...of countless earlier similar stories.
This unfortunately is just one of many failings which caused a production with a quality cast to fail to impress indeed struggle to hold the viewers attention. As others have already commented, why have a 36 year old James Mason married to a 31 year old Barbara Mullen play throughout an elderly couple more than twice their age? The extremely distinguished Mason comes across as Am-Dram-ham old man. The tone is uncertain - the concluding sudden jollity seems out place. Despite its theme it entirely lacks thrills and chills. Famous character-actors Moore Marriott (usually a querulous toothless side-kick) and Ernest Thesinger, spectacularly slightly other-worldly (his forte), under-exploited by the director who brings wholly unintended dispirited lifelessness to what should have been a lively story about ghosts. The studio lighting was reminiscent of made for TV US comedies of the '50's and '60s - the entire set, cast and walls, flooded with an even light, the same regardless if night or day. The paint on a closing door even briefly reflects the light from a large (2Kw?) studio lamp at about shoulder height.
Throughout it was if some kind of subtle ghostly malaise had affected the entire production or at least its director.
This unfortunately is just one of many failings which caused a production with a quality cast to fail to impress indeed struggle to hold the viewers attention. As others have already commented, why have a 36 year old James Mason married to a 31 year old Barbara Mullen play throughout an elderly couple more than twice their age? The extremely distinguished Mason comes across as Am-Dram-ham old man. The tone is uncertain - the concluding sudden jollity seems out place. Despite its theme it entirely lacks thrills and chills. Famous character-actors Moore Marriott (usually a querulous toothless side-kick) and Ernest Thesinger, spectacularly slightly other-worldly (his forte), under-exploited by the director who brings wholly unintended dispirited lifelessness to what should have been a lively story about ghosts. The studio lighting was reminiscent of made for TV US comedies of the '50's and '60s - the entire set, cast and walls, flooded with an even light, the same regardless if night or day. The paint on a closing door even briefly reflects the light from a large (2Kw?) studio lamp at about shoulder height.
Throughout it was if some kind of subtle ghostly malaise had affected the entire production or at least its director.