Whispering Ghosts (1942)

          Brenda Joyce has inherited an old boat from her uncle and is looking it over with her fiance, John Shelton. There was a legend that there were jewels hidden on the boat, perpetuated by radio commentator Milton Berle. Lawyer Charles Halton comes to see Joyce and give her the will, saying he wants no further part in the affair, but as he enters the elevator a hand grabs him. After Berle has promised his audience that he will solve the crime of the uncle's murder on his next show, Inspector Arthur Hohl comes to see him to get what Berle knows about the case. It turns out that what Berle thought couldn't be true, so now he has a real problem because of his on-air promise. The sponsor puts pressure on him, so he goes to spend the night on the boat to investigate, along with Euclid, his valet, played by the inimitable Willie Best, who, as usual, steals the show. Before they leave, someone takes a shot at Berle.
          At the boat, Berle discovers the bullet hole in his suitcase, and all sorts of spooky events begin to occur. They do not know that Berle's announcer has hired two actors (Renie Riano and John Carradine) to portray, as a practical joke, the old captain's fiancee and first mate. (When Riano is first seen, Berle calls her Moronica Lake and Little Bo Creep.) Berle finally hears them talking and figures out what the gag is. Then Joyce shows up again, followed by Abner Biberman, whom Berle mistakes for another of the actors and sends packing. Then Shelton shows up and punches Berle. For more comic relief, Milton Parsons and Grady Sutton arrive. Biberman slips back into the ship and is searching for something. Soon Hohl arrives, also.                   Biberman is found dying, but before he does he gives Berle a clue about a dog collar. On the collars is a reference to Joshua 7.21 in the Bible. Berle deduces that it means the treasure is indeed on the ship. He finds a picture of  Parsons that tells him he is the culprit. Joyce is searching in the bottom of the ship, and Parsons is hunting for her. Berle and Best hear a scream and rush to the rescue. They find Joyce tied up. They free her, and go to look at the log book. As they talk, Best is spinning the globe. Berle gets the idea that the log book is a combination for the opening of the globe, which it is. When they find the diamonds, Hohl comes in disguised as Carradine. Sutton tells them that the diamonds are phony, anyway.
          Joyce was the only actress to portray Jane opposite two different Tarzans.




Berle


Joyce