Christmas ghost stories and new technologies
Aside from stories told aloud at home and public events, the printed stories (including poems,) illustrations of various kinds, tableaux, theatre and pantomime, magic lantern shows, one also finds a long history of sound recordings, radio, film, television. By this time there might be video games too, maybe? Virtual reality?
Below are some examples from the silent era of film. As with print, there were both stories that were set around Christmastime and ones that were shown around Christmastime but not set at Christmas.
The latter kind might have been intended by the filmmakers or distributors to be Christmas ghost stories, though I think that may be somewhat less likely than with print publications and that it was more a case of critics or viewers receiving them that way. "The Haunted House of Wild Isle" was an American film evidently originally released in April 1915, and the supposed haunting was revealed not to be supernatural at all. (Granted, a fairly large number of Christmas ghost stories lacked real ghosts, turning out to be sleepwalkers, animals, burglars, etc.—but reprinting too many of those would really irritate 21st-century readers, I think!) "The Grey Ghost" may have been the 1917 American film by that name, the title of which may only have been the name of a master criminal, following similarly named ones like Fantomas and Les Vampires.
The items regarding "The Mistletoe Bough" (1904) are surprising in two respects. The first ad has spoilers, but of course people would have known the story from the song, and the ghost added to it from the stage play. The second has an expression of either some xenophobia or nationalistic capitalism; further research would have to be done to see whether it might have been complaining more about American films or continental ones.
CLARENDON FILMS.
—
THE MISTLETOE BOUGH
IN THIRTEEN SCENES.
—
ARRANGED FROM THE WELL-KNOWN BALLAD.
BRILLIANT QUALITY,
FINISHED ACTING,
BEAUTIFUL EFFECTS,
DRAMATIC AND ROMANTIC.
—
1.—THE INTERIOR OF THE BARONIAL HALL. The Wedding Festivities; the Bride leaves the Dancers and runs off to hide.
2.—THE MAIN ENTRANCE OF THE HALL. The Bride leaving and crossing the Yard to the Ancient Tower.
3.—THE BRIDE CLIMBING THE STAIR TO THE TOP OF THE TOWER.
4.—THE MOONLIT CORRIDOR. She hides in the "Old Oak Chest.”
5.—THE BARONIAL HALL. The Search commences.
6.—IN THE DUNGEONS; Searching by Torchlight.
7.—THE COURTYARD. Lord Lovell with the Baron and Guests crossing to the Ancient Tower.
8.—THEY CLIMB THE STAIR.
9.—THEY SEARCH THE CORRIDOR; find her handkerchief; they return disconsolate.
10.—MAGNIFICENT EXTERIOR VIEW OF THE HALL. Lord Lovell and a band of retainers start to search the Country.
11.—THE BARON’S APARTMENTS. The return of Lord Lovell.
THIRTY YEARS AFTER.
12.—THE BARONIAL HALL. In a vision, Lord Lovell sees his Bride and the “Old Oak Chest.” He is taking her in his arms when she fades away.
13.—IN THE CORRIDOR. Lord Lovell breaks open the “Old Oak Chest.” The Skeleton.
No. 109. Length, 500ft. Price, £12 10s.
The Era. December 10, 1904: 35.
“Clarendon" Films
Sole Agents,
I. GAUMONT & CO.
—
109. Code, “Mistletoe.” THE MISTLETOE BOUGH.
A GREAT SUCCESS, THIRTEEN SCENES OF THE GRAND ROMANTIC CHRISTMAS DRAMA. SUPERBLY EXECUTED THROUGHOUT.
Genuinely English in Conception and Sentiment.
No incomprehensible Foreign Hash.
A Good Top of the Bill. A Sure Draw. Orders filled in rotation.
Length, 500ft. Price, £12 10s.
The Era. December 31, 1904: 33.
"Earliest film of Christmas ghost story sees light; Watch the BFI’s restoration of The Mistletoe Bough (1904), the oldest film version of a classic Christmas ghost story." British Film Institute. December 12, 2013. https://www.bfi.org.uk/news/earliest-...
"At the Queen’s Electric Theatre cinema pictures and vaudeville are again the attraction, and two most interesting programmes have been secured for next week’s showing. The opening portion of the week the screen will show a Christmas ghost story, 'The Haunted House of Wild Isle.' It is the case of the ghost that captures another man’s money.
“Next Week’s Amusements.” Stalybridge Reporter. December 18, 1915: 3 col 6.
“A CHRISTMAS EVE GHOST STORY O—o-o-oh! The centre girl is our own MARY PICKFORD.”
Picturegoer. December 15, 1917: 616. [photograph and caption appearing alongside “The Crystal Studio Case: A Christmas Mystery Yarn” by Ivan Patrick Gore.]
"Still trying to track a Christmas ghost, the nearest I could get to it was with this Trans-Atlantic Company, one of which had dreamt of 'The Grey Ghost.' The ghosts must all have joined up in one of the numerous “phantom armies” we have read of in the war."
