Oscar De Los Santos and Kelly L. Goodridge
Now I See You: The Role of Imaginary and Supernatural Friends
in Fantastic Films and Television
Introduction
Our essay examines the presence of invisible or supernatural companions in fantastic cinema and television programs. Most who love fantasy stories are aware of the imagined or supernatural character befriending a living character in films and television shows; however, as we brainstormed for this paper, we were amazed by the number of films and television programs that have featured such stories. In fact, we identified so many (and certainly missed many others) that we will not try to mention all of them here, but instead refer to some as we explore the topic and critique four classic representations – two films and two TV shows – with supernatural friends. Then, in an appendix to this essay, we will list all the films and TV shows we came up with in our research. (We welcome your suggestions! Send us any films and TV shows we missed. Write us at talkingtheweird@yahoo.com.)
Once we recognized the plethora of stories with a presence of invisible or supernatural companions, we began to see varied approaches to and motives for inclusion of these characters in storylines. We also began to wonder why such stories have been so popular through the ages. We will begin by making some distinctions between these characters and their roles in various storylines. Kelly will examine two films that utilize angelic and supernatural friends: It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) and Harvey (1950). Oscar will follow-up with a look at two popular television shows that feature a genie and a ghost: I Dream of Jeannie (1965-1970) and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1968-1970). We’ll conclude by identifying various reasons for the enduring popularity of imaginary and supernatural friends in film and television.
Imaginary Friends vs. Supernatural Entities
As we mined the many shows with an invisible friend in the ensemble cast, it soon grew clear that shows with an imaginary friend – that is, a character that exists solely in a living character’s head – are far scarcer than those that highlight a supernatural friend. Some key examples of the imaginary friend may include Tyler Durden in Fight Club, Charles in A Beautiful Mind, and Humphrey Bogart in Play It Again, Sam. (We list others in the appendix.)
Sometimes whether a character is real or imagined is unclear to the audience. This is often intentional, thanks to the script. Another factor: The manner in which a director stages and films scenes may keep us guessing. In the end, the true state – fantastic or imagined – may come as a surprise to the audience or simply confirm our suspicions.
Also worth noting are extreme deviations of the supernatural presence in storylines. These would include the films, The Sixth Sense and The Others. In these stories, most viewers watching the films for the first time are shocked to learn that the main characters we have been following closely are ghosts, supernatural presences in the stories.
Diverse Roles in Diverse Stories
Supernatural characters and imaginary friends serve various functions, depending on the story. Some provide instantaneous wish fulfillment. Others offer companionship to isolated characters. It often works both ways: Some of these characters are themselves lonely and seek companionship. Others are initially reticent to accept the humans and regard them as intruders, only to grow pleased with their presence.
At times, supernatural characters are literal guardian angels or spirit guides: Think of Clarence Odbody in It’s A Wonderful Life, Jonathan Smith in Highway to Heaven, and Monica in Touched by an Angel. In other cases, these entitles serve as secular versions of the guardian angel – but supernatural protectorate entities nonetheless: consider, for instance, the three generous bachelors turned spirits in Beyond Tomorrow.
Imaginary or supernatural friends can also serve as life coaches or assistants. These character types often set out to help the living lead character right a wrong, solve a mystery, or bag a killer. Films that showcase such characters include the aforementioned Play It Again, Sam; the film Ghost, and the TV show, Randall and Hopkirk, (Deceased) (aka, My Partner the Ghost).
In some of the darkest representations of the imaginary or supernatural friend, the word “friend” hardly applies. Instead, such tales depict the entity trying to entrap the human and make him a permanent companion (much like some vampires). (Since we are focusing on benevolent entities, we’ll skip analysis of these kinds of characters this time.)
Kelly will now discuss two classic films with supernatural entities, It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) and Harvey (1950).
