The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Fantasy / Romance / Drama
Film Review
If the The Ghost and Mrs Muir
were to be made today, it would almost certainly be an unedifying
spectacle of schmaltz, zany comedy and soulless CGI special
effects. The charm of the original 1947 film lies almost entirely
in its simplicity and self-restraint, which tacitly downplays the
fantasy element of the story and makes it easy for an audience to
suspend disbelief. The result is a film that is both poignant and
lyrical, but with a lightness of touch which makes it thoroughly
enjoyable. For a Hollywood offering, it is surprising how
quintessentially English the film feels, even with its largely English
cast and quaint seaside setting.
Charles Lang's moody and evocative cinematography gives the film its
chiaroscuro dreamlike character, which Bernard Herrmann's haunting
score alternately undercuts and accentuates in a way that suggests a
conflict between the natural and supernatural. Of course,
the film's main selling point is the sublime pairing of Gene Tierney
with Rex Harrison. Their on-screen rapport is about as perfect as it
could be, with both actors picking up each other's mannerisms and modes
of speech in a way that is so obviously suggestive of a blossoming love
affair. Tierney has rarely looked so beautiful, nor Harrison so
charming, and together on screen you have no doubt that their
characters were just meant for one another. With so much going
for this film, it is clearly one of the career highpoints for director
Joseph L. Mankiewicz. In the late 1960s, Hope Lange and Edward
Mulhare starred in a popular television series that was based on this
film, The Ghost & Mrs. Muir.
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Joseph L. Mankiewicz film: A Letter to Three Wives (1949)
Film Synopsis
Recently widowed, Mrs Lucy Muir decides to leave her in-laws in London
and start a new life, with her young daughter, by the seaside.
Against the advice of an estate agent, she chooses to rent a house that
is haunted - by the ghost of a bawdy sea captain, Daniel Gregg.
The widow is undeterred when the mischievous spectre begins to taunt
her and, in time, they reach an amiable understanding. When
Lucy's only income is lost, Gregg comes up with a solution that will
allow her to continue paying her rent - she will write up his memoirs
as a best selling book. Whilst visiting a publisher in
London, Lucy meets another writer, Miles Fairley, who is instantly
taken with her. Although she is fond of Gregg, Lucy admits that,
as a possible suitor, Miles has one clear advantage over him: he is
flesh and blood. Unfortunately, this also has a down side...
Cast: Gene Tierney (Lucy Muir),
Rex Harrison (Capt. Daniel Gregg),
George Sanders (Miles Fairley),
Edna Best (Martha Huggins),
Vanessa Brown (Anna Muir as an Adult),
Anna Lee (Mrs. Miles Fairley),
Robert Coote (Mr. Coombe),
Natalie Wood (Anna Muir as a Child),
Isobel Elsom (Angelica),
Victoria Horne (Eva - Sister-in-law),
Helen Freeman (Author Displaced by Lucy),
Stuart Holmes (Man Ordered Out of Train Compartment by Captain),
Whitford Kane (Sproule),
Buster Slaven (Enquiries at Sproule's),
Will Stanton (Porter),
William Stelling (Bill - Anna's Fiance),
Houseley Stevenson (Passerby at Fairley Residence),
David Thursby (Mr. Scroggins),
Heather Wilde (Fairley Maid)
Country: USA
Language: English
Support: Black and White
Runtime: 104 min
The very best American film comedies
American film comedy had its heyday in the 1920s and '30s, but it remains an important genre and has given American cinema some of its enduring classics.
Since the 1920s, Hollywood has dominated the film industry, but that doesn't mean American cinema is all bad - America has produced so many great films that you could never watch them all in one lifetime.