| "The Treasure of Abbot Thomas" | |
|---|---|
| Short story by M.R. James | |
 | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Horror |
| Publication | |
| Publication date | 1904 |
"The Treasure of Abbot Thomas" is a ghost story by British writer M. R. James. It was published in his book Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1904).
The tale tells the story of Somerton, a scholar of medieval history, who tells a rector the frightening tale of how, while searching an abbey library, he found clues leading him to the hidden treasure of a disgraced abbot.
In 1974, the story was adapted as part of the BBC's A Ghost Story for Christmas strand by John Bowen as The Treasure of Abbot Thomas . [1] It was first broadcast on 23 December 1974 at 11.35. [2] The adaptation stars Michael Bryant as Somerton, and it was directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark.
In creating his adaptation, Bowen changed a number of elements of M. R. James's story, such as including another character – Peter, Lord Dattering (Paul Lavers) [3] – as Somerton's protégé, with whom he shares his investigation. The story is not told in flashback, and also includes a scene in which Somerton exposes two fraudulent mediums, which acts as a demonstration of Somerton's rational approach to the supernatural. [4]
A parody, written by Stephen Sheridan and named The Teeth of Abbot Thomas, was made for radio broadcast.
Montague Rhodes James was an English medievalist scholar and author who served as provost of King's College, Cambridge (1905–1918), and of Eton College (1918–1936) as well as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge (1913–1915). James's scholarly work is still highly regarded, but he is best remembered for his ghost stories, which are considered by many critics and authors as the finest in the English language and widely influential on modern horror.
Michael Dennis Bryant was a British stage and television actor.
Peter Ewart Ohm, known professionally as Peter Vaughan, was an English character actor known for many supporting roles in British film and television productions. He also acted extensively on stage.
Ghost Stories of an Antiquary is a collection of ghost stories by British writer M. R. James, published in 1904. Some later editions under this title contain both the original collection and its successor, More Ghost Stories (1911), combined in one volume.
A Christmas Carol, the 1843 novella by Charles Dickens (1812–1870), is one of the English author's best-known works. It is the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a greedy miser who hates Christmas but who is transformed into a caring, kindly person through the visitations of four ghosts. The classic work has been dramatised and adapted countless times for virtually every medium and performance genre, and new versions appear regularly.
John Griffith Bowen was a British playwright and novelist.
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A Ghost Story for Christmas is a strand of annual British short television films originally broadcast on BBC One between 1971 and 1978, and revived sporadically by the BBC since 2005. With one exception, the original instalments were directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark and the films were all shot on 16 mm colour film. The remit behind the series was to provide a television adaptation of a classic ghost story, in line with the oral tradition of telling supernatural tales at Christmas.
"A Warning to the Curious" is a ghost story by British writer M. R. James, included in his book A Warning to the Curious and Other Ghost Stories first published in 1925. The tale tells the story of Paxton, an antiquarian and archaeologist who holidays in "Seaburgh" and inadvertently stumbles across one of the three lost crowns of East Anglia, which legendarily protect the country from invasion. Upon digging up the crown, Paxton is stalked by its supernatural guardian. Written a few years after the end of the First World War, "A Warning to the Curious" ranks as one of M. R. James's bleakest stories.
A View from a Hill is a short film which serves as the ninth episode of the British supernatural anthology series A Ghost Story for Christmas, and the first episode of its revival following the 1971–78 run. Written by Peter Harness, produced by Pier Wilkie, and directed by Luke Watson, it is based on the ghost story of the same name by M. R. James, first published in the collection A Warning to the Curious and Other Ghost Stories (1925), and first aired on BBC Four on 23 December 2005.
The Turn of the Screw is a British television film based on Henry James's 1898 ghost story of the same name. Commissioned and produced by the BBC, it was first broadcast on 30 December 2009, on BBC One. The novella was adapted for the screen by Sandy Welch, and the film was directed by Tim Fywell. Although generally true to the tone and story of James's work, the film is set in the 1920s—in contrast to the original 1840s setting—and accentuates sexual elements that some theorists have identified in the novella. The film's story is told in flashbacks during consultations between the institutionalised Ann and Dr Fisher. Ann tells how she was hired by an aristocrat to care for the orphans Miles and Flora. She is met at the children's home, Bly, by Mrs Grose, the housekeeper. Ann soon begins to see unknown figures around the manor, and seeks an explanation.
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Stigma is a short film which is part of the British supernatural anthology series A Ghost Story for Christmas. Written by Clive Exton, produced by Rosemary Hill, and directed by the series' creator, Lawrence Gordon Clark, it first aired on BBC1 on 29 December 1977, the latest airdate in the series relative to Christmas. At 31 minutes 47 seconds, it is the shortest episode in the original run, being 3 seconds shorter than "The Ash Tree" (1975)
The Ice House is a short film that is part of the British supernatural anthology series A Ghost Story for Christmas, and the final instalment of the original 1971-78 run. Written by John Bowen, who wrote the earlier instalment The Treasure of Abbot Thomas (1974), produced by Rosemary Hill, and directed by Derek Lister, it first aired on BBC1 on 25 December 1975, only the second of the films to air at Christmas after Lost Hearts (1973).
A Christmas Carol is a 2019 British dark fantasy drama television miniseries based on the 1843 novella by Charles Dickens. The three-part series is written by Steven Knight with Tom Hardy and Ridley Scott among the executive producers. It began airing on BBC One in the UK on 22 December 2019 and concluded two days later on 24 December 2019. Prior to this, it aired in the US on FX on 19 December 2019, with all three episodes shown consecutively as a single television film.
Count Magnus is a short film which is part of the British supernatural anthology series A Ghost Story for Christmas. Produced by Isibeal Ballance and written and directed by Mark Gatiss, it is based on the ghost story of the same name by M. R. James, first published in the collection Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1904), and first aired on BBC Two on 23 December 2022.
The Treasure of Abbot Thomas is a short film which serves as the fourth episode of the British supernatural anthology television series A Ghost Story for Christmas. Written by John Bowen, produced by Rosemary Hill, and directed by the series' creator, Lawrence Gordon Clark, it is based on the ghost story of the same name by M. R. James, first published in the collection Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1904), and first aired on BBC1 on 23 December 1974.
Lost Hearts is a short film, the third of the British supernatural anthology series A Ghost Story for Christmas. Written by Robin Chapman, produced by Rosemary Hill, and directed by the series' creator, Lawrence Gordon Clark, it is based on the 1895 ghost story of the same name by M. R. James and first aired on BBC1 on 25 December 1973. It is the first instalment to have been broadcast on Christmas Day itself, and one of only three in the series' history.
The Ash Tree is a short film which is part of the British supernatural anthology series A Ghost Story for Christmas. Written by David Rudkin, produced by Rosemary Hill, and directed by the series' creator, Lawrence Gordon Clark, it is based on the ghost story "The Ash-tree" by M. R. James, first published in the collection Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1904), and first aired on BBC1 on 23 December 1975.
The author and medievalist M. R. James (1862-1936) wrote over 30 ghost stories, which have been widely adapted for television, radio, and theatre. The first adaptation of one of his stories was of A School Story for the BBC Midlands Regional Programme in 1932, the only one produced in James' lifetime. The only notable film adaptation is Night of the Demon (1957), directed by Jacques Tourneur and based on Casting the Runes, which is considered one of the greatest horror films of all time. The most celebrated adaptations of his works are those produced for British television in the 1960s and 1970s, which have made him, according to critic Jon Dear, “the go-to folk horror writer for television.”
The full text of The Treasure of Abbot Thomas at Wikisource