GManfred In the midst of the "screwball comedy" fad in 30's Hollywood comes a British comedy of a different stripe. "The Ghost Goes West" is subtler than American audiences of the 30's were becoming used to and probably did not register with them as a result. It's a gentle comedy that grows on you, with hints of humor that warms rather than overpowers.It stars one of the best, Robert Donat, who left us too soon. He was fresh off his success in "The Thirty-Nine Steps" and is seen here in a dual role as Donald Glourie, pennyless heir to Glourie Castle, and as his ancestor, Murdoch Glourie, a womanizer and not the warrior his father wanted. He is ably supported by lovely Jean Parker, and by Eugene Palette as her father and new owner of the castle.It is well worth your time as an interesting and rewarding example of a different type of humor than we have become used to on this side of the Atlantic.

MartinHafer "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.

Michael_Elliott Ghost Goes West, The (1935) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Charming fantasy about the Scottish Murdoch Glourie (Robert Donat), a ladies man who goes to fight in the war, which allows his father to die in peace. However, moments later Murdoch is killed due to him being a coward and this act won't allow him into Heaven so he must stay in a middle ground. Decades later an American father (Eugene Palette) and daughter (Jean Parker) buy the castle with plans of moving it to Florida where a media frenzy breaks out over the ghost that haunts it. The title makes it seem as if the ghost goes to the Old West but that's not the case to this Clair comedy that's certainly worth watching even if the end results aren't as good as one would hope for. I think the prologue that starts the film is actually the best moments as Donat is clearly having fun playing the ladies man. When we meet him he's in a field with six or so women and there's no question that Donat is having fun flirting, smiling and kissing them. When we get to the battle scenes there's certainly no great effects but the comic timing by the director is quite good and we get a fair number of laughs from Donat's cowardice. Things stay moving pretty well when the American family first shows up with a daughter who loves ghosts and the mother who of course is terrified of them. I thought the family members were quite funny but a lot of this is due to the terrific performances by Parker and the underrated Palette. Donat is also quite good in the role of the ghost as he has no problem playing that loose and fun character. I thought he had somewhat more trouble playing the castle's current owner who of course is in love with the Parker character. Donat isn't quite as good playing the straight park but there's no question that he has some nice chemistry with Parker. Elsa Lanchester, Ralph Bunker and Patricia Hilliard round out the supporting players. The special effects of Donat in both roles in the same scene aren't that impressive today but I think for the most part they're good enough to where they don't take you out of the movie. THE GHOST GOES WEST is certainly far from a classic due mainly to the "comedy" not having enough laughs to carry the full running time but fans of the director will enjoy the innocent charm of the story.

bkoganbing In this very delightful fantasy, a joint Anglo-American production with Alexander Korda doing it in the United Kingdom and it being partnered by Samuel Goldwyn over on this side of the pond, Robert Donat gets to do two of his best characterizations. Donat plays a 20th century Scot's Laird, forced to sell the family ancestral castle to pay some bills. Along with the castle a ghost goes with it, also played by Donat.A brief prologue gives us the reason why Donat is haunting the place. He showed up late for a battle with the invading redcoats and his father Morton Selten puts a curse on him. He's to be earth bound until he makes some guy from the rival clan do a little crawling to him in response to the ragging Selten has taken from this other crowd.So Donat the ghost has been haunting the family digs for about 200 years plus and his descendant is looking to sell the place. American food tycoon Eugene Palette wants to buy it and Mr. Palette has a lovely daughter in Jean Parker who Donat finds attractive. The castle is taken apart, stone by stone, to be reassembled in Florida and of course The Ghost Goes West with it.If there's a Lubitsch touch for comedy, there's certainly a Rene Clair touch for fantasy. The Ghost Goes West is really a delightful film with Donat's dual performance stealing the show. It's as light and airy as other Clair English language masterpieces as I Married A Witch and It Happened Tomorrow. Do not miss it if it is ever broadcast and it's an indisputable part of any projected Robert Donat film festival.