''The Canterville Ghost'' is a 1944

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending ( black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by Jules Dassin, loosely based on the 1887 short story of the same title by

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

. It starred

Charles Laughton Charles Laughton (1 July 1899 – 15 December 1962) was a British actor. He was trained in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and first appeared professionally on the stage in 1926. In 1927, he was cast in a play with his future ...

as a ghost doomed to haunt an English castle and Robert Young as his American relative called upon to perform an act of bravery to redeem him. It was remade as a TV movie of the same title in 1986 and again in 1996.

Plot

In the seventeenth century, Sir Simon de Canterville (

) is forced by the

Code of Chivalry Chivalry, or the chivalric code, is an informal and varying code of conduct developed in Europe between 1170 and 1220. It was associated with the medieval Christian institution of knighthood; knights' and gentlemen's behaviours were governed b ...

to engage in a duel on behalf of his brother, but flees to the family castle when his opponent engages a substitute—a giant, the Bold Sir Guy (played by an uncredited Tor Johnson). His proud father, Lord Canterville (

Reginald Owen John Reginald Owen (5 August 1887 – 5 November 1972) was a British actor. He was known for his many roles in British and American films and television programs. Career The son of Joseph and Frances Owen, Reginald Owen studied at Sir Herbert ...

), refuses to acknowledge that his son has disgraced the family name, even when shown in front of witnesses where Simon is cowering. The father has the only entrance to his son's hiding place bricked over as proof that Simon is not there, ignoring Simon's pleas for mercy. Lord Canterville then curses his doomed cowardly son to find no rest until "a kinsman shall perform an act of bravery" in his name, wearing his signet ring. Next, during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, US Army Rangers are billeted in the castle, owned now by six-year-old Lady Jessica de Canterville (

Margaret O'Brien Angela Maxine O'Brien (born January 15, 1937) is an American film, radio, television, and stage actress, and is one of the last surviving stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema. Beginning a prolific career as a child actress in feature ...

). One of the men is Cuffy Williams ( Robert Young). The Rangers encounter Sir Simon but rather than being terrorized, they humiliate the ghost with a mock haunting. With Cuffy's help, Jessica overcomes her own terror of the ghost. Jessica discovers that Cuffy is a Canterville by a distinctive birthmark on his neck. He is a descendant of Sir Simon’s brother. Together, the two meet Sir Simon and learn the fate of their ghostly ancestor. One night, Simon takes Cuffy on a tour of the family portrait gallery, recounting the cowardly act of each descendant. Cuffy scoffs at Simon's misgivings and boasts that he is different. However, when the moment of crisis comes, Cuffy seems to be a true Canterville and is paralyzed by fear in combat. On a mission in Europe, he and another soldier are stationed with a

machine gun A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles ...

to ambush a large group of Nazi soldiers on motorcycles. Sir Simon appears with the signet ring, which Cuffy had left behind, and his attempts to encourage Cuffy make the young man even more apprehensive. The Nazi convoy appears on the road. His buddy fires and Cuffy feeds the ammunition belt. All seems well until his partner is shot by a sniper. Cuffy moves to take his place, with his friend’s blood on his hand and bullets pinging around him. He freezes, staring, unable to pull the trigger. Another soldier knocks him aside and takes over. Back in England, Cuffy reports himself. Disgraced and leaving the Rangers for his old outfit, Cuffy is left alone at the castle while the others go out on maneuvers on the huge estate. He is given another chance when Lady Jessica runs to tell him that she saw a parachute land in the woods. She shows him how to drive there. It is an unexploded parachute mine, a blockbuster threatening his platoon and everyone within half a mile with destruction. He springs into action, positioning the jeep to drag the mine to a nearby ravine, but as he hooks the chain to the mine, he is again overcome with fear. Lady Jessica tries to inspire him by kicking the mine frantically, calling “I’m not afraid.” She inadvertently activates the mine. Cuffy recovers, hitches the bomb to the jeep and, after a wild ride with Sir Simon aboard, steers it into the ravine, where it explodes. The courageous act finally frees Sir Simon from his centuries of bondage, and he can sleep at last in the garden. Lady Jessica and Cuffy lay flowers at Sir Simon’s tombstone (1603-1943). A long time to wait, Cuffy observes. Speaking of waiting, Lady Jessica asks Cuffy how old he is. He doesn’t answer but asks Why? “ I shall be 7 in May, “ Jessica replies, shyly. He picks her up and they both laugh.

Cast

as Sir Simon de Canterville * Robert Young as Cuffy Williams *

as Lady Jessica de Canterville *

William Gargan William Dennis Gargan (July 17, 1905February 17, 1979) was an American film, television and radio actor. He was the 5th recipient of the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 1967, and in 1941, was nominated for the Academy Award for Be ...

as Staff Sergeant Benson *

as Lord Canterville * Rags Ragland as Big Harry * Una O'Connor as Mrs. Umney * Donald Stuart as Sir Valentine Williams * Elisabeth Risdon as Mrs. Polverdine * Frank Faylen as Lieutenant Kane * Lumsden Hare as Mr. Potts * Mike Mazurki as Sgt. Metropolus * Jack Lambert as Corporal * William Moss as Hector * Bobby Readick as Eddie * Marc Cramer as Bugsy McDougle * William Tannen as Jordan * Peter Lawford as Anthony de Canterville * Vernon Downing as Officer * Tor Johnson as the Bold Sir Guy * Gordon Richards as Nobleman

Production

The motion picture was shot at

Busch Gardens Busch Gardens is the name of two amusement parks in the United States, owned and operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. The original park is in Tampa, Florida, and the second park is in Williamsburg, Virginia. There were also previously B ...

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. ...

. This was the first feature film edited by

Chester Schaeffer Chester Schaeffer (September 9, 1902 – January 5, 1992) was an American film and television editor with about thirty documentary and feature film credits, often for B movies. Schaeffer's first feature film editing credit was for ''The Cantervi ...

. According to Laughton's biographer, Charles Higham,

Norman Z. McLeod Norman Zenos McLeod (September 20, 1898 – January 27, 1964) was an American film director, screenwriter and cartoonist. McLeod's most acclaimed work was made in collaboration with major comic performers of the 1930s, and included such films as ...

began direction of the film but was replaced after five weeks when he failed to win the actor's confidence. When Dassin was hired to finish the film, Laughton assisted him with suggestions made out of hearing of cast and crew. Robert H. Planck replaced William Daniels as cinematographer at the same time and is credited with the grainy texture of the black and white production. Of Laughton's performance, Higham wrote that it combined "burlesque, melodrama, pathetic farce, the comedy of manners, and outright tragedy in a rich range."

Reception

John Howard Reid selected ''The Canterville Ghost'' as one entry for his 2005 book, ''Movies Magnificent: 150 Must-See Cinema Classics''. The film is recognized by

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Lead ...

in these lists: * 2008:

AFI's 10 Top 10 ''AFI's 10 Top 10'' honors the ten greatest American films in ten classic film genres. Presented by the American Film Institute (AFI), the lists were unveiled on a television special broadcast by CBS on June 17, 2008. In the special, various act ...

: ** Nominated Fantasy Film

Notes

External links