Return to Glennascaul

It's a short and quite simple but it's well done and has the right amount of atmosphere to work. Wish Orson had directed it, but it's still fun.

Driving to Dublin late one night, Orson Welles stops to pick-up a stranded motorist. The man proceeds to tell Welles about what happened to him late one evening at that very spot in the road, when he was flagged down by two women. As his tale continues, it wraps back to enfold Welles and the viewer in its skein of mystery - inviting us all to RETURN TO GLENNASCAUL...

In 1951, during a hiatus in the production of his OTHELLO, two of the actors in the Shakespearean film asked Welles, their old friend, to appear in a short film they were producing. They were Hilton Edwards & Micheál Mac Liammóir, the founders of the famed Dublin Gate Theatre. They thought Welles would be the perfect choice to tell their little ghost tale. They were right - his magnificent voice still worked its magic as it had in radio's heyday. Others in the cast, all excellent, were Michael Laurence (also on leave from OTHELLO), Shelah Richards & Helena Hughes.

This Irish two-reeler is a superb example of what can be done in a very short amount of screen time. Beautifully crafted, not a frame of film or line of dialogue is wasted. Intriguing & entertaining, it's a shame this little gem is so obscure today.

This short little ghost story feels just like that, a story someone might tell during a long drive or over a campfire. The details are obscure enough to make you wonder and the reaction of Orson Welles to the story told him here is priceless to witness. A short little film which manages to tell an haunting story in a very short amount of time.

During a break in the filming of 'The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice (1952),' Orson Welles recounts a creepy "tall tale" allegedly told to him by a broken-down motorist to whom he offered a ride. Welles plays himself in the film, acting not only as the narrator, but more involvedly as the resident storyteller. One can imagine that it was this role, in addition to his obvious talents on radio, that inspired 'The Fountain of Youth (1958)' – a wonderful half-hour television pilot for "The Orson Welles Show," which boasted a concept not dissimilar to "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," but with Welles taking a more active presence in each episode's production (inconceivably, the show was immediately rejected). One also suspects the film's influence on the BBC's "Ghost Story for Christmas" series, the most impressive of examples of which are 'A Warning to the Curious (1972)' and 'The Signalman (1976)' {adapted from stories by M.R. James and Charles Dickens, respectively}.

The best kind of ghost stories, I think, that those told through an intermediary – it keeps them grounded in reality, which paradoxically makes them all the more creepy. The viewer's natural inclination is to trust the narrator's word, but in this case the narrator must rely on the word of the motorist, Sean Merriman (Michael Laurence), who could be making the whole story up… or, he could be completely sincere. It's that uncertainty that makes 'Return to Glennascaul (1951)' a perfectly chilling ghost tale, and a fine companion for a cold, lonely winter's night. We must not, of course, underestimate the emotional resonance of Welles' narrating voice, which contributes just as much atmosphere as Georg Fleischmann's hazy photography. The film was nominated for an Oscar in 1954, but lost out to 'Bear Country (1953),' one of Walt Disney's two-reeler nature documentaries. In any case, think about 'Return to Glennascaul' next time you decide to pick up two female hitch-hikers – I, for one, will be following Orson's example!

This great film is now available as part of the restored version of Othelo DVD.

Glennascaul means "Glen of the shadows" or "Glen of the ghosts". The true significance will become clear as you watch.

A fine example of what can be acheaved with very little money but a great deal of talent.

Orson Wells appears in the film at the start and also narrates it. His narration is first class - few actors have ever shown a similar ability to place so much into a few inflections of the voice.

I won't say anything about the plot as I do not want to spoil anything. It is a truly great example of what can be done with not a lot of money and a short viewing time.

Best watched late at night in a dark room - first rate.