The Canterville Ghost

"It puts you in the best of spirits!"

1944 1h 35m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 47

ComedyFantasy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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

“It puts you in the best of spirits!”

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Cast

Charles Laughton
Sir Simon de Canterville / The Ghost
Robert Young
Cuffy Williams
Margaret O'Brien
Lady Jessica de Canterville
William Gargan
Sergeant Benson
Reginald Owen
Lord Canterville
Una O'Connor
Mrs. Umney
Rags Ragland
Big Harry Waters
Donald Stuart
Sir Valentine Williams

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jules Dassin
Writers: Oscar Wilde, Oscar Wilde, Edwin Blum
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

82 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jules Dassin, shot by Robert H. Planck. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by George Bassman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Chester W. Schaeffer shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Charles Laughton and Robert Young and Margaret O'Brien carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "It puts you in the best of spirits!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0036696 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 47 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jules Dassin directs. Robert H. Planck behind the camera. George Bassman scores. Chester W. Schaeffer cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

182 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Jules Dassin, shot by Robert H. Planck. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by George Bassman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Chester W. Schaeffer shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Charles Laughton and Robert Young and Margaret O'Brien carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "It puts you in the best of spirits!".
7IMDB entry: tt0036696 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 47 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Robert H. Planck
Original score: George Bassman
Editing: Chester W. Schaeffer
Costume design: Fred Valles
Makeup / hair: Jack Dawn
Runtime: 95 min · 1h 35m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Canterville Ghost (1944)

Also by

Jules Dassin

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2014-09-06
★ 7/10
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
CinemaSerf2022-06-30
★ 7/10
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.