ABC STAGE 67: THE CANTERVILLE GHOST (TV)
Summary
One in this series of entertainment specials presented under the umbrella of "ABC Stage 67." This program, which is a modern musical adaptation of Oscar Wilde's short story, concerns an American ambassador and his family, the Otises, who decide to move into a castle haunted by a ghost, Sir Simon de Canterville. The Otises are told that because Simon murdered his wife, he has been cursed to haunt the castle forever. At first, Mr. Otis denies the existence of ghosts, claiming there is a "logical explanation" for everything, and much to Simon's chagrin, his denial convinces the family as well. Therefore, whenever they actually do see Simon, the Otises pay him no regard, despite his best attempts to frighten them. Finally, Simon finds a way to get the attention of Mr. Otis, who then diplomatically decides that they should all live together in "peaceful coexistence," informing his children that the spirit does in fact exist after all. Meanwhile, a friend of the family, the young Duke of Cheshire, woos Ambassador Otis's daughter Virginia and proposes marriage to her, but she seems skeptical. Later, Virginia encounters Simon, and though she at first finds him "vulgar," she soon befriends the lonely ghost and listens to his tale, wanting to help him find peace. As she wanders the grounds with Simon, the family searches for her urgently and even calls the American embassy, worried that she has been taken by "gypsies." When Virginia eventually reappears, she explains that Simon's ghost has gone for good and that they should re-bury his bones beside his deceased wife, and the family settles happily into their home. The original songs by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick include: "Undertow," "I Worry," "You Never Try," "Vengeance," and "You're Super." Throughout the program, various members of the Otis family parody their strong sense of American commercialism by breaking into pretend advertisements while in conversation. Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: November 2, 1966 Wednesday 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:58:19
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T77:0161
- GENRE: Musical; Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Musical; Comedy; Fantasy
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1966-1967
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Burlington industries
- TV - Commercials - Cameo support stockings
- TV - Commercials - Lees Island Park carpets
- TV - Commercials - Singer appliances
- TV - Commercials - Singer sewing machines
- TV - Commercials - Vistaglass fabric
CREDITS
- Joseph Mishy … Executive Producer
- Burt Shevelove (See also: B.G. Shevelove) … Producer, Writer, Adapted by
- John Robins … Director
- Oscar Wilde … Based on a story by
- Jerry Bock … Music by
- Sheldon Harnick … Lyrics
- Elmer Bernstein … Theme Music by
- John Morris … Musical Director
- Michael Redgrave … Cast, Sir Simon de Canterville
- Douglas Fairbanks … Cast, Ambassador Otis
- Natalie Schafer … Cast, Mrs. Otis
- Tippy Walker (See also: Elizabeth Walker) … Cast, Virginia Otis
- Peter Noone … Cast, the Duke of Cheshire
- David Charkham … Cast, Mark Otis
- Mark Colleano … Cast, Matthew Otis
- Frankie Howerd … Cast, the Constable
- George Curzon … Cast, the Butler
- Madge Brindley … Cast, the Housekeeper