Besties with a Bunny
Mary Chase’s1944 Pulitzer Prize winning play Harvey, adapted to a film of the same title in 1950, earned two wins and four nominations from the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and Hugo Awards. The film tells the story of Elwood P. Dowd (Jimmy Stewart), an affluent charming man in his mid-thirties living off an inheritance, who has taken in his sister Veta (Josephine Hull), and niece, Myrtle Mae (Victoria Horne), who are unhappy with his choice of company (IMDb). Elwood lives by his late mother’s advice, “. . . she’d say, ‘In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant.’ Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me” (IMDb). Elwood is just that, a pleasant man who is well-liked for his kindness to all regardless of an individual’s social strata. Viewers assume that his kindness and favorite pastime of drinking martinis at local bars are the result of his mother’s death. His sister notes that “she [her mother] died in his arms.” Perhaps it is the need to cope with life events such as the death of a parent that draws the attention of Elwood’s best friend, a supernatural pooka named Harvey. Merriman-Webster defines this Celtic creature as, “a mischievous goblin or specter held in Irish folklore.” Elwood’s Harvey is a six-foot-three and a half-inch impish anthropomorphic white rabbit that is his consistent companion. Although he is invisible to others and viewers of the film, Harvey chooses to show himself to Elwood, Veta, and Dr. William Chumley (Cecil Kellaway).
Elwood’s obsession with Harvey draws the wrath of his sister and niece, who feel that he’s too old for an imaginary friend, especially a six-foot white rabbit and has caused them to become social outcasts. In an attempt to resolve the problem, Veta tries to have Elwood committed to a sanatorium and believes that the miscommunication and pandemonium that ensues with her mistakenly being admitted to Chumley’s Rest mental asylum instead of Elwood is because of Harvey, who she says, protects him.
Harvey is a guardian of sorts to Elwood and saves him twice in the film from those who have ulterior motives and intend to hurt him. First, Elwood is not imprisoned in the sanatorium after Harvey reveals himself to Dr. Chumley, the founder and head of operations. Later, he appears to have hidden Veta’s coin purse when she goes to pay the cabbie (Ellis Logfren), who insists that she pay up before Elwood’s injection that will render him malleable and rife for commitment and, according to attending physician Dr. Sanderson, eliminate Harvey from Elwood’s world. The cabbie tells her about the changed demeanor of so many he has driven to the sanatorium prior to their procedures and insists on payment upfront. The cab driver’s insistence on payment causes Veta to call Elwood out from the procedure to pay the man. The cabbie thanks her and comments on how patients become mean after the injection that Elwood is about to receive. Again, Veta stops the procedure that Elwood is about to undergo. Elwood calms Veta down and as she reaches into her purse for a tissue, she easily finds her missing coin purse.
Elwood is an eccentric man who genuinely enjoys Harvey’s companionship and is very solicitous when they’re out. In fact, his solicitous behavior toward Harvey – opening doors and requesting two martinis at his favorite bar Charlie’s – to what others perceive as empty space, causes trouble for Elwood. For example, one afternoon a customer at the end of the bar sarcastically tells Mr. Cracker as he’s leaving, that the man on the end (the invisible Harvey), will pay for his drinks. Agitated, Mr. Cracker (Dick Wessel), starts after him, but Elwood yells out, “He be delighted to.”
Elwood never takes issue with ridicule or seems flustered by the unkindness of others. He is nonconfrontational and consistently affable and his oh-so-pleasant kindness shines throughout the film despite all the wrongs that are attempted against him. Elwood’s charming nature and kind words also brings others together like nurse Miss Kelly (Peggy Dow) and Dr. Lyman Sanderson (Charles Drake), Myrtle Mae and orderly Martin Wilson (Jesse White), as Elwood verbalizes the good in each individual. What’s more, his caring seems genuine and never phony. He appreciates others and their accomplishments whether one is a doctor, gate keeper, former inmate, or a high society dame like his aunt. At the film’s end, Elwood willingly lets Harvey go off with Dr. Chumley but seems wistful and sad as he walks away from Chumley’s Rest. After Harvey initially goes off with Dr. Chumley, he returns minutes later to talk with Elwood, who is elated to see him. “I prefer you too, Harvey,” he tells his supernatural friend as they walk together. Elwood walks with his arm extended around air next to him, but viewers know that it’s Harvey that’s walking alongside him.
