One of my mother’s favorite comedies

I was delighted this morning to find on YouTube a copy of ‘The Ghost Goes West‘, a 1935 black-and-white movie starring Robert Donat.  It was one of my late mother’s favorite comedies.  Wikipedia summarizes the plot as follows:

Peggy Martin, the daughter of a rich American businessman, persuades him to purchase a Scottish castle from Donald Glourie (Robert Donat), dismantle it and move it to Florida. Along with the castle goes its ghost.

Murdoch Glourie (also played by Donat) haunts the castle after dying a coward’s death in the 18th century. To find rest, he must get a descendant of the enemy Clan MacClaggan to admit that one Glourie is worth fifty MacClaggans.

There’s more at the link.

Mom saw this film when it first came out (she was 15 at the time).  She introduced me to it when I was about twice that age.  I enjoy its whimsical fancy, and the complete absence of modern cinema elements like a laugh track, sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll.  The entire movie depends on the ability of the actors, which is considerable, and the use of scene and situation to provide the amusement.  It’s light-hearted fare, but most enjoyable, IMHO.

For the benefit of those who’ve never been exposed to pre-World War II movie comedy, particularly the British variety, here it is. It’s an hour and twenty minutes long.  I suggest watching it in full-screen mode.

Enjoy!

Peter

4 comments

  1. I just bought and watched a movie I saw ages ago in San Francisco, Castle in the Air which is about a Scottish Castle compete with ghost and rich American Heiress who buys the castle. It was amusing.

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