The Canterville Ghost
Tags: haunting, flashback

Plot synopsis:
In 1634, in England, Sir Simon de Canterville agrees to take his wounded brother Anthony's place in a duel with the diminutive Sir Valentine Williams. The portly Simon demands that the duel be fought with lances, but to his horror, Sir Valentine also claims injury and sends his enormous cousin to the duel in his stead. After the first pass, a terrified Simon flees on his horse and hides in an alcove in the Canterville castle. Valentine pursues him there, but Simon's proud father, Lord Canterville, insists that his son would not tarnish the family name by hiding. As proof of Simon's courage, Lord Canterville agrees to have the alcove bricked up and, despite Simon's pleas, condemns him to die in the tomb and walk the castle's halls until a Canterville descendent commits a brave act while wearing Simon's signet ring. In 1943, the now-deserted Canterville castle, with its infamous ghost, Simon, is besieged by a platoon of American soldiers, who are to be billeted there. The castle's current owner, the precocious six-year-old Lady Jessica de Canterville, who lives nearby with her aunt, Mrs. Polverdine, greets the soldiers and tells them about the castle's haunting. The men, led by Sergeant Benson, are at first skeptical of Jessica's claims, but change their minds when Simon appears before them that night, moaning and striking ghastly poses. When one cocky soldier, Cuffy Williams, decides to scare the ghost back by chasing it in a sheet and gas mask, Simon disappears up a chimney. The next morning, the soldiers, exhausted from their previous night's activities, are reprimanded by their commander, Lt. John Kane, who refuses to believe their ghost tales. Seeing that Cuffy is limping, Kane orders him to clean the castle, while the rest of the platoon drills in the surrounding woods. Cuffy is soon joined by Jessica and insists on introducing her to Simon. After overcoming her fears, Jessica talks openly to Simon, who reveals his father's curse and bemoans his lonely entrapment, which has been prolonged because all of his descendents have been cowards. Jessica then notices that Cuffy has the Canterville birthmark on his neck and speculates that Cuffy is a Canterville and is brave enough to break the curse. That night, Jessica and Simon question a bemused Cuffy about his English ancestors and confirm their suspicions that he is a descendent of Simon's nephew. Simon then asks Cuffy, whom he calls "nephew," to wear his signet ring into battle, and Cuffy agrees. Later, at a party hosted by Mrs. Polverdine, Cuffy, who is proud of his newly discovered noble heritage, overhears some locals laughing about the Canterville family and questions Simon about it. Taking Cuffy to the castle's portrait gallery, Simon sadly explains that whenever one of his Canterville descendents faced a life-threatening situation, he would grow scared and run. Cuffy assures Simon that he will not let him down, and the following day, the platoon is called to duty. The platoon's assignment is to blow up a refinery on enemy soil, and Cuffy's job is to defend against German counterattacks. As Cuffy nervously awaits the explosion, Simon realizes that Cuffy forgot his ring and materializes with it on the battlefield. Cuffy accepts the ring just before the bomb blast and, while Simon watches from the bushes, joins his partner, Trigger, at a machine gun. After Trigger is killed by a German, Cuffy tries to take over the machine gun, but becomes paralyzed with fear and is replaced. Later, the platoon returns to Canterville castle, and Cuffy learns that he is being transferred. A depressed Cuffy then informs Jessica, who had been praying for his success, that he is a coward like all the other Cantervilles. As Jessica walks home in tears, however, she sees a parachute falling to the ground and runs to tell Cuffy and Simon. Jessica leads Cuffy to the parachute, which turns out to be carrying a large German bomb. Realizing that if the bomb explodes, the platoon, which is drilling in the woods, will be destroyed, Cuffy starts to attach it to his jeep. Once again, Cuffy becomes overwhelmed by fear, but overcomes his terror when an hysterical Jessica begins to kick the bomb. As Simon rides on top of it, Cuffy races the bomb away from the woods and jumps from his jeep just before it explodes into the castle. His brave deed finally accomplished, Simon thanks his "nephew" and "niece" and disappears into a peaceful eternity. Later, at Simon's newly constructed gravesite, Jessica confesses to Cuffy that she will soon be turning seven.

Review: Charles Laughton gives a superb performance as a 300+ year old ghost.
The comedy duo of Charles Laughton and Robert Young in this film will never rank as high as Abbott and Costello or Laurel and Hardy or even Hope and Crosby, but I see it as a brilliant discovery of comedy "chemistry".
Very, very loosely based on a short story by Oscar Wilde--so loosely that he is probably turning in his grave--THE CANTERVILLE GHOST is a charming bit of 1940s Hollywood fluff about an English ghost who runs afoul of American pragmatism.
