The Stalls of Barchester - A Ghost Story for Christmas (1971)

The Stalls of Barchester is a short film which serves as the first of the British supernatural anthology series "A Ghost Story for Christmas".

Written, produced, and directed by the series' creator Lawrence Gordon Clark, it is based on the ghost story "The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral" by M. R. James, first published in the collection More Ghost Stories (1911).

It stars Robert Hardy as Archdeacon Haynes of the fictional Barchester Cathedral, whose mysterious death is investigated 50 years later by the scholar Dr. Black (Clive Swift), and first aired on BBC1 on 24 December 1971.

In adapting the story for film, Clark set the story of the Archdeacon within the frame narrative of Dr Black's discovery of his diary, and the scholar's subsequent investigation into the origin of the carvings. Unlike the original story, the supernatural elements are shown, as opposed to being implied by the diary, albeit in shadowy glimpses.

The adaptation was filmed on location at Norwich Cathedral and the surrounding cathedral close.

Cast & Characters:
Clive Swift as Dr. Black
Will Leighton as the cathedral librarian
Robert Hardy as Dr. Haynes
Thelma Barlow as Letitia Haynes
Harold Bennett as Archdeacon Pulteney
Erik Chitty as the priest
David Pugh as John
Ambrose Coghill as museum curator

Next Film: A Warning to the Curious
https://rumble.com/v5dnga4-a-warning-to-the-curious-a-ghost-story-for-christmas-1972-eng-sub.html

With the exception of the final film, the tales were directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark. The final episode was directed by Derek Lister.