The Canterville Ghost (1986 film)

Did You Know?

• John Gielgud told an interviewer he left his retirement to take the role because it took his mind off advancing age.
• Alyssa Milano said in a later interview that Gielgud helped her overcome her struggles with dyslexia during production.
• Some filming took place at All Hallows school in Somerset.

Plot

Harry Canterville, raised mostly in Cleveland, Ohio, travels to England with his new wife Lucy and his daughter Jennifer from a prior marriage to claim his inheritance: Canterville Castle, located in a small English village. The castle is haunted by the ghost of a shamed ancestor, Sir Simon de Canterville. Eccentric relatives refuse to enter the castle, and Mr. and Mrs. Umney offer gloomy warnings, but Harry and Lucy dismiss the idea of a real ghost, believing someone is tricking them with wires. Harry plans to stay for three months to gain full ownership, then sell the castle to a developer who wants to turn it into a hotel. Jennifer, whose mother died four years ago and who resists Lucy’s efforts to connect, goes to the attic at night seeking the ghost. Sir Simon tries his usual scare tactics, but Jennifer, unafraid, asks him to frighten Lucy instead. Impressed that she is the first person not terrified by him, Sir Simon befriends her and confesses he has not slept in over 300 years and is exhausted. The next day, Harry climbs onto the roof looking for wires, falls off, and is rescued by Sir Simon. Meanwhile, Sir Simon also works to fulfill Jennifer’s wish: Lucy reports seeing scary figures in mirrors, feeling icy cold fingers on her shoulder when alone, and hearing voices. Harry and Lucy finally accept the ghost is real when Sir Simon appears at a dinner party to scare off the guests.