Elwood is a bit distressed and reflective when he’s unable to locate Harvey as the Pookah is the perfect distraction for him to live a life of leisure and escape. The film opens with Elwood ripping up – without reading – an important letter the postman just had him sign for. He always has a business card on hand giving off the impression of professionalism, but Elwood’s life is full of play, mostly socializing and drinking. He chooses to spend his days and nights out with Harvey and filling his circle of friends with individuals from all walks of life. Elwood’s pleasantness and kindness to others gains him the respect of fellow barflies, bartenders, taxicab drivers, the judge, and the doctors and nurses at the sanatorium. Some may view Harvey as a sad film as Elwood P. Dowd can be seen as an irresponsible lush, who has escaped into his own fantasy world. Yet, others may view it as a sweet film with a message about life and the need for connection, for it is in those connections that we can find magic. Ultimately, the film offers the notion that illusions can conjure a more pleasant version of reality that will help us cope with every-day troubles. Gustav Kuhn, a former magician and now psychology researcher, asserts that magic provides a window into the mind and offers insight into how illusions help us to understand and make sense of the world. “Perception is all about problem solving,” he says. “It’s all about you making a guess about what the world is actually like, rather than what the world is like in reality. So, seeing is very much believing” (Becker par. 5). Elwood sees Harvey, who helps him to live a life of pleasantness verses the unpleasantness of greed, ulterior motives, judgement of others, envy, death, loss, and conformity. Elwood’s forging connections and friendships helps him create a more pleasant world where he “warms himself in those golden moments.” In the end, Harvey is not merely a hallucination or apparition, he is a symbol of kindness and represents Elwood’s escape from worldly troubles.
Roaming Around With a Wingless Angel
“The Greatest Gift” (1943), Philip Van Doren Stern’s short story, is among the many print or screen productions that pay homage to Charles Dickens 19th-century beloved ghost story, A Christmas Carol (1843). It is also the inspiration for writers Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, and Frank Capra’s film, It’s A Wonderful Life (1946). Like A Christmas Carol, the film It’s A Wonderful Life, produced and directed by Capra, “has become synonymous with Christmas,” and is typically televised in December (Britannica.com). The story focuses on George Baily (Jimmy Stewart), who lives in Bedford Falls. George is a small-town man who always wanted to leave Bedford Falls to see the world, but circumstances and his good heart have led him to stay (TCM). George’s is a kindhearted and often selfless man, who has led a life of sacrifice. His family business is facing financial ruin, through no fault of his own and yet, he contemplates suicide in hopes of giving his family the life insurance money.
George’s many acts of kindness and sacrifice starting in childhood are shown through a life review of sorts by his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers), who grants him his wish of having never been born. After George contemplates suicide, Clarence is sent to Earth to save George and the two roam the timeline of George’s life as if he’d never been born. Clarence is seen by people in the alternate timeline of George’s life. With the help of a life review, George is given the gift of true understanding and insight into what life without him would have been like for those he loves and interacts with in Bedford Falls. Since George never existed in the alternate reality, his many selfless acts do not impact the individuals on this timeline. George’s hometown of Bedford Falls is now called Pottersville, named after the evil nemesis Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore), who George has battled many times during his life. George wasn’t there to save his brother from drowning under the ice, who later wasn’t there to save so many and become a war hero during WWII; George wasn’t there to stop the pharmacist Mr. McGower (H.B Warner) from sending over a poisonous prescription. George’s wife Mary (Donna Reed) is a spinster and his mother, Ma Bailey (Beulah Bondi), is a bitter woman who has to take in borders to make ends meet. Uncle Billy (Thomas Mitchell) is a drunk.
In a grim moment of desperation, George is about to give up the gift of a wonderful life when Clarence appears on Earth to save him. Thanks to the angel, George learns that a successful life equates to one of kindness and service to others. George gave up his educational goals and travel plans to send his brother to college after their father died. George takes over the family business and feels stuck in his life. In fact, his big dreams of travel and success are thwarted many times over and he’s a bit bitter about it. Yet, Mary is a devoted wife, and they have three children together. George runs his business in town with honesty and is always ready to help others. As a result, he is beloved by many. Clarence helps George to understand the blessings of his life and his wonderful family and circle of friends, who all chip in to help save his Building and Loan business and keep him from going to jail. Mr. Potter, the constant villain in the film, wins in the sense that he keeps the $8,000 that Uncle Billy inadvertently gives to him. Yet, George Bailey with the help of his guardian angel learns that he is in fact “the richest man in town,” as his brother, Harry, declares in a toast to George at the film’s conclusion.
