The Ghost Goes West

Genius director Rene clair, he of the early surrealist movement in film who loved to specialize in comedy does one for Arthur Rank in the thirties. Robert Donat is gifted with the dual roles of the ghost and his descendant. The ghost punishment is to haunt the castle of his family until his honor is restored for he died dishonorably, a no-no in the family tradition. Donat also inherits the castle and manges to get an American family to buy the castle without learning of the ghost. The family decides to ship it to America and on its way the ghost appears to the family and its guests starting a tabloid frenzy. There is love to be settled, money to be made and honor to be righted in this smart romantic comedy. There is very little if any of the Rene Clair trademark in this movie and his direction comes across as very British. But no one can ever say a Rene Clair picture has not aged well and the same can be said for this picture where sets, lighting and photography seem very modern. The Ghost goes West was the biggest grossing movie in the UK in 1936 and was successful for UA in the Us as well. Very soon, Rene Clair himself would be off to Hollywood too.

I first saw this film as a child on TV in Australia round 1973 - at which time it was already a very old film and I was only 7 years old.

I guess the fact I'm now 38 and writing about it means it stuck in my mind rather strongly.

I wanted for years and years to see it again and finally did in around 2000 - 27 years later. The childhood magic was still there.

Donat is wonderful. The whole story - escapist, romantic, spooky, fun and historically rich in yes - we know a rather fantasised way.

This is a feel-good film. Films similar to this are being made now - often called 'chick flick's and suchlike, but basically, what is wrong with a movie that makes you feel good? Not really deep, not really cerebral, but magical, funny, heartfelt, and a true escapist experience from our current modern lives,

Absorbing, fun and lovely.

Watch and Enjoy!

"The Ghost Goes West" is a cute movie which is an interesting hybrid. It's directed by the famous French director René Clair, stars the British actor Robert Donat and many of the actors are Americans! It sounds odd...but it all works very well.

The film begins two hundred years ago. Murdock Glourie (Donat) is the son of a noble Scottish lord but he ends up embarrassing himself and losing the family honor when he's supposed to be out acting manly and fighting a war. He ends up getting killed by mistake and his father curses him to roam the family castle until he regains their honor.

Years pass. The family fortune is gone and the castle is a wreck. Donald Glourie (also played by Donat) has a mountain of debts and he and his creditors see no escaping it...until some goofy Americans with more money than common sense see the place and decide to buy it! Oddly, while Donald tries to keep the family out of the castle after midnight (when the ghost appears each night), the daughter (Jean Parker) sees the ghost and thinks it's Donald...and she thinks this version of 'Donald' is pretty sexy! Regardless, the goofy father (Eugene Palette) decides to move the castle, stone by stone, to Florida....and he invites over a bunch of rich swells to see the castle AND the ghost. What's next? See the film.

This is a cute film with a nice comedic touch and a touch of romance. While it's all very slight, it's handled well by Clair and the film is a delightful outing. Well worth seeing.

One of my all-time favourite British films, this was my 9th viewing and I still think it's marvellous. Frenchman Rene Clair's prints are all over it, a 1930's British film with so much subtlety, wistfulness and originality was ... unique!

Hard up castle owner sells it to American who de-bricks it off to Florida - along with owners' ghostly ancestor. Eugene Palette who only bettered this performance with My Man Godfrey was outstanding throughout, Jean Parker's character as his daughter was a wee bit wishy-washy but she was lovely to look at, and Robert Donat was, as usual, nearly perfect. At this point I have been ordered by my 25 year old daughter to say how gorgeously beautiful he looked - he was a handsome devil to be sure, and you get two for the price of one in GGW. I wonder what kind of films he'd be making nowadays - surely there'd be no character role nice enough! He was so nice in this I even forgive him his Scottish accent lapsing occasionally. There are a few non-laboured sociological points in it too: The generalised commercialism of America, whether crass or not is repeatedly displayed, my favourite bit being Palette's announcement at dinner of the band marching down the stairs playing "traditional Scottish music"!

Not that it matters of course but does anyone know the answer to What's the difference between a thistle in the heather and a kiss in the dark?!

It would be a poorer film without the lush and swelling background music to accompany Murdoch/Donald and Peggy smooching away up on the castle ramparts at night. The atmosphere created in these scenes by the orchestra's romantic strings plus the gleaming and haunting nitrate photography plus the clever and mysterious lighting is literally Out Of This World, and always leaves a deep impression on me. This is one of the few films where watching and therefore listening to the end credits is essential, for the romantically melancholy fade out. If your TV station has butchered those last 5 seconds, complain!

"The Ghost Goes West" is Robert Donat's only and best romantic comedy. Mr. Donat only made nineteen movies - they were dramas or light dramas. This movie is hysterical. It helps to have Eugene Pallette play the father of the girl (Jean Parker) that Donat's character loves. Mr. Donat plays two roles - Murdock Glourie (the ghost) and Donald Glourie (the current proprietor of the Scottish castle).

This was Eugene Pallette's first great speaking role. The other great roles he played were in: "My Man Godfrey", "Robin Hood", "Zorro", "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington", "The Lady Eve", and "Heaven Can Wait."

It is fun to watch the unknown cast - most of them did not continue working in the 1940's and so on. Only Donat, Parker, and Pallette were lucky to continue working. Ms. Parker is still alive and living comfortably at the Motion Picture Country Home in Woodland Hills, CA.