The Ghost Goes West
Director:
Rene Clair
Year: 1935
Rating: 5.0
I guess I was
expecting this to be a lot funnier than it was. The film has a very solid
reputation and was a popular film upon its release but it just felt a little
flat for me. Pleasant enough with the low key humor but so much so that it
never quite reached the level of a laugh. There is certainly some talent
within - produced by Alexander Korda and starring Robert Donat who was just
coming off the classic The 39 Steps (how I love that film). Not to mention
the director Rene Clair in his first English language film after three successful
comedies in France. Throw in one of my favorite character actors of the period,
Eugene Pallette of the froggy voice and a small bit for Elsa Lanchester coming
off of Bride of Frankenstein. I almost feel guilty for not enjoying it more
because it has all the makings of one of those Depression screwball comedies
in which we enter into the life style of the very rich and not too bright.
But they just pulled back.
The Scottish castle Glourie is haunted
by Murdoch Glourie who was killed in the 1800's when he was cowardly hiding
behind a keg of ammunition while supposedly fighting the British but in truth
mainly flirting with girls. His dead father tells him that he has to haunt
the castle till the day comes when he can face down their enemy the Clan
McLaggan no matter how long it takes. So every midnight he walks through
the castle in hopes of coming across a dreaded McLaggan. Now some 200 years
later the castle is occupied by his ancestor Donald Glourie - both played
by Donat. The castle has seen better days and he is in debt to everyone in
town and on the verge of being tossed out though no one really wants a castle
with a ghost in it.
That is unless you are a big brash American
businessman and his daughter Peggy (Jean Parker) who know nothing about the
ghost but want to own a castle. In Florida. So it is taken down stone by
stone, sent across the Atlantic and put together in America. With the ghost.
It just felt like there were lots of opportunities for some ghost humor -
the sort of thing you get in a Topper film - but this is indeed a dreary
ghost and Donald isn't much more lively - the dour Scots. So it just sagged
for me. I had been so looking forward to it because Donat is one of my favorite
actors from that period in such films as 39 Steps, The Count of Monte Cristo
and Goodbye Mr. Chips. He just carried with him that typical English charm
and élan that so many of their actors had at the time. Apparently
though, he was very particular in the roles he took - turning down Captain
Blood it is said and he was often ill and died at the young age of 53.