The Canterville Ghost (1944 film)

The Canterville Ghost is a 1944 fantasycomedy film directed by Jules Dassin, loosely based on the short story of the same title by Oscar Wilde. It starred Charles Laughton as a ghost doomed to haunt an English castle and Robert Young as his American descendant called upon to perform an act of bravery to redeem him.

In the seventeenth century, Sir Simon de Canterville Charles Laughton is forced by the Code of Chivalry to engage in a duel on behalf of his brother, but flees to the family castle when his opponent is substituted for by a giant played by an uncredited Tor Johnson. His proud father, Lord Canterville Reginald Owen, refuses to acknowledge that his son has disgraced the family name, even when shown in front of witnesses where Simon is cowering. The father has the only entrance to his sons hiding place bricked over as proof that Simon is not there, ignoring Simons pleas for mercy. Lord Canterville then curses his doomed cowardly son to find no rest until a kinsman shall perform an act of bravery in his name.Next, during World War II, US Army Rangers are billeted in the castle, owned now by a sixyearold Lady Jessica de Canterville Margaret OBrien. One of the men is Cuffy Williams Robert Young. The Rangers encounter Sir Simon but rather than being terrorized, humiliate the ghost with a mock haunting. With Cuffys help, Jessica overcomes her own terror of the ghost. Jessica discovers that Cuffy is a Canterville by a distinctive birthmark. Together, the two meet and learn the fate of their ghostly ancestor. One night, Simon takes Cuffy on a tour of the family portrait gallery, recounting the cowardly act of each descendant. Cuffy scoffs at Simons misgivings and boasts that he is different. ........

Source: Wikipedia