The Ghost Goes West (Original title)
Date: 1935 (Release)Country: United KingdomDirected by: René Clair
Synopsis: Supernatural romantic comedy about a haunted Scottish castle which is bought by an American millionaire and is shipped to America complete with its ghost; the castle's seller and the buyer's daughter fall in love. In the eighteenth century, Murdoch Glourie, the son of a Scottish nobleman, enjoys a frivolous, womanising life. When the clans go to march against the English, the head of the rival clan, McLaggan, insults the Glouries for not taking part. The skirmish between these clans interferes with their determination to fight their common enemy the English, and in the battle, Murdoch dies from a Scottish cannonball. Two centuries later, Donald Glourie owns the family castle, but he cannot pay his bills. His ancestor Murdoch haunts the castle every midnight, doomed to do so until he gets a McLaggan to retract the old insult and admit that the Glouries are superior. American millionaire businessman Joe Martin arrives with his wife Gladys and daughter Peggy, with a view to buying the castle and having it shipped across the Atlantic to be rebuilt, stone by stone, in Florida. Martin duly buys it and moves it to Florida. On the ship across the ocean, it becomes clear that the ghost is moving along with his castle. Romantic complications arise too, as Peggy is falling in love with Donald, but when she meets the ghost she thinks his flirting is coming from Donald, who then (in person) is not demonstrating the same boldness in love. When news of the ghost is reported in the press, America gets very excited, and Martin wastes no time in exploiting the public's interest with a big ticker-tape parade to welcome the ghost to America (and to advertise his business). Martin's business rival, Ed Bigelow, hopes to prove there is no ghost, so Martin, holding a gala dinner to present the ghost at the castle, prepares for the worst by having Murdoch dress as the ghost, to fool everyone. He need not worry, though, as the ghost has its own agenda, and when the ghost discovers a secret about Bigelow's family, a chase through the castle ensues before matters are resolved.
Genres: Comedy, Fantasy
Subjects: Castles, Ghosts, Scotland, Commerce, Advertising
Releases
Date: 1935Country: United KingdomRelease type: unknownFormat: 35mm Film - Black and White - SoundRuntime: 82 mins Length: 7400 FeetDialogue (original): English
Title: ReviewsAuthor: Harper, Sue Article type: ArticleLanguage: English
Description: Review of "The Korda Collection", a selection of 12 video titles released by Carlton Home Entertainment, includes The GHOST GOES WEST (1935).
In: Classic Images n169 July 1989 Pages: 12-13
Title: [Classic Images - n169 July 1989: no known title]Article type: ReviewLanguage: English
In: Image et Son n75/76 October 1954 Page: 21
Title: [Image et Son - n75/76 October 1954: no known title]Language: French
In: Today's Cinema v76 n6192 20 Feb 1951 Page: 6
Title: [Today's Cinema - v76 n6192 20 Feb 1951: no known title]Language: English
Description: Re-issue.
In: Hollywood Spectator v10 n8 1 Feb 1936 Pages: 10-11
Title: [Hollywood Spectator - v10 n8 1 Feb 1936: no known title]Language: English
In: Motion Picture Herald v122 n1 4 Jan 1936
Title: [Motion Picture Herald - v122 n1 4 Jan 1936: no known title]Language: English
In: Kinematograph Weekly n1496 19 Dec 1935
Title: [Kinematograph Weekly - n1496 19 Dec 1935: no known title]Language: English
In: Monthly Film Bulletin v2 n23 December 1935 Page: 194
Title: [Monthly Film Bulletin - v2 n23 December 1935: no known title]Language: English
In: Film Weekly v14 n376 28 Dec 1935 Page: 25
Title: [Film Weekly - v14 n376 28 Dec 1935: no known title]Language: English
Author: LOPEZ, Manuel Villegas Pages: 306p.
Description: BERLINER BALLADE pp. 179-192 DEAD OF NIGHT pp. 213-222 The GHOST GOES WEST pp. 193-211
Title: Successful film writing; as illustrated by `The ghost goes west'
Author: MARGRAVE, Seton Pages: vii,216p.
Description: Also in The History of the Cinema 1895-1940 microfiche.
Date: 1935 (Release)Country: United KingdomDirected by: René Clair
Synopsis: Supernatural romantic comedy about a haunted Scottish castle which is bought by an American millionaire and is shipped to America complete with its ghost; the castle's seller and the buyer's daughter fall in love. In the eighteenth century, Murdoch Glourie, the son of a Scottish nobleman, enjoys a frivolous, womanising life. When the clans go to march against the English, the head of the rival clan, McLaggan, insults the Glouries for not taking part. The skirmish between these clans interferes with their determination to fight their common enemy the English, and in the battle, Murdoch dies from a Scottish cannonball. Two centuries later, Donald Glourie owns the family castle, but he cannot pay his bills. His ancestor Murdoch haunts the castle every midnight, doomed to do so until he gets a McLaggan to retract the old insult and admit that the Glouries are superior. American millionaire businessman Joe Martin arrives with his wife Gladys and daughter Peggy, with a view to buying the castle and having it shipped across the Atlantic to be rebuilt, stone by stone, in Florida. Martin duly buys it and moves it to Florida. On the ship across the ocean, it becomes clear that the ghost is moving along with his castle. Romantic complications arise too, as Peggy is falling in love with Donald, but when she meets the ghost she thinks his flirting is coming from Donald, who then (in person) is not demonstrating the same boldness in love. When news of the ghost is reported in the press, America gets very excited, and Martin wastes no time in exploiting the public's interest with a big ticker-tape parade to welcome the ghost to America (and to advertise his business). Martin's business rival, Ed Bigelow, hopes to prove there is no ghost, so Martin, holding a gala dinner to present the ghost at the castle, prepares for the worst by having Murdoch dress as the ghost, to fool everyone. He need not worry, though, as the ghost has its own agenda, and when the ghost discovers a secret about Bigelow's family, a chase through the castle ensues before matters are resolved.
Genres: Comedy, Fantasy
Subjects: Castles, Ghosts, Scotland, Commerce, Advertising
Releases
Date: 1935Country: United KingdomRelease type: unknownFormat: 35mm Film - Black and White - SoundRuntime: 82 mins Length: 7400 FeetDialogue (original): English
Articles held in BFI Reuben Library
(9)
In: Journal of Popular British Cinema n1 1998 Pages: 158-159Title: ReviewsAuthor: Harper, Sue Article type: ArticleLanguage: English
Description: Review of "The Korda Collection", a selection of 12 video titles released by Carlton Home Entertainment, includes The GHOST GOES WEST (1935).
In: Classic Images n169 July 1989 Pages: 12-13
Title: [Classic Images - n169 July 1989: no known title]Article type: ReviewLanguage: English
In: Image et Son n75/76 October 1954 Page: 21
Title: [Image et Son - n75/76 October 1954: no known title]Language: French
In: Today's Cinema v76 n6192 20 Feb 1951 Page: 6
Title: [Today's Cinema - v76 n6192 20 Feb 1951: no known title]Language: English
Description: Re-issue.
In: Hollywood Spectator v10 n8 1 Feb 1936 Pages: 10-11
Title: [Hollywood Spectator - v10 n8 1 Feb 1936: no known title]Language: English
In: Motion Picture Herald v122 n1 4 Jan 1936
Title: [Motion Picture Herald - v122 n1 4 Jan 1936: no known title]Language: English
In: Kinematograph Weekly n1496 19 Dec 1935
Title: [Kinematograph Weekly - n1496 19 Dec 1935: no known title]Language: English
In: Monthly Film Bulletin v2 n23 December 1935 Page: 194
Title: [Monthly Film Bulletin - v2 n23 December 1935: no known title]Language: English
In: Film Weekly v14 n376 28 Dec 1935 Page: 25
Title: [Film Weekly - v14 n376 28 Dec 1935: no known title]Language: English
Books held in BFI Reuben Library
(2)
Title: Cinema; tecnica y estetica del arte nuevoAuthor: LOPEZ, Manuel Villegas Pages: 306p.
Description: BERLINER BALLADE pp. 179-192 DEAD OF NIGHT pp. 213-222 The GHOST GOES WEST pp. 193-211
Title: Successful film writing; as illustrated by `The ghost goes west'
Author: MARGRAVE, Seton Pages: vii,216p.
Description: Also in The History of the Cinema 1895-1940 microfiche.