George’s guardian angel shows George how one life can touch so many others. George now understands the value of his life and his influence on events and others. He also has clarity in his direction for the future when he affirms, “I want to live again.” By helping him see the totality of his life, viewers suspect that Clarence has helped George to resolve past conflicts and improve the quality of his life. Much like a therapist, Clarence helps George validate his life with a life-affirming experience that allows George to truly understand that he has a wonderful life. William Damon, Ph.D., in his essay “The Purpose of The Life Review” asserts that “purpose is a lifelong need” and that life reviews offer clarity and greater purpose (par. 8 &9). Besides newfound inner peace, another parting gift from Clarence is often noted as one of It’s a Wonderful Life’s greatest moments is when George finds that the angel Clarence has given him a copy of Tom Sawyer. The camera zooms in on the inscription that reads, “Remember, no man is a failure who has friends.” George has family and friends in his life that help him, but his guardian angel Clarence is also a friend. It is this spiritual invisible friend that gives George perspective on success and how his life has indeed made a difference to so many. The film wraps by making it clear that George Bailey is now fully aware that he is not a failure in the eyes of fellow humans or his guardian angel or God, who sent Clarence down to help George in his hour of need.
Let’s transition from the big screen to the small one: Oscar will now discuss two TV shows, I Dream of Jeannie (1965-1970) and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1968-1970).
Bottled Love
The Sidney Sheldon-produced sitcom I Dream of Jeannie is one of many films and shows that appeal to those who wish they could have their wish granted with the blink of an eye – literally, in the case of this TV shows. In it, Anthony Nelson’s space capsule lands on a remote atoll. It’s there that he uncorks a bottle, sets free a 2,000-year-old genie named Jeannie, and launches five years of television mayhem and laughs. Much of the show’s humor revolves around the trouble Jeannie causes while trying to please her master, Major Nelson, even though he asks for very little throughout the show, preferring instead to live as close to his pre-Jeannie days as possible. Further laughs and trouble result from Jeannie’s obsessive jealousy over a steady stream of women pursuing the handsome Major Nelson. Along for the ride is Major Nelson’s best friend and fellow astronaut, Major Roger Healy, the only other character in the show who knows Jeannie’s true identity.
I Dream of Jeannie showcased Barbara Eden in a revealing harem outfit or minidresses throughout its run. The show was often adolescent in its humor, thanks to the slapstick antics of Larry Hagman. It was also one of several sexist 1960s TV entertainment offerings that featured secret supernatural companions. Others included Bewitched, which revolved around an ad exec married to a supernatural wife who uses her powers even when she promises not to do so, and My Living Doll, about a scientist who develops the incredibly smart and strong Rhoda the Robot who just happens to look like the beautiful Julie Newmar (one of two actresses who played Catwoman on the 60s Batman TV series). The sitcoms appealed to many of the era’s males and females who either embraced or found it hard to battle against male and female stereotypes. In fact, in some respects, I Dream of Jeannie pushes such dominant-submissive roles to extremes. Unlike Samantha in Bewitched, Jeannie is kept cloistered in Major Nelson’s home for most of the show. Yes, she gets out and causes chaos in many locations, including NASA, but the astronaut keeps her hidden until the end of the fourth season, when he declares his love for Jeannie and introduces her as his fiancée.
The show is also a perfect example of the contradictory signals telegraphed by most 50s and 60s television offerings. On the one hand, it embraces the era’s gender stereotypes, but on the other, all is kept chaste. Rob and Laura Petrie slept in twin beds in The Dick Van Dyke Show, as did Mike and Marcia in The Brady Bunch. Similarly, perhaps I Dream of Jeannie’s greatest credibility stretch comes from Major Nelson preferring to continue a chaste existence even with the gorgeous Jeannie in the house. He sleeps in his bedroom while she sleeps in her bottle – at least until they marry in the final season.
