A delightful film, highly watchable

The Ghost And Mrs Muir - Gene Tierney Collection review

By roncoach from suffolk

The Ghost And Mrs Muir - Gene Tierney Collection

Starring Preston Foster, Gene Tierney, Rex Harrison, Clifton Webb

Director William A. Wellman, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, John Ford, Otto Preminger

Genres Drama, Romance

Run time 100 mins Certificate U

8th September 2011

The enchanting Gene Tierney plays the sort of role reserved for few actresses such as herself and Greer Garson. The film also happens to be as enchanting as it's star and the witty and sophisticated screen presence of Rex Harrison (as the grumpy ghost) adds so much to the movie. Another big factor is the wonderful set and design. The director is among the top rank and all the technical departments from screen play to editing are top notch.

I suppose cynics who watch only action blood and gore (and I have nothing against those genres - they all have their place) might say that this is a slow film, a 'woman's film, an out of date genre.........but, loving (as I do) the better films of any genre ever made, I have no hesitation in placing this film as quite memorable in the comedy/romance category of any era. It beats me why today's romance/comedy/weepy/light entertainment does not draw more from what could be gained from this film........there is only so many times you can watch Hugh Grant playing the same roles or even the wonderful Julia Roberts tugging the same old heart strings.

This film, 1947 only just creeps into the final stages if the Hollywood Golden Age, though it seems as though it was made perhaps 5 or 10 years earlier, but it is certainly of an era when Hollywood still had the magic that was gradually eroded throught the 1950s and thereafter.

If you like 'Mrs Miniver', 'Random Harvest', 'The Ghost Goes West', et al, you won't want to miss this film. If you just like watching other genres I can't quite grasp that thought (I love thrillers, dramas, westerns, horror, musicals etc) but surely if you have never seen 'It Happened One Night' or for example, the 3 examples I gave earlier, then you have missed a lot of cinematic joy.

And.if you are of a younger generation and really enjoy light romance/ romantic comedy but avoid any film that has been made before the year, say, 2000.........may I recommend that you try a few of the 'greats' of this genre which were made in much quantity in the 1930s and 40s ----- a whole new world of entertainment will open up for you from those listed above and, as you work your way down to this particular movie as well. Enough opinions ------ this is simply an enchanting and highly watchable film of its type from any decade that you care to mention. Highly recommended.

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About the reviewer: roncoach

Mad about films-----nearly any genre invented. I firmly believe that , for examples, during the Golden Age of Hollywood ( say 1937-47) or during the Ealing Years in Britain in the 50s ,more good or great films were made, in terms of sheer numbers than before or since. But I also firmly believe that good and great films have been made in every decade over the past 90 years or more right up to the present day. It is just my opinion that far fewer are made in the present era than in earlier eras. But so long as great films , like The King's Speech ( 2010) or Shawshank Redemption (1994) { or even great TV series like "Lost") are made ........the silver screen will always enrich people's lives and add to our cultural heritage. And most of all to our sheer enjoyment ! Not everyone needs to be a film "buff" or include viewing as their favourite hobby......but is there really anyone who does not enjoy a good film at least from time to time ? In another life, I want to be Leslie Halliwell who, during his life, watched just about every movie ever made and passed on his enthusiasm and passion to so many of his readers. After his death, his successors never "got it right" as Mr Halliwell would have wished. Pity. I have made a collection of my 100 "must-see" films -------it is available under one of my profile sections. Of course, some of the list would change every day LOL ! But the one published on this site gives a good idea of the range of my movie "likes". I wonder if my feeling is correct that today's younger generations are far less tolerant of the whole spectrum of movies in terms of when they were produced. I feel that older generations will readily recognise and acknowledge a good or great movie whether it it was made in 1940 or in 2011. But it seems that younger generations do not do that------they are less inclined to even watch a film dated 1940 ( thus missing some all-time greats) , and if by chance they DO see an "oldie" that is genuinely a great film, they are likely to review it as "dated rubbish". I hope that sweeping generalisation is wrong and that younger generations make a point of looking for 5* films from bygone eras and not just trying to search through much dross to find a good or great film from among the current "blockbusters". Yeah, I'll get off the soapbox and go and watch a film......a good one : from 1940 or from 2011. Happy Viewing :)

Titles rented: 175

Favourite actor: Bogey to Bacon; Coop to De Niro; etc

Favourite director: Michael Curtiz