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.