In the film version, the Americans arrive in the form of WWII soldiers, including Robert Young, who are billeted at a notoriously haunted castle where they encounter a legendary spectre much given to theatrical materializations.Although the story is very, very slight, the cast makes it enjoyable.
Child star Margaret O'Brien gives a typically enjoyable performance as the unwilling heiress to the castle, and Robert Young and his fellow actors mug their way through the script with entertaining aplomb.
THE CANTERVILLE GHOST will never make any one's short list of "great cinematic art," but both grown-ups and kids alike will have a good time with it; recommended for an old fashioned family night.Gary F.
He is doomed to haunt the Canterville castle until a fellow member of the family can commit an act of bravery and thus lift the cowardly stain that has besmirched the Canterville name.Doesn't sound much like a comedy does it !!, but it is, and a very amiable one at that.
Loosely based on Oscar Wilde's story of the same name, The Canterville Ghost benefits from a couple of charming performances from Charles Laughton as Simon, and from a young Margaret O'Brien as Lady Jessica de Canterville.
Laughton is clearly enjoying himself as the ghost, heavy on the "woe is me" theatrics coupled with gusto comedy, it's a very enjoyable performance from the big man.
The story follows a well trodden path to its rewarding ending but it's a fun ride getting there regardless, things really pick up a pace once a platoon of American soldiers are billeted at the castle and we are introduced to Cuffy Williams (Robert Young), a descendant Canterville of course, but he himself is showing a line in cowardice, so we are then left wondering if Cuffy can indeed show bravery and thus free Simon from his ghostly duties ?.7/10.
Margaret O'Brien tries to help one of her long-dead ancestors in "The Canterville Ghost," a 1944 film also starring Charles Laughton, Robert Young, and Frank Faylen.
Jessica de Canterville's (O'Brien) family owns a castle which is being used to house soldiers during their stay in the area.
The castle has a very famous ghost named Sir Simon de Canterville (Charles Laughton) whose father had him imprisoned inside a wall for cowardice centuries earlier.
When six-year-old Lady Jessica de Canterville realizes that one of the soldiers is related to her, she begs him to help poor, tired Simon.This is a wonderful movie, buoyed by the presence of Margaret O'Brien, surely one of the most adorable children to ever hit the screen.
Charles Laughton turns in another masterful performance as Simon, who scares people because he thinks that as a ghost, it's what he should do.
As Cuffy Williams, the soldier related to Jessica and Simon, Robert Young is very good as a man who begins to doubt his own courage."The Canterville Ghost" is loads of fun for the entire family, with plenty of comedy and some nice lessons, one of which is, when you really want something, you often need patience until you achieve it..
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.
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.
Charles Laughton is memorable in his fine delivery of both pathos and comedic skills.A highlight of the film for me is the music played by the G.I.s. at a local party.
Charles Laughton who made a career of playing tortured and twisted men goes one better here as Sir Simon de Canterville who haunts stately Canterville Manor until another Canterville performs a heroic deed and frees him from being earthbound.The first part of the film shows the incident where Sir Simon turns tail and runs from a duel he got involved in.
Out of shame and embarrassment, his father bricked him up in a room in the manor and pronounced the aforementioned curse upon him.Breaking that curse is easier said than done because the cowardice was passed down several generations from Stuart England to World War II.Enter a platoon of American rangers quartered at the manor house where the current lady of the manor, Margaret O'Brien is like so many in Great Britain in those years, playing host to American GIs. One in that platoon is a distant cousin from America, Robert Young.
Watch the film and find out.Robert Young and Margaret O'Brien are fine, but it is the multi-talented Mr. Laughton who carries this film.
And Mr. Laughton bares the tortured soul of Simon de Canterville for all to see.This is a story originally written by Oscar Wilde and nicely updated for World War II moviegoers.
This, the first film version of Oscar Wilde's short story "The Canterville Ghost", was made by M-G-M during World War II, and, like some other films of that period based on literary or theatrical works, tries to incorporate some good old American (and British) flag-waving into its charming original story, which, as in all the TV versions (this is the only theatrical one) updates it to the twentieth century; when will someone do a good film version of the story in its original, nineteenth-century setting?Fortunately, the story isn't tampered with enough to ruin it, and one of the film's virtues is Charles Laughton in the title role.Proving what a great actor can bring to an average screenplay, Laughton hams it up outrageously in his comical first scene, in which his character, Sir Simon de Canterville, is still alive, but he later shows a deep sensitivity in the later scenes in which he expresses terror during his murder and quiet despair at his fate.In order to incorporate some war heroics, a platoon of American soldiers has been incorporated into the story, and Laughton's descendant (Robert Young) must perform a heroic deed in order to break the curse that Laughton has been placed under.
