The Canterville Ghost

One of my sci-fi/horror/fantasy reviews written 50 years ago: Directed by Walter C. Miller; Produced by Timothy Burrill and Joseph Cates for HTV/Buricia Productions; Telecast in America by NBC-TV. Screenplay by Robin Miller, based on Oscar Wilde's story; Music by Carl Davis. Starring: David Niven, James Whitmore, Lynne Frederick, Flora Robson, Audra Lindley, Maurice Evans, Christopher Morris, Nicholas Jones, Elizabeth Tyrrell and Isla Blair.

Incredibly poor, watered-down, shot on videotape TV version aimed at the most infantile of audiences. Virtually unwatchable, contains hammy, theatrical thesping by Niven. Embarrassing attempt at midwest USA accents by Frederick and Audley and not a single laugh intact under Walter C. Miller's stiff direction:

When I watched the 1974 version of Oscar Wilde's The Canterville Ghost, I felt so sorry for David Niven. I wondered if he'd been in a terrible slump or was on the brink of destitution, and the only thing he could do to save his family from the poorhouse was to take the title role in this awful, stupid play. Little did I know, he probably thought it was a great career move! After all, before him, Charles Laughton, Bernard Cribbins, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and Bruce Forsyth took it on. And, after this third remake, it was continued to be remade! Richard Kiley, Patrick Stewart, and John Gielgud all risked their careers to act in it!

However, I can't imagine voluntarily subjecting myself to another version of The Canterville Ghost. I'm sure Oscar Wilde thought he was hilarious and clever, but it isn't funny and it isn't clever. It's stupid, ridiculous, and it doesn't make any sense. An American family moves into a haunted English castle, and when they come face-to-face with the ghost, nobody is afraid. They just act like he's a stray dog that wandered into the kitchen. The ghost is absurd; he's had centuries of practice haunting people, yet all he can come up with is moaning and pacing the halls to frighten the new tenants-and when that repeatedly doesn't work, he can't come up with any other ideas.

I still feel sorry for David Niven for getting hooked into this terrible tv movie. But at least he's in good company.

I remember this TV movie! I thought the year might have been 1975, but I was a year off. I was 9 years old and it was 1974. I don't remember a great deal except for the title, the fact that I thought Peter Ustinov was the Ghost (I was obviously wrong) and the wonderful atmospheric quality of the production together with a very jumbled memory of a "ghostly" storyline. And that I loved it! I fought with my brother to watch it on television. "The Canterville Ghost" won out over "Cool Hand Luke." I do remember that vividly. Oh I do wish this production were released for sale! I'd snap it up in a heartbeat. David Niven must have made QUITE an impression in this production for my 4th grade memory (I'm now 40)to have retained it. I've recently heard this production's staging described as having something of the feeling of a soap opera, but remember, in the United States, where ghosts and medieval castles within which they haunt are nonexistent, this movie opened my eyes to the genre in a big way! Bravo to all involved! I hope a copy is made available to the public soon!

My childhood was dominated by the returns to the stories by Oscar Wilde. So, not exactly familiarity with his texts but a kind of comfort defines my relation with his writings.

This version of The Canterville Ghost is new remind about this connection. The story of poor ghost and his problems in the efforts to convince the American family is , I suppose, silly to ridicoulous, unrealistic at whole for contemporary readers. This is not the best version.

But, it is David Niven, few pretty nice scenes and it is enough for see it be not a waste of time. Sure, the question if Sir David Niven was the most inspired option for the role of Simon of Canterville remains. But real matters it ?

Because it is funny, full of shadows of nostalgia and , in essence, correct try to a fair job with a text not real comfortable. And david Niven is himself, offering to the character the charme, irony and vulnerability in wise doses for seduce maybe only Oscar Wilde admirers . But they are the important ones , in final.

This is a classic story in true Oscar Wilde wit and flair. It's both haunting and funny. It's a fairy tale for all ages. In this story a young American girl helps to free the tormented spirit that haunts an old English castle. It's very well written and a beautiful tale for all ages. It's too bad this wasn't the best adaptation.

The best adaptation of The Canterville ghost, in my opinion, has to be the version with Patrick Stewart as the ghost, it was made for television in 1996. Though set in the 1990s it's very true to the book. The worst adaptation of the Canterville ghost, in my opinion, is the version set in 1944. It had been turned into blatant war propaganda and was almost unrecognizable, it's plot having nearly nothing at all to do with the original story by Oscar Wilde, which is a true classic.