjorie Beebe and the gang show up and immediately things start getting weird.
One of the first things you notice is the sound. Since it’s from 1931, the audio has this crackly, thin quality that actually makes the scary parts feel a bit creepier. It’s like listening to a ghost story on a broken radio.
Harry Gribbon is in this, and he has a face that just looks like it was made for silent movies. Even though he’s talking, he’s still doing these giant eye-bulging takes that are honestly a bit much. I found myself laughing at him more than the actual jokes. 🤣
There is a scene where a candle keeps going out, and it’s such a basic gag. But they do it like five times. It’s one of those moments where the movie is begging you to laugh, and by the fourth time, I actually did just because of how stubborn the bit was.
Then there is the gorilla. You can’t have a movie like this without a gorilla suit. Charles Gemora is the guy inside the suit, and he was basically the king of playing apes back then. He moves in a way that’s actually kind of impressive, even if the suit looks like it’s shedding. 🦍
I kept thinking about The Face in the Fog while watching this. Both have that early sound-era spookiness where the directors weren't quite sure if they were making a horror movie or a cartoon. Ghost Parade definitely leans into the cartoon side.
Andy Clyde shows up too. I love Andy Clyde. He has this way of looking frustrated that makes me feel seen. He’s much better here than in some of the other shorts from that era, like maybe Whose Baby? which feels a bit more dated.
The plot is basically non-existent. People arrive, they get scared, there is a parade of ghosts (sort of), and then it ends. It’s very bursty. One second nothing is happening, and the next second everyone is falling over a chair. 🪑
I noticed one reaction shot of Marjorie Beebe that lasts way too long. She just stands there with her mouth open while the camera lingers. It feels like the editor went to go get a sandwich and forgot to cut the film. It’s those little mistakes that make these old movies feel so human.
Compared to something like Half Way to Heaven, this is much more chaotic. It doesn't have the polish of a big feature film. It feels like a bunch of friends got together in a dusty studio and decided to see who could scream the loudest.
The writers, including Harry McCoy, clearly just wanted to cram as many gags as possible into two reels. Some of the jokes land, and some of them just sort of thud onto the floor. Like the bit with the sheets—it’s just guys in sheets. It’s not even trying to hide it.
I wonder if people in 1931 actually found this scary. Probably not. It feels more like a fun house ride at a cheap carnival. You know it's fake, but you still jump when the loud noise happens.
There is a weird moment involving a skeleton that looks like it was borrowed from a high school biology lab. It pops out and the music gets all frantic. It’s so charmingly low-budget. 💀
If you're into the history of the Mack Sennett studio, you'll see a lot of his fingerprints here. The fast movements and the slightly violent slapstick are all there. It's much more energetic than something like The Potterymaker, which is basically a documentary by comparison.
I also liked the weird lighting in the hallway scenes. They used these heavy shadows that actually look pretty good for a cheap short. It reminds me of the mood in West of Broadway, though that's a totally different kind of movie.
Sometimes the actors seem like they are waiting for their cue. You can almost see them thinking, "Okay, now I turn around and yell." It’s not great acting, but it has a lot of heart.
The ending is very abrupt. It’s like they realized they only had thirty seconds of film left and just stopped the story. I kind of respect that. No need to over-explain why there was a gorilla in the manor.
It's definitely better than watching something dry like Mothers of Men if you're just looking for a laugh. It’s short, it’s loud, and it has a guy in a monkey suit. What else do you really need on a Tuesday night? 🌙
I did find myself getting a bit annoyed by the screaming after a while. Marjorie Beebe has a very high-pitched scream. It’s the kind of sound that makes dogs bark three houses away. But I guess that was the style back then.
Overall, Ghost Parade is a messy little slice of 1930s history. It’s not a masterpiece like some of the stuff you'd find in The Girl from the Marsh Croft, but it’s got a weird energy that I liked. It’s just people being silly in the dark.
If you find it on a streaming site or a dusty DVD, give it a go. Just don't expect it to make any sense. It’s a parade of ghosts that aren’t really ghosts and a gorilla that’s just a guy. And that is perfectly okay.
IMDb 6.2
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