The Canterville Ghost

1997 1h 30m EN

FantasyComedyRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

'The Canterville Ghost' is one of the most popular choice for making a film in Oscar Wilde's works, and the original short story deserves the popularity. It is a witty spoof about a ghost and the 'haunted' mansion where a rich American family start to live. In this story, the family are not annoyed by the presence of the ghost; no, it is the ghost who is annoyed by the family who just refuse to be terrified. After all, why should we be scared by an old man wearing rusty coat of mail, whose best trick is to walk in the middle of night making big noises?

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Sarah-Jane Potts
Virginia Otis
Ian Richardson
Simon de Canterville
Celia Imrie
Lucy Otis
Rolf Saxon
Hiram Otis
James D'Arcy
Lord Cheshire
Edna Doré
Mrs. Umney
Donald Sinden
Lord Dumbleton
Pauline Quirke
Madame Murielle

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Crispin Reece
Writers: Oscar Wilde, Olivia Hetreed
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

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

RUNTIME

Did you know

90 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

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29 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Crispin Reece, shot by David Higgs. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Sarah-Jane Potts and Ian Richardson and Celia Imrie carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0221859 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Crispin Reece directs. David Higgs behind the camera. Tony Flynn scores. Michael Pike cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

190 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
229 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Crispin Reece, shot by David Higgs. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Tony Flynn. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Michael Pike shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Sarah-Jane Potts and Ian Richardson and Celia Imrie carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0221859 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.