Review: The Ghost Goes West


Blustery American Eugene Pallette purchases a Scottish castle from Robert Donat, unawares that it is haunted by the current owner’s mischievous ancestor (also played by Donat). Jean Parker is Pallette’s daughter who first suggests the purchase and they have the castle shipped back to the US! Look for Elsa Lanchester as an intrigued dinner party guest.


Once popular (it was a box-office hit in the UK), but antiquated and poorly made 1936 fantasy/comedy features enthusiastic performances by the always likeable Donat and hammy Pallette, but it’s all pretty tedious. Things are made worse by the incompetent direction by Rene Clair (“It Happened Tomorrow”, “And Then There Were None”), in his English-language debut, and who uses barely any close-ups, seemingly trying his best to provide viewers with the least amount of entertainment possible.
 

“The Canterville Ghost” this most certainly is not. It’s not even “Scrooged”, and I wouldn’t even recommend it to Robert Donat completists. It’s just not worth it. The screenplay is by Robert E. Sherwood (“Rebecca”, “The Best Years of Our Lives”), Geoffrey Kerr (“Jassy”), and Clair, from the story by Eric Keow.
 

Rating: C

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