The Ghost Goes West

Director: Rene Clair Rene Clair

Overview

Wealthy American Joe Martin (Eugene Pallette) purchases an ancient Scottish castle and then has it dismantled and transferred to his Florida estate where he plans to reconstruct the castle brick by brick. Martin is unaware that his new acquisition comes equipped with an 18th-century ghost, played by Robert Donat. As the spectre, who feels as though his honor has been besmirched, flits around haunting one and all, Martin's daughter Peggy (Jean Parker) carries on a romance with the ghost's descendant, also played by Donat. It is only natural that the "live" and "dead" Donat will become mixed up, and this comedy of errors dominates the final scenes of The Ghost Goes West. The film was the first English-language production of French director René Clair -- and almost the last, due to producer Alexander Korda's insistence upon tampering with the original concept as laid down by Clair and screenwriter Robert E. Sherwood.

Product Details

Release Date:	07/15/2015
UPC:	0644827679027
Original Release:	1935
Source:	Reel Vault
Language:	English
Sales rank:	22,099

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Robert Donat	Murdoch/Robert Glourie
Eugene Pallette	Joe Martin
Everley Gregg	Gladys Martin
Elsa Lanchester	Lady Shepperton
Jean Parker	Peggy Martin
Ralph Bunker	Ed Bigelow
Patricia Hilliard	Shepherdess
Morton Selten	Gavin Glourie
Dorothy Bouchier	Cleopatra
Mark Daly	Groom
Herbert Lomas	Fergus
Elliot Mason	Mrs. NcNiff
Hay Petrie	The MacLaggan
Quinton McPherson	MacKaye
Arthur Seaton	Creditor
David Keir	Creditor
Jack Lambert	Son of MacLaggan
J. More	Son of MacLaggan
Colin Lesslie	Actor
Mischa Spoliansky	Composer

Technical Credits

Rene Clair

Geoffrey Kerr

Robert E. Sherwood

Rene Clair	Director,Screenwriter
Alexander Korda	Producer
Geoffrey Kerr	Screenwriter
Robert E. Sherwood	Screenwriter
Ned Mann	Special Effects

Editorial Reviews

The Ghost Goes West is a delightful if totally inconsequential comedy-cum-fantasy. The basic situation involving a ghost doomed to haunt a castle until he can prove his mettle and the consequences that has for his descendants is now overly familiar to audiences, which dilutes its impact somewhat; but the performance of the always engaging Robert Donat helps to overcome this flaw. Donat was a very special performer, one who made relatively few films in a lengthy career, but who could almost always be counted on to bring a certain appeal to his work. Even more importantly, he was an exceptionally fine actor, and while Ghost rises and falls more on the fact that he has the requisite charm and style, it's the fact that Donat goes well beyond these important but superficial qualities that makes his work here memorable. Aside from the familiarity of the story, the screenplay suffers from some occasional slipshoddiness -- the romance is not handled as satisfactorily as might be wished, the "is he a ghost or isn't he" aspect of it in particular not being milked as well as it might have been and not being resolved as clearly as desired. But for the most part, the script is more than adequate, and René Clair directs the proceedings with a sure but pleasingly light touch. Jean Parker is a bit unformed as the leading lady, but Eugene Pallette, Elsa Lanchester, and Ralph Bunker more than make up for her occasional stumbles. All in all, The Ghost Goes West is a sweet little treat.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler