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The Ghost And Mrs Muir - Gene Tierney Collection
1947
Joseph L. Mankiewicz's bittersweet, sparkling romance between a young widow and a sea captain's ghost weaves a magical tale of immortal love. Determined to live her life the way she wants, newly widowed Lucy Muir (Gene Tierney) declines her straitlaced in-laws' demand that she live with them and moves with her daughter (a young .. Read more
| Starring | Gene Tierney, Preston Foster, Rex Harrison, Clifton Webb |
|---|---|
| Director | Joseph L. Mankiewicz, William A. Wellman, John Ford, Otto Preminger |
| Genres | Drama |
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The Ghost And Mrs Muir - Gene Tierney Collection
Joseph L. Mankiewicz's bittersweet, sparkling romance between a young widow and a sea captain's ghost weaves a magical tale of immortal love. Determined to live her life the way she wants, newly widowed Lucy Muir (Gene Tierney) declines her straitlaced in-laws' demand that she live with them and moves with her daughter (a young Natalie Wood) to the seaside into a cottage haunted by the handsome, blustering Captain Gregg (Rex Harrison). A deal is struck between the two in the wee hours of the morning allowing Lucy to stay in the house and the captain to materialize only in the master bedroom. As they gradually get to know each other better, Lucy's spunk and stubbornness gains first the captain's grudging respect, then his heart. But when another man woos Lucy, both must face that her future lies with the living, not in the spirit world.
A timeless romantic favorite, THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR subtly traces the complex development of friendship and love, themes that director Mankiewicz excels with in films such as A LETTER TO THREE WIVES and ALL ABOUT EVE, projecting a keen understanding of the tangled emotions and motives that compel people toward their fates. The film is based on the novel by R.A. Dick and scored by Bernard Herrmann.
| Starring | Gene Tierney, Preston Foster, Rex Harrison, Clifton Webb, Jeanne Crain, George Sanders, Edna Best, Anna Lee, Robert Coote, Natalie Wood, Isobel Elsom |
|---|---|
| Director | Joseph L. Mankiewicz, William A. Wellman, John Ford, Otto Preminger |
| Studio | 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 40 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Dubbed | French, Italian, Spanish |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Subtitles | DVD: Dutch, French, Italian, Spanish |
| Released | DVD: 30 Jun 2003 Production year: 1947 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (2)
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A wonderful romantic fantasy, as ethereally beautiful Gene Tierney finds herself beguiled by the ghost of bewhiskered sea captain Rex Harrison when she moves into his former home. A marvellously lyrical Bernard Herrmann score helps underline the poignancy of this enchanting tale, and Philip Dunne's literate screenplay avoids all the pitfalls normally associated with such delicate material. The movie is also enhanced by a particularly well-chosen cast, including George Sanders as Tierney's would-be suitor, and Natalie Wood as Tierney's young daughter, Anna (Vanessa Brown portrays her in later years). Today, the settings and pace may look studio-bound, but they suit the theatricality of the subject, and there's no question that this superb original is far better than its spin-off TV series.
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Charming sentimental fable in Hollywood's best style.
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Most helpful member's review
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9 out of 9 people found this review helpful
Ghost writing
After World War Two, Hollywood produced a number of fantasy movies, in which happiness and fulfilment were available only through dreams or ghosts. This reflected to a great extent the disillusionment with the real world experienced by many screenwriters and directors in Hollywood after the horrors of Hiroshima, the concentration camps and the onset of the Cold War and the rise of McCarthyism in the USA, with its persecution of the more liberal elements in the film community.
Foremost among these films was "It's A Wonderful Life", but "The Ghost and Mrs Muir", although less famous, is another tremendously effective entry into the canon. Apparently effortless acting from Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison, ably supported by George Sanders as the cad, and Oscar-nominated for its beautifully lit camerawork. This, together with Bernard Herrman's score, is essential for creating the haunting, achingly sad atmosphere in this moving portrayal of widowhood and a woman's search for self-fulillment and love in a man's world.
The film can be taken at a number of different levels, with the ghost romance operating perhaps literally, as a supernatural story, or metaphorically, as a figment of a woman's inner self finding expression.
Although more recently we have seen "Truly Madly Deeply", and other fantasy romances, there is something magical about Hollywood's style in the golden age which can perhaps not be recaptured today.
See this quiet, sad, beautiful film, and be prepared to be moved more than you might be ready for! -
Most recent members' review
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6 out of 7 people found this review helpful
Good old fashioned yarn
The Ghost and Mrs Muir is a good film to see when sittimg in front of an open fire. Unfortunately the DVD l received had a problem between scenes 11 and 13 causing the film to skip. That said, l still enjoyed the film.
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The Ghost And Mrs Muir - Gene Tierney Collection
Joseph L. Mankiewicz's bittersweet, sparkling romance between a young widow and a sea captain's ghost weaves a magical tale of immortal love. Determined to live her life the way she wants, newly widowed Lucy Muir (Gene Tierney) declines her straitlaced in-laws' demand that she live with them and ...
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