The Tractate Middoth

The Tractate Middoth (2013)

The chilling story of Dr Rant, whose wicked streak continues from beyond the grave. Based on the festive ghost story by MR James. When a relative comes to find a particular book at the university library, young student Garrett is drawn into a family feud over a will and its legacy - with terrifying consequences.

Date of release
2013-12-25
TMDB
7.1 / 10 (13)
Runtime
36m
Genres
Thriller, Mystery, Horror, TV Movie
Director
Mark Gatiss

Casting

Interesting facts

The Tractate Middoth is a short film which is part of the British supernatural anthology series A Ghost Story for Christmas. Produced by Susie Liggat, it is the first installment to be written and directed by Mark Gatiss, who has helmed every subsequent episode as of 2025. It is based on the ghost story of the same name by M. R. James, first published in the collection More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1911), and first aired on BBC Two on 25 December 2013.

Production

Gatiss says the story is one of his favourite M. R. James tales and decided to set his version in the 1950s. He created the character of Garrett's eccentric fellow traveller Miss Chambers (Una Stubbs), whom he encounters on the train to the seaside town where he hopes to recuperate from his shock in the library.

On being refused permission to use dust during the appearances of the spectre of Dr Rant in Chetham's Library the production instead used bulrushes to create the swirling effect.

Locations in the drama included Chetham's Library in Manchester, and Browsholme Hall, Cow Ark in Lancashire, which stood in as Bretfield Manor. Scenes were also filmed at Stonyhurst College, where students in 1950s costumes appeared as background artists. This featured as the university buildings housing the library.

Read on Wikipedia · Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Data from Wikidata.

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