The Canterville Ghost

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The Canterville Ghost is a popular 1887 novella by Oscar Wilde, widely adapted for the screen and stage.

[edit] Introduction

"The Canterville Ghost" is a parody featuring a dramatic spirit named Sir Simon and an American ambassador named Mr. Hiram B. Otis. Mr. Otis travels to England with his family and moves into a haunted castle. Lord Canterville, the previous owner of the castle, warns Mr. Otis that the ghost of Sir Simon de Canterville has haunted the castle ever since he killed his wife, Eleonore, centuries ago. But Mr. Otis dismisses the ghost story as bunk and disregards Lord Canterville's warnings.

[edit] Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

The original was an early work of Wilde, published serially in the magazine Court and Society Review in 1887.

A large number of adaptations of The Canterville Ghost have been made, including:

A 1944 adaptation starring Charles Laughton resetting it in wartime and taking massive liberties with the plot. [1]
A 1966 opera by the Russian composer Alexander Knayfel’
A 1974 made-for-television dramatization with David Niven as the ghost.
A 1985 TV movie starring Richard Kiley and directed by William F. Claxton [2]
A 1986 TV adaptation starring Alyssa Milano and Sir John Gielgud [3]
An animated short from 1990 [4]
A 1996 TV movie starring Patrick Stewart, Neve Campbell and Cherie Lunghi [5]
A 1997 TV adaptation starring Ian Richardson and Celia Imrie [6]
Several stage musicals