Ultimately, even though Jeannie’s amazing powers cause more turmoil than happiness throughout the show’s 139-episode run, things turn out all right for Major Nelson, Major Healy, and the beleaguered Dr. Bellows, the base psychiatrist who after being ensnared in Jeannie’s latest snafus, usually seems more in need of psychiatric care than his patient, Major Nelson. It’s a sitcom, after all, and as with many old TV shows, one that plays fast and loose with its own storyline continuity and rules. For those who prefer their humor to fall somewhere between absurdist and slapstick, I Dream of Jeannie works. Ditto for those who wish that they could have a supernatural friend like the wish-granting Jeannie. Finally, the curious romance between Jeannie and her master shouldn’t be overlooked. The sitcom offers a romance on slow simmer. When he is on the verge of losing Jeannie for good, Tony Nelson admits that he dreams of her and marries her.
A Writer and Her Spectral Sea Captain
Paranormal sitcoms have long captured a niche audience on American television, so it’s no surprise that wedging its way into the 1960s lineup along with Jeannie and Bewitched was the The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. Veteran film, radio, and TV producer Jean Holloway developed the show for television and based it on the popular novel by Josephine Leslie (writing as R.A. Dick) and film adaptation starring Jean Tierney and Rex Harrison, but she updated its original early twentieth-century British rural setting to a remote modern-day American village, Schooner Bay, Maine.
Hope Lange took over the roll originally essayed by Tierney and the producers made Carolyn Muir very much a modern woman – a widowed mother raising two children and struggling to stay afloat as a freelance writer. Edward Mulhare assumes the Captain Gregg role for the TV version of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. In short time, he can be seen by Mrs. Muir and her son, Jonathan, but no one else in the house (at least not until the second season, when Mrs. Muir’s daughter, Candace, and housekeeper Martha, also see him). While the book and series took a more serious tone throughout, the TV adaptation is very much a sitcom. As in the book and novel, Captain Gregg is angry that living occupants have invaded his beloved Gull Cottage. While he tries to intimidate them and scare them away, such antics prove fruitless. Thus, a tenuous truce is established between the ethereal captain and the mortal Mrs. Muir. More than that, however, as with Major Nelson and his Jeannie, Captain Gregg starts to develop affectionate feelings for his mortal home occupant.
The show’s humor centers largely on anyone else visiting or implementing repairs on Gull Cottage. Major laughs often involve Captain Gregg’s great-nephew, Claymore, played with spastic glee by Charles Nelson Reilly. Another source of humor comes from anyone who tries to bamboozle Mrs. Muir or her children, for even though Captain Gregg was initially upset by the human invasion of his domicile, he quickly comes to appreciate the company, especially that of Carolyn Muir.
Another staple of great television series is romantic tension and shows with invisible and ethereal companions are no exception. To reiterate, I Dream of Jeannie played up the romantic tension between Jeannie and Major Nelson, and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir showcases a growing romantic relationship between Mrs. Muir and Captain Gregg. Unlike the Jeannie/Tony Nelson love affair, however, this is destined to remain a study in limited satisfaction, thanks to the sea captain’s ethereal state. In the original novel and film, Mrs. Muir is finally truly united with Captain Gregg after she dies. In the TV version of the story, the stars must remain star-crossed since the show was cancelled. Maybe the closest thing to an actual physical union between Mrs. Muir and Captain Gregg comes in the episode, “The Medicine Ball,” when Mrs. Muir falls ill, and Captain Gregg’s liquid remedy causes her to either dream or be transported to what appears to be a 19th-century ball held at Gull Cottage. Here, in a reversal of supernatural/mortal roles, no one can see Mrs. Muir except the Captain, who embraces her and the two dance the night away.
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir had a loyal niche audience but a limited one. Ultimately, despite Hope Lange winning two Emmys for her performance as Carolyn Muir, the sitcom couldn’t compete with the other two major networks’ competing programs. Even a move from NBC to ABC couldn’t keep the show afloat.
