M. R. James’ Whistle and I’ll Come To You

“On a winter holiday in Norfolk, a solitary, eccentric professor finds a whistle carved of bone in a graveyard. Back in his hotel room, gloating over his find, he raises the whistle to his lips, heedless of the terror it may summon…”

Whistle and I’ll Come to You is the title of a BBC television drama adapted from the ghost story “Oh, Whistle, And I’ll Come To You, My Lad” written by M.R. James.

This story was first published in 1904 and in 1968 the BBC adaptation was so well received that it inspired a yearly telecast of M.R. James’s stories broadcast under the general title A Ghost Story for Christmas 1971-78, 2005-06.

In another post entitled BBCGhost Stories Aired at Christmastime, I discuss more about M.R. James and another favorite story by him.

Whistle and I’ll Come to You

The 1968 version of this story was filmed on the English east coast in Norfolk near Waxham.

This version is considered to be a horror masterpiece. This film is presented in black and white and the atmosphere this achieves is almost another character in this story.

The photographer Dick Bush's use of close-ups and extreme camera angles achieves a chilling effect. Heightened sound effects also make the story more intense.

Equally important is Michael Hordern’s performance in this production. His character of a reclusive Cambridge professor who speaks only when necessary is effective for his humming, mumblings and facial expressions all convey a myriad of emotions.

There is one exception to this when he awkwardly goes off on a rant in response to the question "Do you believe in ghosts?"

The stories plot unwinds with increasing terror as this professor realizes that a whistle that he claimed in a beachfront cemetery has unleashed a supernatural force that he despite his academic background cannot understand or control.

M.R. James places clues throughout his story that are “warnings” that this professor although frightened chooses to ignore.

Illustration by James McBryde

Among these are: a terrifying dream, a mysterious dark figure that follows him from the cemetery and a carved Latin inscription on the whistle, Quis est iste qui venti which means “Who is this who is coming?”

The modern viewer of this production needs to have patience for this classic ghost tale unfolds in its own good time. But the wait is worth it for this adaptation is every bit as chilling as it was when it first aired in the UK.

Here is the 1968 film.

Casting the Runes

M. R. James

Montague Rhodes James, i.e., M. R. James, wrote this classic short story in 1911.

James was an English writer who is known for his ghost stories. His stories are classics because his writing style quickly draws the reader in.

But by far my favorite story by him is Casting the Runes. This story is not a ghost story but it has many supernatural elements--including witchcraft and the casting of magic spells.

Casting the Ruins is about an evil man, Mr. Karswell who has submitted a paper about witchcraft for consideration to a scientific society. This society then gives it to a member, Mr. Dunning to read. Mr. Dunning recommends the society reject this paper.

Dunning then discovers that several years before a critic by the name of John Harrington had laughed at a book Karswell had written entitled, The History of Witchcraft. Afterward, Harrington turned up dead under bizarre circumstances.

He learns that others who had rejected Karswell’s work also died mysteriously. Dunning becomes nervous realizing he has rejected Karswell’s work as well.

Karswell tracks Dunning down and hands him an odd strip of paper. After this, weird things start occurring. Dunning begins to see the name, "John Harrington" in places it should not be, and then his household staff is poisoned mysteriously.  

Late one night his house is broken into, but he finds no one. When he locks himself in his room he feels something strange under his pillow--he describes it as being a mouth with teeth.

His friends seeing how disturbed and pale Dunning has become connect him with Harrington’s brother, Henry. This man shares the details surrounding his sibling’s death.

“…he was found dead with the most dreadful face of fear that could be imagined.”

Harrington had been chased by something so terrible he had uncharacteristically climbed a tree. He had then fallen when a large limb snapped. He broke his neck and died.

Apparently, Karswell out for revenge had “cast the runes” * on Harrington who found himself defenseless against this spell.

It dawns on Dunning that he is experiencing similar things to what Harrington experienced.

Dunning discovers that Karswell also handed Harrington a mysterious strip of paper with odd writing on it.

So Henry and Dunning conclude that he must be under the same kind of magic spell that Karswell cast on Harrington.

The two men become determined to thwart Karswell. The key that helps save Dunning’s life lies with the strip of paper.

In the end, Karswell gets what he deserves.

M. R. James succeeds in making his main character Dunning sympatric and real to the reader--especially when he has him feel remorse about Karswell’s fate.

* Runes are a set of stones/cards with the Germanic alphabet itched or written on them. Like Tarot cards they are used for divination or enhancement of psychic awareness.

Runen

Here is a link to the text of Casting the Runes.

Here is an audio recording of the story on YouTube.

In 1957, a British Film called initially, Night of the Demon, retitled Curse of the Demon was released. This film is based upon James’ Casting the Runes.

The director, Jacques Tourneur, and the screenwriter, Charles Bennett plus the film's star Dana Andrews during the production clashed with the film’s producer, Hal E. Chester. Chester wanted to insert the real image of a demon or monster into the film. Unfortunately, he won out.

The result is two scenes with an outdated chintzy effect but despite this, the movie is classic film noir and entertaining.

Bennett's screenplay changed several elements of James’ original story, but it is still a great horror film. It is available to watch on Amazon’s Instant Video.

BBC Ghost Stories Aired at Christmastime

M.R. James, Montague Rhodes James, wrote several collections of short ghost stories in the early 1900s. He was a medieval scholar and for many years the Provost of King’s College. The ghost stories he wrote he shared with his students at Eton on Christmas Eve, which is a long standing tradition in England.

His tales unlike today’s horror stories were quiet in comparison. His stories did though amp up the horror quotient for his day. He wrote about demons, murderous zombies as well as spirits. He shared these bloodcurdling tales from 1918 until the late 1930s. One of his stories Casting the Runes became the 1950s film "Curse of the Demon," which in turn inspired Sam Raimi’s “Drag Me to Hell.”

The BBC adapted several of his stories for their annual television Christmas Ghost Story, which was aired in Great Britain from 1971 until 1978 in the month of December. They were shown under the title "A Ghost Story for Christmas." In 2005, BBC Four revived them during the Christmas season. Even today, these episodes are still remembered with fondness in the United Kingdom. Most are not available to buy or rent but YouTube has parts of many of them.

My favorite one first aired in 1976 and was the first non-M.R. James one shown in the series. It was adapted from a Charles Dickens’s story entitled, The Signalman. It starred Denholm Elliott. It is about a railroad signalman who tells a curious traveller (I spell it traveler) how he has been troubled by a ghostly spectre (I spell it specter) that seems to predict calamity. This specter is a “harbinger”, which is a favorite theme of mine.
 

I like this story because the horror is subtle—it leaves it up to the viewer’s imagination, which in the long run is much more scary.

Below are the YouTube videos in 4 parts that show the episode in its entirety.

Enjoy...