The Stately Ghosts of England

NBC News produced and aired this 50-minute special that aired in 1965 that featured British film star Margaret Rutherford with her Husband (and fellow actor and frequent co-star) Stringer Davis, who investigate three supposed hauntings of English homes at Longleat House, Salisbury Hall, and Beaulieu Abbey. The people still living there or who are descendants of the original inhabitants (who may now be ghosts...) accompany them as the ghostly legend of the hauntings are explained in utter earnestness.

Entertaining special is not particularly scary but has an endearing charm nonetheless and is quite a time capsule now itself of a cultural era long gone. Not on home media yet sadly but can be seen on YouTube.

The version I have is from a 16mm print for a US TV station, although I suspect this played on British TV first. The premise is simplicity itself. Rutherford and Stringer Davis travel around England by horse and carriage visiting three estates where ghosts have supposed (and famously) appeared.

If this sounds like a bit of nonsense, it is. If it sounds boring and stupid, it is not. The three stories are played out with deadly seriousness, as Miss Rutherford, in a hushed whisper, enquires of the ghostly sightings. The host of the home then tells a tale from long ago. Some the tales are better than others, but Margaret never misses a step. Her seriousness and great acting ability draw the viewer in and make this a totally enjoyable experience. It would be great fun to play this at Halloween for visiting friends. But perhaps this is more for an older crowd who can appreciate the subtleties of the show.

Randomly stumbled upon this on youtube and was immediately intrigued...this is not a ghost show in the way you might expect but a sort of pseudo-documentary filmed and edited in a style that screams typical mid-60s British TV, from the over-wrought music to the dramatic close-ups. This is a fascinating piece of history that seems to try to straddle a line of relating legends at face value while ever so slightly hamming it up for dramatic purposes and could almost fall into the camp of unintentional parody at times, with silly fake pics being displayed as 'proof' and Rutherford's almost smug demeanor as she corrects people about various terms relating to the paranormal. It's honestly hard to tell at times if this was intended to be taken completely seriously but it's pure entertainment and worth the view.