The Canterville Ghost (1944)

Movie
German title	The Canterville Ghost
Original title	The Canterville Ghost
Country of production	United States
original language	English
Publishing year	1944
length	95 minutes
Rod
Director	Jules Dassin
script	Edwin Blum
production	Arthur Field
music	George Bassman
camera	Robert H. Planck
cut	Chester W. Schaeffer
occupation
Charles Laughton : Sir Simon de Canterville Robert Young : Cuffy Williams Margaret O'Brien : Jessica de Canterville William Gargan : Sergeant Benson Reginald Owen : Lord Canterville Rags Ragland : Big Harry Una O'Connor : Mrs. Umney Donald Stewart : Sir Valentine Williams Elisabeth Risdon : Mrs. Polverdine Frank Faylen : Lieutenant Kane Lumsden Hare : Mr. Potts Mike Mazurki : Metropolus Peter Lawford : Anthony de Canterville

The Canterville Ghost is an American comedy film by Jules Dassin from 1944. The film is based to some extent on the story The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde .

action

Ever since his father had him walled up alive in 1634 because he had dodged a duel , the ghost of Simon de Canterville has been haunting the family castle. Simon is under a curse that can only be broken if a Canterville does some heroic deed at the risk of his life.

When American soldiers used the castle as accommodation during the war in 1943, the ghost tried to drive away the uninvited guests with its ghost. Among the soldiers is Cuffy Williams, a descendant of Canterville who is not exactly a hero. Together with the current owner of the castle, the six-year-old Lady Jessica de Canterville, he learns of the fate of his ancestor.

A non-detonated enemy aerial bomb dropped near the castle brings about the decisive moment for the spirit of Simon de Canterville to find peace. Initially paralyzed with fear, Cuffy Williams manages to carry the bomb away before it explodes. Lady Jessica persuades him to pull the bomb away in a jeep. Shortly before the bomb detonates, Cuffy manages to jump off the jeep, which saves his life. His heroic act also saves the lives of his comrades and breaks the curse of Simon de Canterville.

Reviews

• Lexicon of international film : An ironic foolishness of Anglo-Saxon aristocratic pride, amusing in places, but without atmosphere. Too rough and realistic for a ghost story, full of questionable “wisdom” in dialogue.

backgrounds

The film was used for propaganda towards the end of the Second World War . The struggle of the Americans and British against the Nazis is hinted at in the plot. The first broadcast on German television was on September 30, 1973 at 2:55 p.m. on Das Erste .

literature

• Oscar Wilde : The Canterville Ghost. Narration (Original title: The Canterville Ghost ). With illustrations by Oski . German by Franz Blei . Insel-Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 1995, 88 pages, ISBN 3-458-32044-X

Web links

• The Canterville Ghost in theInternet Movie Database(English)
• Entry on OFDb.de

Individual evidence

1. ↑ The Canterville Ghost. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed April 29, 2017 .