Horror History: GHOST STORY Was Released in 1981
On this day in horror history, John Irvin’s adaptation of Peter Straub’s Ghost Story opened in 1981. Fred Astaire stars along with Melvyn Douglas, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., John Houseman, Craig Wasson, and Alice Krige.
Irvin directed Ghost Story based on the 1979 novel of the same name by Straub.
It follows four old friends — Ricky Hawthorne (Astaire), Sears James (Houseman), Dr. John Jaffrey (Douglas), and Edward Wanderley (Fairbanks Jr.) — who meet every year to tell ghost stories. When one of Wanderley’s sons dies mysteriously the day before his wedding, and the ghostly apparition of a beautiful woman appears on the ice, the four old friends have no choice but to piece together one last story — this one more terrifying than all the others, because it is true.
RELATED: Scream Factory Details Ghost Story Blu-ray Release
Ghost Story was the final film to feature Astaire, Fairbanks, and Douglas, who died four months before the release. That said, it is the first to feature Michael O’Neill.
The film shot in Vermont, New York, and at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. Universal wanted a Christmastime release for Ghost Story based on its wintry setting. They originally set a tentative December 11, 1981 release date.
Advance test screenings took place in October 1981 in Denver and Boston. The film opened in the US with a wide release two months later on December 18, 1981. Limited engagement screenings of the film took place on December 16. It grossed $23.3M at the US box office and was the third-highest-grossing horror film of 1981 and the 34th-highest grosser of the year.
Do you dig Ghost Story?
Make sure to let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! You can also hit me up over on Twitter @MikeSpregg325.
Categorized:News
