Ghost Story
Final theatrical feature film of veteran actors Melvyn Douglas, Fred Astaire, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr.,When Ricky is having the car dragged up from the lake, it changes between day and night several times.,Eva: I will take you places you've never been. I will show you things that you have never seen and I will see the life run out of you.,The Australian theatrical version was cut to receive a more commercial 'M' rating (all ages admitted but recommend for 15 and over) rather then an 'R' rating (restricted to 18 years and over).,Featured in Sneak Previews: Neighbors, Sharky's Machine, Ghost Story, Pennies from Heaven (1981),Sweetheart of Sigma Chi
Written by F. Dudleigh Vernor and Byron D. Stokes
Performed by Guy Lombardo and The Royal Canadians (as His Royal Canadians),I read Peter Straub's book and was quite pleased with the result of the movie. First of all, like many, I loved the cast. They are all great men of the world cinema and the pull off the story with great aplomb. The movie is about something someone does in his or her youth and then must live with forever. In a good ghost story, the characters get no points for being once youthful and reckless. The fact that they meet and share their stories means that they never seem to intend closure. They never allow themselves to face the music and, hence, the revenge of the spirit is acceptable in the world where they find themselves. I just thought that a society devoted to the telling of ghost stories was a great idea. Anyway, while the plot does wander around a bit and it takes time to get to the point, it still works great. It was nice to see that Fred Astaire could still act (because he was such a great dancer we forget that he had a great comic talent and, in this case, a dramatic talent). The others are equally formidable. There are also some pretty slimy, putrid visions that appear and make for a pretty good rank on the jump scale. The actually scene that explains everything (I won't spoil it) is both sad and revealing. While not the greatest movie, it works very well and I would recommend it.,