The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-01-31
Spook Story
Careful Of
Your Nerves
Robert Donat Appears to
Advantage on LoeW's
Film Comedy.
BY JOHN w. THOMPSON

In THE Ghost Goes West" the
British picture starring Robert
Donat, which opens today at Loew's,
it's not the story that counts-it's
the spirit" of the thing
Don't think you're going to be
scared out Of your wits by this
spook story. It's the incest, fun
niest ghost tale we've ever seen on
the screen.
1t seems that there were two
Scottish clans, the Glouries and the
MacLaggans, back in the Eighteenth
Century. Old man Glourie had one
son and Mr.. MacLaggan had five.
AS he lay dying, Master Glourie in
structed his son, Murdoch, to eradi-
cate the MacLaggans before he
went to battle with the Scottish
army against the British.
Murdoch Not Fighter
But Murdoch was a sort of
paciflst and he liked kissing the
country lasses better than fighting
So he didn't get along very we'll
with the eradication process. In
fact, on the very day the Scottish
army marched against the English
he was chased across the battlefield
by the five MacLaggan boys. He
finally hid behind a barrel of gun
powder.
The Scottish soldiers, as usual
were economical, and saved on
everything they could. They had
only one cannon and it was a little
hard to control. So when the can
noneer aimed at the British army
he hit the powder barrel behind
which Murdoch Glourie was hiding.
And Mr.. Glourie, in part, scared to-
ward Heaven. The Scottish army
stood at attention. Down from the
clouds floated Murdochs beret.
They buried it with pomp and cere-
mony. That was the earthly end
of Mr.. Glourie-they believed.
Hanging between Heaven and
earth, the soul of Murdoch talked
things over with the soul of his
father in Heaven. His papa told
him that he had been coward and
before he could ascend to a Der
manent berth above he would have
to walk as ghost on earth until
he had captured a MacLaggan
descendant and wrung his nose.
Naunts for 200 Years
For 200 years the ghost of Muir
doch tramps the halls of Glourie
castle hunting a MacLaggan. Then
in 1885 Cor thereabouts, DON
aid Glourie, descendant of the
ghost, hardpressed for funds, sells
the old castle to an American girl
and her father. The father, a Mr..
Martin, chain grocery owner, tears
down the castle and ships it to
America. In Florida he reconstructs
it stone by stone. The ghost goes
right along.
The trouble begins when the ghost
fiirts with Mr.. Martins daughter
and size thinks it is Donald. Mr..
Martin arranges a reception for the
ghost, putting it on as an advertis-
ing stunt, and invites his rival a
descendant of the old MacLaggan
clan, to the festivities. The ghost
gets chance to avenge his family
honor, goes to Heaven, and Don
aid gets the girl.
In the hands of a less adept d.
rector than Rene Clair, the French
comedy expert, this film play could
have been ruined. AS it is, he turns
it into one of the seasons most de-
lightful aperitifs.
Talking Voice Praised
You probably will be surprised at
Mr.. Donat, because he shows in
1.-THE Ghost Goes West" that he is
as convincing in a comic role as he
was in the heavy Count of Monte
Cristo" part. Mr.. Donat possesses,
we believe, the best voice on the
talking screen.
Lovely Jean Parker, as the girl,
presents just the right amount of
effervescence to carry the tone of
the play Eugene Palette growls
and grunts we'll as the chain grocer
The Ghost Goes West" is just as
good picture, in its way, as Henry