Classic Kids, or 100 films that the kids in your life have to see by 13 or else!
Day 70: The Canterville Ghost (1944)
Is a fantasy/comedy film based on a short story by Oscar Wilde. Margaret O'Brien, a popular child actor of the era, along with Robert Young (later Television's Dr. Marcus Welby) and Charles Laughton are the stars in this classic about a ghost doomed to haunt an English Manner until He is able to redeem himself through an act of bravery. Of course not everyone sees the ghost, and in the end the ghost not only performs the act of bravery, he ends up helping with the war effort. The Canterville Ghost was one of the most successful films produced during the war. It's fun, joyful and at times quite suspenseful. Charles Laughton's appearance is just perfect, and his acting as usual is spot on.
Themes: Courage, Tradition, Battle, Redemption
Media Literacy Questions: How did the film's producers take an Oscar Wilde short story written in the late 1800s and transfer it to a mid 1940s setting? How did the filmmakers create the illusion of a ghost? What are some key values within the film?
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