The Canterville Ghost (1944)

Director:

Jules Dassin
(more)

Writers:

Oscar Wilde (story)
Edwin Blum (screenplay)

Release Date:

July 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy

Tagline:

It puts you in the best of spirits!

Plot:

In the 1600s, cowardly Sir Simon of Canterville flees a duel and seeks solace in the family castle....

Plot Keywords:

Castle | Blood | Family Honor | Duel | Soldier

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
Rags Ragland	...	Big Harry (as 'Rags' Ragland)
Una O'Connor	...	Mrs. Umney
Donald Stuart	...	Sir Valentine Williams
Elisabeth Risdon	...	Mrs. Polverdine
Frank Faylen	...	Lieutenant Kane
Lumsden Hare	...	Mr. Potts
Mike Mazurki	...	Metropolus
William Moss	...	Hector
Bobby Readick	...	Eddie
Marc Cramer	...	Bugsy McDougle
William Tannen	...	Jordan
Peter Lawford	...	Anthony de Canterville
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harry Allen	...	Mr. Cawthorne at Party (uncredited)
Jimmy Aubrey	...	Chimney Sweep (uncredited)
Frank Benson	...	Man at Party (uncredited)
Margaret Bert	...	Woman Wanting to Dance (uncredited)
Colin Campbell	...	Vicar at Party (uncredited)
Herbert Clifton	...	Man at Party (uncredited)
Fred Coby	...	Ranger (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Aina Constant	...	Factory Girl at Party (uncredited)
Syd Dawon	...	Bold Sir Guy's Squire (uncredited)
Vernon Downing	...	Officer (uncredited)
Elspeth Dudgeon	...	Aged Woman at Party (uncredited)
Tay Dunn	...	Ranger Playing the Comb at Party (uncredited)
Charlie Hall	...	Bold Sir Guy's Squire (uncredited)
Brandon Hurst	...	Mr. Peabody (uncredited)
Charles Irwin	...	Marshall of the Hunt (uncredited)
Tor Johnson	...	Bold Sir Guy (uncredited)
Colin Kenny	...	Nobleman (uncredited)
Guy Kingsford	...	British Tommy (uncredited)
Jack Lambert	...	Trigger - Machine Gunner (uncredited)
Greg McClure	...	Sergeant at Party (uncredited)
Mary McLeod	...	Girl at Party (uncredited)
Viola Moore	...	Girl at Party (uncredited)
Patsy O'Byrne	...	Servant at Party (uncredited)
Frances Raeburn	...	Eleanor (uncredited)
Brent Richards	...	Arthur (uncredited)
Gordon Richards	...	Nobleman (uncredited)
John Rogers	...	SIr Simon's Squire (uncredited)
Robert Schuler	...	Stanley (uncredited)
Roy Seager	...	Roly Poly Man (uncredited)
Will Stanton	...	Stone Mason (uncredited)
Tom Stevenson	...	Nobleman (uncredited)
Anna Marie Stewart	...	Buxom Lass at Party (uncredited)
Herberta Williams	...	Matron at Party (uncredited)

Directed by
Jules Dassin
Norman Z. McLeod		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Oscar Wilde		(story "The Canterville Ghost")
Edwin Blum		(screenplay) (as Edwin Harvey Blum)

Produced by
Arthur Field	....	producer (as Arthur L. Field)

Original Music by
George Bassman

Cinematography by
Robert H. Planck		(director of photography) (as Robert Planck)
William H. Daniels		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Chester W. Schaeffer

Art Direction by
Edward C. Carfagno		(as Edward Carfagno)
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Valles		(costumes: men)

Makeup Department
Jack Dawn	....	makeup designer

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Julian Silberstein	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Mildred Griffiths	....	associate set decorator

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director

Special Effects by
Irving G. Ries	....	ghost special effects (uncredited)
Lester White	....	special effects camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Irene	....	costume supervisor

Music Department
Daniele Amfitheatrof	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Robert Franklyn	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
David Raksin	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Other crew
Jack Donohue	....	dance director

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• Loew's (as Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1944) (USA) (theatrical) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• Loew's (1944) (USA) (theatrical) (uncredited)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1945) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1945) (UK) (theatrical)
• Central Motion Picture Exchange (1951) (Japan) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1971) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Loew's  copyright 1944 in USA by (as Loew's Incorporated)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  presents

Also Known As:

Runtime:

95 min (copyright length)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #9781) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on June 18, 1945 with Charles Laughton and Margaret O'Brien reprising their film roles.

Goofs:

Continuity: The Canterville mark on Cuffy's (Robert Young) neck appears and disappears throughout the movie.

Quotes:

Sir Simon de Canterville:I have roamed these halls for three centuries and I am so tired. If only I could rest...

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "The Ghost Busters: The Canterville Ghost (#1.3)" (1975)

Soundtrack:

Bless 'em All

An Entertaining Ghost Story

The veteran Charles Laughton and a very young Robert Young team up in this entertaining fantasy about the ghost of Simon de Canterville - condemned to haunt the halls of his family's castle until a descendant performs an act of bravery on his behalf. What's the catch? Simon was condemned by his own father for being a coward, and the Canterville line ever since has been a long line of cowards. (The greatest irony of the movie is that Simon has developed a reputation as the most fearsome ghost in all of England!) Finding a hero among this family won't be easy. Then along comes Cuffy Williams (Young), an American soldier whose platoon is billeted in the castle during the lead-up to D-Day. It turns out that Williams is a very distant descendant of the Cantervilles, and D-Day, of course, will provide the ultimate opportunity to show his bravery and to release Simon from his torment. The question is whether he'll be able to work up the courage to do it!

Laughton and Young offer excellent performances, and the very young Margaret O'Brien (who would have been about 7 when this was made) is convincing as Lady Jessica de Canterville. Some of the scenes as the American soldiers try to chase down the ghost to get a picture of him to prove that he exists to their commanding officer are also quite funny. 8/10