SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: Approx. 47:00 Min.
As Haunted History’s final U.S. episode, “Haunted Caribbean” first aired on The History Channel on August 11, 2001. Narrated by actor John Glover, this installment explores reputedly haunted locations in various Caribbean locales. Included are uncredited reenactments of Caribbean regional history and reported sightings (i.e. interviewees Gerald and Loretta Hausman play themselves reenacting an unsettling incident where a ghost pirate ‘threatens’ a sleeping Gerald).
Starting with Fort San Cristobal in San Juan, Puerto Rico, anthropologist Michael Gleeson and historian Milagros Flores discuss eerie legends associated with the locale. Among them are reported encounters with an imprisoned Spanish captain, a ghostly Spanish soldier on guard duty, and the infamous Devil’s Sentry Box. The empty Sentry Box purportedly has a history where numerous overnight guards vanished without a trace.
For the Jamaica segment, married folklorists and authors Gerald Hausman and Loretta Hausman discuss ghostly sightings at “Blue Harbor” (aka the Noël Coward House) situated on Cabrita Island. It’s acknowledged that fellow interviewee Gleeson owns Coward’s former estate.
Next discussed are local legends associated with notorious 17th Century pirate Henry Morgan and those of alluring mermaids killing their male prey. Another Jamaican locale explored is the reputedly haunted Edinburgh Castle. Its initial owner, Dr. Lewis Hutchinson, is believed to have been a mass serial killer. Similarly, the ghost of slave owner Annie Palmer, known as the sadistically evil ‘White Witch of Rose Hall,’ supposedly haunts her former plantation. It’s acknowledged that both Hutchinson and Palmer subsequently met foul endings through evidently karmic justice in Jamaica.
Moving on to the St. Thomas beach in the U.S. Virgin Island, the initial topic is the presence of ghosts associated with 1853’s cholera plague victims. Local resident Joseph LaPlace is interviewed, as is historian David Knight. Also discussed are reputed (and unrelated) hauntings of two private homes at St. Thomas: one dating to the 19th Century and the other on Charlotte Amalie Harbor. In this segment, local residents Kenneth L. Brick and Kate McDonnell are interviewed, as is author Joan Medicott. The 19th Century legend of local voodoo enthusiasts attempting to turn a deceased elderly recluse into a zombie is also told.
Lastly, at St. Croix, the “One North” estate once owned by a Mary Pomeroy is examined. Including reenactments, the late Pomeroy (portrayed by an uncredited actress) resorted to a Catholic Church-sanctioned exorcism to cleanse her home. According to a subsequent owner, George Tyler, the recruited priest’s efforts evidently succeeded.
Glover concludes by noting that haunting mysteries abound in the Caribbean, in spite of the region’s popularity with tourists.
Notes: Including one standalone special (with actor Michael Dorn as the narrator), Glover’s U.S. version produced 26 episodes over two seasons between 1998 and 2001. Haunted History’s 1998 British version lasted one season consisting of six episodes, which explored more historically-based stories in the United Kingdom, the U.S., and Tasmania.
REVIEW:
Clearly made on the cheap, the episode’s intriguing historical context and vivid tourist advertisement (stock) footage help make this show watchable. Still, given this show’s low-rent production values (i.e. being filmed on videotape and the dubious reenactments), it’s a stretch taking “Haunted Caribbean” seriously.
A lack of verifiable historical documentation of these hauntings is a glaring red flag, in spite of some seemingly credible interviewees. The same applies to an over-generalization of local folklore/superstitions and stereotyping local residents (i.e. the region’s African and Spanish descendants) as being wary, if not fearful, of the supernatural. One wonders if the lack of native input (at least, on-screen) is coincidental, in terms of the controversial claims Haunted History seeks to push.
Regarding John Glover’s off-screen presence, it’s a mixed bag. Hiring him as the series narrator, theoretically, makes good sense. Viewers could presume that his narrative style meant to convey the same unsettling, almost creepy vibe Paul Winfield’s voice added to City Confidential’s lurid, real-life whodunnits – or perhaps mimic Robert Stack on Unsolved Mysteries. However, when considering the contentious paranormal subject matter and his obviously scripted comments, let’s just say Glover’s contribution falls short of convincing armchair skeptics.
While “Haunted Caribbean” is instantly forgettable, its tidbits of often sinister historical fact dating back long before Christopher Columbus may still whet one’s curiosity.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 4 Stars
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