The Living Ghost is a 1942 American mystery-drama film directed by William Beaudine and produced by Monogram Pictures. Starring James Dunn and Joan Woodbury, the film incorporates elements of the horror genre as it follows an ex-private detective who is called in to investigate why a banker has turned into a zombie. As the detective shares wisecracks with the banker's cheeky secretary, the two fall in love. The film was distributed in the United Kingdom under the title Lend Me Your Ear, and later released on home video as A Walking Nightmare.
Plot
Banker Walter Craig (Gus Glassmire) has disappeared and his best friend, Ed Moline (Paul McVey) hires Nick Trayne (James Dunn), a retired private detective who now earns a living as a quasi-psychic and "listening ear", to take the case. Everyone who lives on the estate is under suspicion—including Craig's second wife Helen (Edna Johnson), his daughter Tina (Jan Wiley) and her fiance Arthur Wallace (Howard Banks), Craig's eccentric sister Delia Phillips (Minerva Urecal) and her husband George (J. Arthur Young), Craig's friend and former partner Tony Weldon (George Eldredge), Craig's cheeky secretary Billie Hilton (Joan Woodbury), and Cedric the butler (Norman Willis). Nick quickly rules out Billie as a suspect and takes her on as his assistant.
Late that night, Delia screams in the parlor when she finds Craig sitting in a chair, though he appears more like a zombie. Nick consults with neurologist Dr. Bruhling (Lawrence Grant), who believes Craig is suffering from a paralyzed cerebral cortex. This state could only have been induced by someone else; Craig could not have brought it on himself. However, Craig's behavior is unpredictable and could be dangerous, so he must be monitored. When Nick goes out to question George in the garden that evening, he finds George has been stabbed to death and Craig is standing by the body. More false clues point to Wallace as the killer. Later, as Nick is talking with Billie in the parlor, Craig wanders in with a knife and tries to stab Nick but fails.
With additional information from Dr. Bruhling about Craig's condition, Nick searches for a laboratory machine that might have been used to alter Craig's brain cells. The trail leads Nick and Billie – who now work together and are falling in love – to a spooky deserted house rented by a Dr. Carson. They search the premises with a flashlight while a storm rages outside. In the cellar, the door is locked on them. Nick professes his love for Billie and she for him. Then they are shot at by an unseen gunman. They return upstairs to find another man who appears to be in the same zombie-like state as Craig. Nick and Billie go to question the realtor of the property, Homer Hawkins, who says he only had contact with Dr. Carson by phone.
Nick wakes up the members of the estate and asks each to record his or her voice so that Hawkins will be able to hear and identify the mysterious Dr. Carson. After everyone returns to bed, two assailants attempt to kill Nick in his bedroom – Tony and Helen. After their arrest, Nick explains their motives: When Craig found out about Tony and Helen's affair, the two knew they could not kill him because Tina would inherit his entire estate. Instead, Tony obtained a machine that would paralyze Craig's brain cells; in that state, Helen could take control of the estate. Tony killed George after George saw him carry Craig back to the house after the brain cell treatment. Though Nick would now be unable to collect the $25,000 reward being offered by Helen, Tina offers to pay it to him instead, and now Nick and Billie can get married.
Cast
James Dunn as Nick Trayne
Joan Woodbury as Billie Hilton
Paul McVey as Ed Moline
Vera Gordon as Sister Lapidus
Norman Willis as Cedric
J. Farrell MacDonald as Police Lt. "Pete" Peterson
Minerva Urecal as Delia Phillips
George Eldredge as Tony Weldon
Jan Wiley as Tina Craig
Edna Johnson as Helen Craig
Danny Beck as doubletalker
Gus Glassmire as Walter Craig
Lawrence Grant as Dr. Bruhling
Howard Banks as Arthur Wallace
J. Arthur Young as George Phillips
Frances Richards as Dr. Bruhling's nurse
Production
Development
The Living Ghost was based on an original story by Howard Dimsdale titled "Money for What". Joseph Hoffman adapted the screenplay. The film was director William Beaudine's fourth since beginning projects for Monogram Pictures in 1942.