Conclusion
Earlier, we touched on the various ways that imaginary and supernatural friends are used in films and TV shows. Now we would like to identify various reasons why we believe these character staples have endured. Here are a few observations worth considering: To begin with, some of these characters may be nostalgic reminders of the imaginary companions many viewers fostered in their early childhood. We are reminded of a time when we may have conjured up our own imaginary companions. In a book-length study on imaginary friends and children, Marjorie Taylor notes that “Children can be extremely creative, and nowhere is this more apparent than in their invention of pretend beings endowed with curious names, odd details, and strange characteristics. The capacity of children with pretend friends reflects an impressive imagination” (41). It’s no surprise that so many of these shows and films appeal to adults who relish imagination and creativity. Thus, supernatural friends bring a bit of celluloid magic into the adult world, magic that seemed very real to many of us in our youth – a time when many of us believed in Santa Claus, The Easter Bunny, and The Tooth Fairy and that all our future problems could be solved in 26 minutes, allotting for sponsor commercial space in the half-hour block.
Another reason might be that these characters allow viewers to entertain a vicarious desire for companionship without the entanglements of everyday social interaction. These tales often depict a secret friend and confidante; a substitute partner, one who may complicate the main character’s life, but who remains a welcome partner, nonetheless. Harvey, It’s A Wonderful Life, I Dream of Jeannie and The Ghost & Mrs. Muir all underscore this point. They also show that some supernatural friends are just as desirous for companionship. Recall, also, that some of these benevolent characters provide instant wish fulfilment. Who wouldn’t want a genie to grant them a wish now and then? Unlike stories of the devil, who may also grant wishes for a hefty price, the genie or ghost usually wants nothing in return for helping the human (though as we know these granted wishes are seldom free from complications). Finally, supernatural characters in stories allow everyone, believers, and non-believers alike, to entertain the notion that there is more to existence than our mortal one.
Ultimately, films and shows which feature imaginary and supernatural friends, like the imaginary and supernatural friends of our childhood, underscore escapism. Yet, even as adults, escapism is a safe drug as long as it doesn’t consume you. Some might even say it’s a necessary drug. As Captain Kirk said while visiting a magical Fantasy Islandish planet in the Theodore Sturgeon penned original series Star Trek episode, “Shore Leave,” “The more complex the mind, the greater the need for the simplicity of play.” When kept in perspective, memories of imaginary and supernatural friends are a harmless and indeed healthy type of distraction. Not everyone is ready to use or needs this kind of ‘drug,’ but it certainly has its fans, and we count ourselves among them.
Works Cited and Consulted
Becker, Rachel. “What Happens Inside Your Brain When You’re Experiencing Something That
You Know to Be Impossible?” (https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/5/18297272/magic- psychology-optical-illusions-perception-cognition-experiencing-the-impossible).
Accessed April 10, 2022.
Capra, Frank, and James Stewart. It’s a Wonderful Life. Los Angeles, CA: Liberty Films, 1946.
Damon, William, Ph.D. “Purpose of the Life Review.” Psychology Today. Psychologytoday.com. Accessed April 11, 2022.
Espen Klausen & Richard H. Passman (2006). “Pretend Companions (Imaginary Playmates):
The Emergence of a Field.” The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 167:4, 349-364,
DOI: 10.3200/GNTP.167.4.349-364 (online; accessed March 31, 2022)
Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The (film). Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, performances by Gene
Tierney and Rex Harrison, 20th Century Fox, 1947.
Ghost & Mrs. Muir, The (TV series). Created by Jean Holloway. 20th Century Fox Television,
1968-1970.
I Dream of Jeannie. Created by Sidney Sheldon. Sidney Sheldon Productions, Screen Gems,
1965-1970.
IMDb (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042546/characters/nm0000071).
IMDb (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042546/awards).
Koster, Henry, and James Stewart. Harvey. Los Angeles, CA: Universal Studios, 1950.
Star Trek: “Shore Leave.” Episode written by Theodore Sturgeon.
