Mar 091944
 
four reels

Due to an act of cowardice, Sir Simon de Canterville (Charles Laughton) is cursed never to know peace until a descendant performs a brave deed.Ā  Three hundred years later, American troops are billeted at Canterville castle, and one of them, Private Cuffy Williams (Robert Young), turns out to be a distant relative.Ā  The young Lady Jessica de Canterville (Margaret O’Brien) befriends Cuffy and the ghost, and together they attempt to break the curse.

Sir Simon makes a good point when discussing Americans: ā€œWhat can a people without ancestors know about ghosts?ā€Ā  What indeed.

This is the best rendition of The Canterville Ghost yet to be filmed, though Oscar Wilde would have some trouble identifying his own play.Ā  Much of Wildeā€™s themes are missing, replaced with wartime propaganda, but in this case, it works.Ā  Instead of a minister and his family taking over the castle, itā€™s a group of American G.I.s preparing to show Hitler what for.

I saw The Canterville Ghost first sometime in the early ā€˜60s (I was quite small at the time, so youā€™ll have to forgive me for being inexact).Ā  I watched it again every year ā€˜till well into my teens and often afterwards, and while it isnā€™t quite as magical now as it was forty years ago, itā€™s close.Ā  I still laugh and smile throughout, and I still feel for the characters.

Even with the forced addition of WWII era flag-waving (and I canā€™t think of a better time for a bit of patriotic fervor than 1944), thereā€™s a lot of wit in the dialog.Ā  Both during the comedic segments and the emotional ones, itā€™s a joy to hear the characters speak.

Robert Young is an amiable lead, but better still are the numerous supporting players (including the always wonderful Una Oā€™Connor, who added so much to classics such as The Invisible Man, The Adventures of Robin Hood, and Christmas in Connecticut).Ā  As good as they are, the film belongs to Margaret Oā€™Brien and Charles Laughton.Ā  Oā€™Brien, who is best known for her crying jags in Meet Me in St. Louis, is at her best here.Ā  Sheā€™s funny, and charming.Ā  Laughton plays it wildly flamboyant and quietly sentimental.Ā  Itā€™s a remarkable performance, and no one has come close in the many remakes.

While the story made sense to a pre-teen, an older me questions the behavior of the troops.Ā  If you are a soldier, away from home, and given the opportunity to slow-dance with cute British chicks, why would you switch the music to boogie-woogie?Ā  Yes, Iā€™m perfectly willing to accept the existence of a ghost, but not G.I.s giving up the opportunity to hold girls tightly in their arms.

The Canterville Ghost is a perfect choice for a family afternoon, movie marathon on Halloween.

It has been remade numerous times, but always as TV movies, including a horrible 1986 version.

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