“Weekly Notes.” The Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly. January 10, 1918: 39.
Below are some examples from the silent era of film. As with print, there were both stories that were set around Christmastime and ones that were shown around Christmastime but not set at Christmas.
The latter kind might have been intended by the filmmakers or distributors to be Christmas ghost stories, though I think that may be somewhat less likely than with print publications and that it was more a case of critics or viewers receiving them that way. "The Haunted House of Wild Isle" was an American film evidently originally released in April 1915, and the supposed haunting was revealed not to be supernatural at all. (Granted, a fairly large number of Christmas ghost stories lacked real ghosts, turning out to be sleepwalkers, animals, burglars, etc.—but reprinting too many of those would really irritate 21st-century readers, I think!) "The Grey Ghost" may have been the 1917 American film by that name, the title of which may only have been the name of a master criminal, following similarly named ones like Fantomas and Les Vampires.
The items regarding "The Mistletoe Bough" (1904) are surprising in two respects. The first ad has spoilers, but of course people would have known the story from the song, and the ghost added to it from the stage play. The second has an expression of either some xenophobia or nationalistic capitalism; further research would have to be done to see whether it might have been complaining more about American films or continental ones.
CLARENDON FILMS.
—
THE MISTLETOE BOUGH
IN THIRTEEN SCENES.
—
ARRANGED FROM THE WELL-KNOWN BALLAD.
BRILLIANT QUALITY,
FINISHED ACTING,
BEAUTIFUL EFFECTS,
DRAMATIC AND ROMANTIC.
—
1.—THE INTERIOR OF THE BARONIAL HALL. The Wedding Festivities; the Bride leaves the Dancers and runs off to hide.
2.—THE MAIN ENTRANCE OF THE HALL. The Bride leaving and crossing the Yard to the Ancient Tower.
3.—THE BRIDE CLIMBING THE STAIR TO THE TOP OF THE TOWER.
4.—THE MOONLIT CORRIDOR. She hides in the "Old Oak Chest.”
5.—THE BARONIAL HALL. The Search commences.
6.—IN THE DUNGEONS; Searching by Torchlight.
7.—THE COURTYARD. Lord Lovell with the Baron and Guests crossing to the Ancient Tower.
8.—THEY CLIMB THE STAIR.
9.—THEY SEARCH THE CORRIDOR; find her handkerchief; they return disconsolate.
10.—MAGNIFICENT EXTERIOR VIEW OF THE HALL. Lord Lovell and a band of retainers start to search the Country.
11.—THE BARON’S APARTMENTS. The return of Lord Lovell.
THIRTY YEARS AFTER.
12.—THE BARONIAL HALL. In a vision, Lord Lovell sees his Bride and the “Old Oak Chest.” He is taking her in his arms when she fades away.
13.—IN THE CORRIDOR. Lord Lovell breaks open the “Old Oak Chest.” The Skeleton.
No. 109. Length, 500ft. Price, £12 10s.
The Era. December 10, 1904: 35.
“Clarendon" Films
Sole Agents,
I. GAUMONT & CO.
—
109. Code, “Mistletoe.” THE MISTLETOE BOUGH.
A GREAT SUCCESS, THIRTEEN SCENES OF THE GRAND ROMANTIC CHRISTMAS DRAMA. SUPERBLY EXECUTED THROUGHOUT.
Genuinely English in Conception and Sentiment.
No incomprehensible Foreign Hash.
A Good Top of the Bill. A Sure Draw. Orders filled in rotation.
Length, 500ft. Price, £12 10s.
The Era. December 31, 1904: 33.
"Earliest film of Christmas ghost story sees light; Watch the BFI’s restoration of The Mistletoe Bough (1904), the oldest film version of a classic Christmas ghost story." British Film Institute. December 12, 2013. https://www.bfi.org.uk/news/earliest-...
"At the Queen’s Electric Theatre cinema pictures and vaudeville are again the attraction, and two most interesting programmes have been secured for next week’s showing. The opening portion of the week the screen will show a Christmas ghost story, 'The Haunted House of Wild Isle.' It is the case of the ghost that captures another man’s money.
“Next Week’s Amusements.” Stalybridge Reporter. December 18, 1915: 3 col 6.
“A CHRISTMAS EVE GHOST STORY O—o-o-oh! The centre girl is our own MARY PICKFORD.”
Picturegoer. December 15, 1917: 616. [photograph and caption appearing alongside “The Crystal Studio Case: A Christmas Mystery Yarn” by Ivan Patrick Gore.]
"Still trying to track a Christmas ghost, the nearest I could get to it was with this Trans-Atlantic Company, one of which had dreamt of 'The Grey Ghost.' The ghosts must all have joined up in one of the numerous “phantom armies” we have read of in the war."
“Weekly Notes.” The Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly. January 10, 1918: 39.
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Christmas Ghost Stories and Horror
I was fortunate enough to edit Valancourt Books' 4th & 5th volumes of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories. Things found while compiling are shared here. (Including some Thanksgiving Ghost items.)
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