It is Faylen who gets to deliver the film's most topical line--not having seen the ghost yet, he asks his fearful platoon, "What are you going to do when you have to face Nazis?" (What would Oscar Wilde have thought?)Robert Young is his usual pleasant self as Laughton's descendant, and child star Margaret O'Brien isn't nearly as revoltingly syrupy as you might fear.
The ghost of cowardly Sir Simon de Canterville (Charles Laughton) is cursed to haunt an English castle until one of his descendants performs an act of bravery.
It's World War II and his current descendant, six year-old Jessica (Margaret O'Brien) has opened the castle up to American soldiers.
One of those soldiers (Robert Young) turns out to be a long-lost descendant of de Canterville.
Now all he has to do is perform an act of bravery and the ghost will be freed.Nice family-friendly movie with MGM gloss and quality production.
Jules Dassin directed this adaptation of Oscar Wilde's story, a charming fantasy about the ghost of a coward haunting an English castle, aided by a relative who must perform a heroic deed to save the spirit from eternal misery.
Despite a reportedly troubled production, the cast (including big scene-stealer Charles Laughton and little scene-stealer Margaret O'Brien) glides through it blithely, and Dassin's handling of the material is efficient, if perhaps a tad colorless.
I cringe when I read all these comments gushing over little MARGARET O'BRIEN, as if she was a thespian of great talent when she was six or seven years old.
But still, her acting always seemed stilted and self-conscious, like a little girl who knew she was good at reciting lines and making them sound reasonably convincing.However, nothing she can do to distract me is really worth commenting on because the film belongs almost exclusively to a mostly delightful script (except for the last sequence) that gives CHARLES LAUGHTON the chance to play--with his usual gusto--the role of a cowardly ghost who has been haunting a castle in England for over 300 years and must keep on doing so until a distant relative can redeem him by a single act of bravery.ROBERT YOUNG is that relative and he's genuinely attractive and amusing in a role that is less bland than usual for Young.
All of the scenes involving the antics of these servicemen--including a fun party scene featuring the jitterbug dance of two soldiers--are pleasant to watch.For light entertainment with an unusual slant, this is one of the better vehicles MGM found for Margaret O'Brien and her particular brand of child actress.
Margaret O'Brien was charming, adorable, and a nice little treat to watch even though she is not in the movie all the time, but still, she was nice with the crying and the acting that I'll will just wait a ten for.
I would have to say Margaret O'Brien is probably great in all her movies although I haven't seen all of them yet, but I am looking forward to checking all of her child stars movies out before checking her when she was older like The secret garden-older.
(It seems that cowardice was either common in that region or the other party in the duel was some sort of relative, too.) What we and O'Brien and Young's characters learn in this movie is that courage is mind over matter not genetics and that anyone old or young can be terrified but not everyone folds like a cheap card table, whether confronted by a ghost or the enemy.
Charles Laughton, Robert Young, and Margart O'Brien are all good.
I can't say for sure how faithful The Canterville Ghost is to Oscar Wilde's story as it's been a while since I read it.
Charles Laughton plays the title role with real gusto, and Margaret O'Brien is suitably cute as a button and exuberant.
And actors such as Charles Laughton, Margaret O'Brien, Robert Young, Rags Ragland, Una O'Connor, Reginald Owen, and so many more, continue to teach us in ways that many of our present day actors will never be able to.
And a 7 year old could act with the likes of a Charles Laughton and we don't jump to all kinds of disreputable conclusions, at might happen today.
then there's 8 year old margaret o'brien, acting ever so cute, leaving me wishing she were a young natalie wood, though.
Charles Laughton (the ghost) and Margaret O'Brien (The little girl) Robert Young as the "distantly American nephew" related to the ghost.
It starts out fine, with a typical MGM opening with much fanfare, a steeple chase fox and hounds outing in the 1600's, where a cowardly Lord of the Canterville Family bungles a duel of honor and ends up "walled" inside of the castle and haunts it for 300 years until an Army platoon occupies in during WWII.
The special effects are sterling, as the ghost tries his best to haunt the English Estate, but the GI's are not scared, and make great fun of him instead.
Having seen this as a stageplay and read the book, this change of time and conditions make for a far inferior story, although Ms. O'Brien (playing age 6 but probably older) is fine and so are Charles Laughton.
