The Ghost Goes West (1935)

A haunted Scottish castle is dismantled and transported to Florida, bringing the family ghost along with it.

Director:

René Clair

Writers:

René Clair, Eric Keown (story "Sir Tristram Goes West")

Stars:

Robert Donat, Jean Parker, Eugene Pallette

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Robert Donat	...	Murdoch Glourie / Donald Glourie
Jean Parker	...	Peggy Martin
Eugene Pallette	...	Mr. Joe Martin
Elsa Lanchester	...	Miss Shepperton
Ralph Bunker	...	Ed L. Bigelow
Patricia Hilliard	...	Shepherdess
Everley Gregg	...	Mrs. Gladys Martin
Morton Selten	...	The Glourie
Chili Bouchier	...	Cleopatra
Mark Daly	...	Murdoch's Groom
Herbert Lomas	...	Fergus
Elliott Mason	...	Mrs. MacNiff
Hay Petrie	...	The McLaggen
Quinton McPherson	...	Mackaye (as Quentin McPhearson)

Storyline

An American businessman's daughter convinces him to buy a Scottish castle but he comes up with a plan to disassemble it to ship it to America brick by brick, where it will be put it back together. The deal includes the last family heir and his cursed several-hundred year old ghost ancestor who haunts the castle waiting for the chance to redeem his family's honor.

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Plot Keywords:

castle | ghost | bagpipes | male female relationship | relocate | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy | Horror | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 February 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fantôme à vendre

Filming Locations:

Denham Studios, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

London Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the biggest-grossing film of 1936 in Great Britain.

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Goofs

When the "ghost" is preparing to ride off to war, he is wearing plaid pants rather than a kilt. Later, he arrives at the battle site and is wearing a kilt. One wonders if the issue has to do with him mounting the horse and the enactment of the Hays Code aka code of decency in the motion picture industry which went into effect c 1934.

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Connections

Referenced in F Troop: The West Goes Ghost (1966)

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Soundtracks

American Grit
(uncredited)
Music by Abe Holzmann

User Reviews

Haunting!

One of my all-time favourite British films, this was my 9th viewing and I still think it's marvellous. Frenchman Rene Clair's prints are all over it, a 1930's British film with so much subtlety, wistfulness and originality was ... unique!

Hard up castle owner sells it to American who de-bricks it off to Florida - along with owners' ghostly ancestor. Eugene Palette who only bettered this performance with My Man Godfrey was outstanding throughout, Jean Parker's character as his daughter was a wee bit wishy-washy but she was lovely to look at, and Robert Donat was, as usual, nearly perfect. At this point I have been ordered by my 25 year old daughter to say how gorgeously beautiful he looked - he was a handsome devil to be sure, and you get two for the price of one in GGW. I wonder what kind of films he'd be making nowadays - surely there'd be no character role nice enough! He was so nice in this I even forgive him his Scottish accent lapsing occasionally. There are a few non-laboured sociological points in it too: The generalised commercialism of America, whether crass or not is repeatedly displayed, my favourite bit being Palette's announcement at dinner of the band marching down the stairs playing "traditional Scottish music"!

Not that it matters of course but does anyone know the answer to What's the difference between a thistle in the heather and a kiss in the dark?!

It would be a poorer film without the lush and swelling background music to accompany Murdoch/Donald and Peggy smooching away up on the castle ramparts at night. The atmosphere created in these scenes by the orchestra's romantic strings plus the gleaming and haunting nitrate photography plus the clever and mysterious lighting is literally Out Of This World, and always leaves a deep impression on me. This is one of the few films where watching and therefore listening to the end credits is essential, for the romantically melancholy fade out. If your TV station has butchered those last 5 seconds, complain!