Taylor, Marjorie. Imaginary Companions and the Children Who Create Them. New York:
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TCM (https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/79566/its-a-wonderful-life/#overview)
APPENDIX
An Admittedly Incomplete List of
Films and TV Shows that Feature Imaginary and Supernatural Friends
Imaginary Friends: Film
Beautiful Mind, A (2001): Charles
Creator (1985): Harry Wolper’s wife
Donnie Darko (2001): Frank
Drop Dead Fred (1991): Fred
Fight Club (1999): Tyler Durden
Peter Pan (1953): Peter (Note: In the first couple of stories written about him, Peter was a human boy gifted with magical powers.)
Play It Again, Sam (1972): Humphrey Bogart
Shining, The (1980): Tony
Voices, The (2014): Mr. Bosko and Mr. Whiskers
Imaginary Friends: Television
Boy Meets World (1993-2000): Mr. Feeny
Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends (2004-2009): Bloo and other characters
Imaginary Mary (2017): Mary
Moone Boy (2012-2015): Sean Murphy
Winnie the Pooh (various adaptations): Pooh and all inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Woods (except Christopher Robin, when he ‘visits’ there)
Supernatural Friends: Film
Arthur 2: On the Rocks (1988): Hobson
Beetlejuice (1988):Adam and Barbara Maitland
Betsy’s Wedding (1990): The ghost of Eddie’s father
Beyond Tomorrow: (1940): George Melton, Allan Chadwick, Michael O’Brien
Bishop’s Wife, The (1947): Dudley
Blithe Spirit (1945): Elvira
Christmas Carol, A (various adaptations): The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future
Curse of the Cat People (1944): Irena
Charlotte’s Web (1973):
Ghost (1990): Sam Wheat
Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The (1947): Captain Gregg
Ghost Dad (1990): Elliot Hopper
It’s A Wonderful Life (1946): Clarence Odbody
Hamlet (various adaptations): Hamlet’s father’s ghost
Harvey (1950): Harvey the Rabbit Pooka
Heaven Can Wait (1943): Henry Van Cleve
Here Comes Mr. Jordon (1941): Joe Pendleton
High Spirits: Mary Plunkett and Martin Brogan
Mary Poppins (1964): Mary Poppins
Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948): The Mermaid
Oh God (1977): God
Others, The (2001): Grace Stewart, the children, the servants
Portrait of Jennie (1948): Jennie
Shining, The (1980): Various ghosts in the Overlook Hotel
Sixth Sense, The (1999): Malcolm Crowe
Spirit of Christmas, The (2015): Daniel
Splash (1984): The Mermaid
Time of Their Lives, The (1946): Horatio and Melody
Topper (1937): George and Marion Kerby
Topper Takes A Trip (1938): Marion Kerby
Topper Returns (1941): Gail
True Romance (1993): Elvis Presley
Supernatural Friends: Television
ALF (1986-1990): ALF, an alien from the planet Melmac
Dark Shadows (1966-1971): various ghosts
Dexter (2006-2013): Harry Morgan
Flintstones, The (1960-1966): The Great Gazoo
Ghost & Mrs. Muir, The (1968-1970): Captain Gregg
Ghost Whisperer (2005-2010): various ghosts throughout the series
Highway to Heaven (1984-1989): Jonathan Smith
I Dream of Jeannie (1965-1970): Jeannie the Genie
Jennifer Slept Here (1983-1984): Jennifer Farrell
Mork &Mindy (1978-1982): Mork, an alien from the planet Ork
Munsters, The (1964-1966): Marilyn’s entire family are monsters
My Favorite Martian (1963-1966): Uncle Martin, an alien from Mars
My Living Doll (1964-1965): Rhoda the Robot
My Mother the Car (1965-1966): Gladys
Quantum Leap: Admiral Al Calavicci
Randall and Hopkirk, Deceased, a.k.a. My Partner the Ghost (1969-70, 2000): Randall
Sesame Street (1969-): Mr. Snuffleupagus
Topper (1953-1955): George and Marion Kirby
Touched by an Angel (1994-2003): Monica
Twin Peaks (1990-1991 & 2017): Bob and various characters that reside in The Black Lodge