The Ghost Goes West, 1935
Murdoch Glourie (Robert Donat) is a flighty skirt-chaser who dies ingloriously in battle while trying to sneak away for a hookup. Doomed by his shame to haunt his family's castle, Murdoch's routine is shaken up when his descendant Donald (also played by Donat) sells the castle to a wealthy American who plans to ship the castle, in pieces, to the US. Things get even more complicated when Donald's crush, Peggy (Jean Parker) is wooed by both Murdoch and Donald.
This film, directed by Rene Clair, has plenty of whimsy and engaging enough leads in Donat and Parker (along with Eugene Pallette as the grocery magnate who purchases the castle). But despite its fun elements, I found it a bit slight.
The main issue that I had with the film was that it felt rather repetitive. Maybe it was just the challenge of adapting the story into a feature-length film (which still comes in at a slight 82 minutes). Maybe it was a case of a writer thinking that something was so funny that it was worth seeing three different times. Whatever the case, I got a bit impatient with seeing similar sequences again and again. Murdoch tells a woman a riddle and then demands a "forfeit" in the form of a kiss (this happens at least four times). Donald doesn't realize Peggy has been flirting with Murdoch and is clueless, which makes her mad (this also happens at least four times).
The visual element of the film was definitely my favorite thing about it. The effects of Murdoch's ghost are really well done, as are the sequences where Donat shares the screen with himself. Yes, there's some obvious double work. But there are also surprisingly good sequences of him talking to himself. There are also some fun touches, like a sound system embedded in a suit of armor. The staging of the final sequence of the film, a dinner party that includes a professional skeptic, is enjoyable.
That said, there's a lack of depth to the film that kept me from really vibing with it. The characters, despite the charismatic performances, never feel like they are developed in anything other than broad strokes.
Not bad, but just a bit lacking.