The Canterville Ghost

7/20/19441h 35m

Theatrical (limited) Release (US)

~ It puts you in the best of spirits! ~

Overview:

The descendent of a ghost imprisoned for cowardice hopes to free the spirit by displaying courage when under duress.

Director:

Jules Dassin

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

castle
liverpool, england

Cast

Charles Laughton

~ as ~

Sir Simon de Canterville / The Ghost

Robert Young

~ as ~

Cuffy Williams

Margaret O'Brien

~ as ~

Lady Jessica de Canterville

William Gargan

~ as ~

Sergeant Benson

Reginald Owen

~ as ~

Lord Canterville

Una O'Connor

~ as ~

Mrs. Umney

Rags Ragland

~ as ~

Big Harry Waters

Donald Stuart

~ as ~

Sir Valentine Williams

Elisabeth Risdon

~ as ~

Mrs. Polverdine

Frank Faylen

~ as ~

Lieutenant John Kane

View full cast & crew

Reviews (2)

John Chard
Written 10 year(s) ago
7
Safe and inoffensive fun.

Sir Simon of Canterville gets roped into fighting a duel for his cousin, realising he faces certain death he flees the field awash with cowardice. His father is so enraged as to this stain on the family honour he walls Simon up in the castle without food and water until death does strike him down. He is doomed to haunt the Canterville castle until a fellow member of the family can commit an act of bravery and thus lift the cowardly stain that has besmirched the Canterville name.

Doesn't sound much like a comedy does it? But it is, and a very amiable one at that. Loosely based on Oscar Wilde's story of the same name, The Canterville Ghost benefits from a couple of charming performances from Charles Laughton as Simon, and from a young Margaret O'Brien as Lady Jessica de Canterville. Laughton is clearly enjoying himself as the ghost, heavy on the "woe is me" theatrics coupled with gusto comedy, it's a very enjoyable performance from the big man. O'Brien is here enjoying being the center of attention and she positively lights up every scene she is in with youthful exuberance. The story follows a well trodden path to its rewarding ending, but it's a fun ride getting there regardless. Things really pick up a pace once a platoon of American soldiers are billeted at the castle and we are introduced to Cuffy Williams (Robert Young), a descendant Canterville of course, but he himself is showing a line in cowardice, so we are then left wondering if Cuffy can indeed show bravery and thus free Simon from his ghostly duties? 7/10
CinemaSerf
Written 3 year(s) ago
7
An engaging story about a 17th Century cowardly spirit (Charles Laughton) who is condemned to haunt his family's castle until he does something worthy and brave that will release him from his curse. When a group of American soldiers are billeted there during WWII it transpires that one of their number is a distant relative and that maybe he, "Cuffy" (Robert Young), can help him escape his purgatory. It's a fairly swift-paced ghost story with, aside from a rather annoying Margaret O'Brien as the young "Lady Jessica", plenty of comedic charm that raises a smile now and again. Laughton, Young and Una O'Connor are on fine form and though maybe not laugh-out-loud, it's still a fine family adventure.