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 film was included in the first syndicated television presentation of a package of major studio feature films on USA television; it premiered in Philadelphia Friday 11 June 1948 on WFIL (Channel 6), followed by Boston Sunday 20 June 1948 on WBZ (Channel 4), by Chicago Monday 28 June 1948 on WGN (Channel 9), by Cleveland Sunday 18 July 1948 on WEWS (Channel 5), by St. Louis Thursday 7 October 1948 on KSD (Channel 5), by New York City Friday 15 October 1948 on WPIX (Channel 11), by Baltimore Friday 3 December 1948 on WMAR (Channel 2), by Los Angeles Sunday 9 January 1949 on KTLA (Channel 5), by Atlanta Wednesday 2 February 1949 on WSB (Channel 8), and by Cincinnati Monday 25 April 1949 on freshly launched WKRC (Channel 11). The package consisted of 24 Alexander Korda productions originally released theatrically between 1933 and 1942.

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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 Dad's Army: Is There Honey Still for Tea? (1975)

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Soundtracks

American Grit
(uncredited)
Music by Abe Holzmann

User Reviews

Quite fun.

"The Ghost Goes West" is a cute movie which is an interesting hybrid. It's directed by the famous French director René Clair, stars the British actor Robert Donat and many of the actors are Americans! It sounds odd...but it all works very well.

The film begins two hundred years ago. Murdock Glourie (Donat) is the son of a noble Scottish lord but he ends up embarrassing himself and losing the family honor when he's supposed to be out acting manly and fighting a war. He ends up getting killed by mistake and his father curses him to roam the family castle until he regains their honor.

Years pass. The family fortune is gone and the castle is a wreck. Donald Glourie (also played by Donat) has a mountain of debts and he and his creditors see no escaping it...until some goofy Americans with more money than common sense see the place and decide to buy it! Oddly, while Donald tries to keep the family out of the castle after midnight (when the ghost appears each night), the daughter (Jean Parker) sees the ghost and thinks it's Donald...and she thinks this version of 'Donald' is pretty sexy! Regardless, the goofy father (Eugene Palette) decides to move the castle, stone by stone, to Florida....and he invites over a bunch of rich swells to see the castle AND the ghost. What's next? See the film.

This is a cute film with a nice comedic touch and a touch of romance. While it's all very slight, it's handled well by Clair and the film is a delightful outing. Well worth seeing.