Little Margaret makes this movie worth your time.
When Simon abandons the field to hide, Simon's father has him bricked into the masonry to die and remain and haunt the castle until a family member commits an act of bravery to remove the curse from the family name.Advancing through time, WWII is upon England and Canterville and the Mistress of the Estate is Lady Jessica de Canterville, age seven, who greets a U.S. Army unit garrisoned there to train for a mission.
This was one of child star Margaret O'Brien's first films – she was just seven years old when it was release.
O'Brien is wonderful as the polite, genteel, lady-like British little girl, Lady Jessica de Canterville.
And, Charles Laughton is excellent as the Canterville ghost, Sir Simon.
On the plus side are the setting and atmosphere, the cast and acting - primarily of the three main characters Sir Simon - the Ghost, Lady Jessica and Cuffy).
My only problem is that they have not released it on DVD, choosing to release newer versions that were not as well done...I have always liked character actors and this movie contains several of the best.It also combines British and American traits.I have been looking for it to come out on DVD but so far - no go.C'mon DVD!.
Still, this movie did have one or two good points; the hunting scenes in the beginning were fun, and that little Margaret O'Brien is a dear one.
I don't blame the folks involved in this junk version of Oscar Wilde's beautiful, partly satirical, novella, "The Canterville Ghost".
Oscar knew what he was doing, unlike the makers of this film.I also wonder why Charles Laughton who is still considered a major stage and film actor of his time got roped into this one but I suppose he considered it "fun".
This is though, a silly and entertaining movie that can be enjoyed by the whole family.This was my first introduction to Margaret O'Brien and she won me over with her sweet charm.
Their disbelief is soon tested by the late night antics of Sir Simon (Charles Laughton), who has inhabited the castle in his ghostly form for over 300 years.
He has been condemned to this state of purgatory for his cowardice which can only be relieved by a blood descendant performing an act of bravery in his stead.Having seen Charles Laughton in 'The Private Life of Henry VIII', 'Mutiny on the Bounty' and 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame', I was surprised to see him in this role as a clumsy, silly ghost.
In an odd bit of casting, portly Charles Laughton (age 45) is the younger brother of Peter Lawford (age 21 at the time of the making of this film).
Now, cut to 1943 and a regiment of American soldiers in the UK is stationed in Canterville Castle--the place haunted by the sad ghost.
Through some coincidences only possible in movies, American soldier Robert Young discovers he's related to the nice ghost and realizes he can break the curse by performing gallantly at war.THE CANTERVILLE GHOST is an enjoyable film--thanks mostly to a rather saccharine-like yet enjoyable performance by young Margaret O'Brien.
When I was younger, I was not a particular fan of Margaret's (hence, I was more of a curmudgeon) but over the years I have really come to appreciate her charm and talent.O'Brien is supported by Charles Laughton (as the ghost) and Robert Young.
Laughton was often the scene stealer in films with his acting (and occasional over-acting) but here his blustery style was just fine for the ghost.
Considering how well he worked with O'Brien in this and other films, it's not surprising that he was later cast as "America's Dad" on television.So with some wonderful performances, most of the movie is lovely--typical MGM family fare with nice directing, writing and the full glossy treatment.
While only a few minutes earlier Young was off bravely fighting the Nazis and the tension was great, just a bit later he was dragging a time bomb across the field in a scene that looked more at home in an Abbott and Costello film.
Sentenced to a horrific death by his evil father for cowardess, Canterville her Charles Laughton must find a brave descendent to be released from a family curse.
It's no shock to the audience that ironically one of those Americans (Robert Young) has the family birth mark, and with the help of distant Canterville relative (Margaret O'Brien), Young fulfills his destiny, faces his own cowardess and aides Laughton in escaping from the curse which keeps ghosts earthbound eternally.A true crowd pleaser, mixing in comedy, slight horror and war propaganda, this features three great performances, two of which are by notorious scene stealers and hams.
It was turned into Wartime propaganda with a little girl befriending not so much the ghost but an American soldier, which I guess was the fashion of the time.In Oscar Wilde's original short story an American family moves into the haunted castle and the teenage daughter had to help him to find peace.This version, though listed as comedy, is much darker than Oscar Wilde's original and witty tale of love and forgiveness.
In the original short story the ghost had felt accountable for his wife's death and that's why he haunted his castle.
This was, in my opinion, horrible.If you love the original The Canterville Ghost story by Oscar Wilde or want to see a version that...
he makes the ghostly Canterville a touching and pleasantly grotesque figure of fun." Charles Higham also tells us that the film was started by director Norman Z.