The Ghost and the Guest is a 1943 American black-and-white comedy-mystery film directed by William Nigh and starring James Dunn, Florence Rice, Robert Dudley, and Sam McDaniel.

Outside the rundown property they meet Ben Bowron, a professional hangman who says the last criminal he executed, a jewel thief named Honeyboy, willed this house to him.

Meanwhile, the coffin of Honeyboy is brought to the house and Webster, feeling frazzled by the situation and his wife's inability to obey his wishes, calls the police to get rid of it.

Discovering the empty coffin, the police take everyone down to the cellar to search for the missing body, while Killer Blake sneaks around upstairs looking for Honeyboy's loot.

Webster discovers a hidden passageway and revolving wall in his bedroom closet, and takes Jackie with him down a secret stairway to search the cellar.

Price called the film a "believable farce", crediting the director, screenwriter, and lead actors for pulling off a comedic tale a la James Thurber.

Price commends director William Nigh for "treat[ing] the haunted-house gimmicks as the laughable clichés they had long since become", but also maintaining cinematic tension when it comes to "the genuine dangers that confront his characters".

He calls Dunn's performance a "delight" and Rice's portrayal "engaging", and lauds cinematographer Robert E. Cline for his "richly composed photography" that adds polish to the production.