The Canterville Ghost

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.

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:

I remember this thing coming on back when I was in the third grade. It was a stagey setting, like a soap opera. I thought it was Vincent Price who played the ghost. I guess I was thinking of Price on the Brady Bunch Hawaii episodes.

This was hilarious, with the ghost trying to scare the family and the young boys putting a bucket of water over the door and it dumps on the hapless ghost.

The ghost kept putting the blood spot back and the new lady of the house kept cleaning it up where the ghost had died, and finally he puts an emerald green spot on the floor.

In the end, the teen aged daughter finds the ghost sitting in a room, alone, very tired. He asks for her help to enable him to have eternal rest. She agrees. When we see her next, standing atop the stairs, looking shellshocked and ragged, she merely states to her startled family "I have been with the Canterville ghost". Apparently she had to go to the devil and back to help the ghost out. In her hands is her reward for assisting him; a box of precious, rich jewels and emeralds and diamonds.

David Niven was the ghost and always superb. I am surprised to see Audra Lindley, Maurice Evans and James Whitmore were in this, as I recall none of their faces. This was a wonderful program I would love to see again.

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.

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!