The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)

Director:

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Writers:

Philip Dunne (screen play)
R.A. Dick (from the novel by)

Release Date:

May 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Is Lucy Muir's love really a ghost, or is it a man of flesh and blood she yearns for?

Plot:

In 1900, a young widow finds her seaside cottage is haunted...and forms a unique relationship with the ghost.

Plot Keywords:

Ghost | Captain | Seaside | Widow | Cottage

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

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 - Mother-in-law
Victoria Horne	...	Eva - Sister-in-law
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Helen Freeman	...	Author Displaced by Lucy (uncredited)
Stuart Holmes	...	Man Ordered Out of Train Compartment by Captain (uncredited)
Whitford Kane	...	Sproule - London Publisher (uncredited)
Buster Slaven	...	Enquiries at Sproule's (uncredited)
Will Stanton	...	Porter (uncredited)
William Stelling	...	Bill - Anna's Fiance (uncredited)
Houseley Stevenson	...	Passerby at Fairley Residence (uncredited)
David Thursby	...	Mr. Scroggins (uncredited)
Heather Wilde	...	Fairley Maid (uncredited)

Directed by
Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Writing credits
Philip Dunne		(screen play)
R.A. Dick		(from the novel by)

Produced by
Fred Kohlmar	....	producer

Original Music by
Bernard Herrmann		(music)

Cinematography by
Charles Lang		(director of photography) (as Charles Lang Jr.)

Film Editing by
Dorothy Spencer		(film editor)

Art Direction by
George W. Davis		(art direction) (as George Davis)
Richard Day		(art direction)

Set Decoration by
Thomas Little
Stuart A. Reiss		(set decorations) (as Stewart Reiss)

Costume Design by
Eleanor Behm		(costumes)

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Ben Silvey	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
F.E. 'Johnny' Johnston	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bernard Freericks	....	sound
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound (as Roger Heman)

Special Effects by
Fred Sersen	....	special photographic effects

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Oleg Cassini	....	costumes designer: for Gene Tierney
Charles Le Maire	....	wardrobe direction
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Bernard Herrmann	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Constance Collier	....	dialogue director (uncredited)
Ray C. Moore	....	location manager (uncredited)
Arthur Pierson	....	dialogue director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (presents) (as Twentieth Century-Fox)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1947) (USA) (theatrical) (released through) (as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation)
• 20th Century Fox (1948) (France) (theatrical)
• Fox Films (1949) (Finland) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox (????) (USA) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV) (1968) (Finland) (TV)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1981) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Canada:14+ (Ontario) | USA:Approved (certificate #11840) | Canada:G (video rating) | Australia:G | UK:A (original rating) | UK:U (tv rating) | Australia:PG (TV rating) | Finland:K-16 | UK:U (video rating) (1995)

Filming Locations:

Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Bernard Herrmann considered his musical score for this film to have been his best.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Although Captain Gregg promised never to speak with Anna, he clearly breaks his word. Evidence of this can be seen as he throws the in-laws out of the house: Anna can be seen in the foreground watching without fear or confusion, thus revealing that she is aware of his presence and not scared of him.

Quotes:

Mr. Coombe:In my opinion, you are the most obstinate young woman I have ever met!
Lucy Muir:Thank you, Mr. Coombe. I've always wanted to be considered obstinate!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "My World and Welcome to It: The Ghost and Mr. Monroe (#1.6)" (1969)

Exquisite romance, like fine china

If I may say so this film is one of the most haunting and lovely romances ever on screen - ghost and all. Once you step back in time into that prim, Victorian world it is hard to turn away. That's what makes for great movies.

Gene Tierney is perfect in her role as Lucy, a young widow, very strong-willed and with a mind of her own. She decides to leave the home and relatives of her late husband to find a new life of independence for herself and her daughter. She is shown "Gull Cottage" by an agent and is determined to rent the seaside cottage although it's known to be haunted by the ghost of a sea captain.

Eventually, once settled into her new surroundings, she is confronted by the apparition of Captain Daniel on a blustery stormy night. Their acquaintance does not get off to an easy start but he decides she can stay and won't trouble her with his houndings which would have ordinary people put to flight and making a hasty retreat. Her amusing exchanges with the captain, played by Rex Harrison, are a delight. I particularly liked her expressions which were corrected by him, such as: (she describes) sheets bellying in the wind, (he, correcting her) sails billowing; (she, in a flurry for him to be gone, asks him to) decompose, (he haughtily retorts) dematerialize, madam!

When she develops an interest in a certain outsider, Miles Fairley, suitably performed by that perennial ladies' man, George Sanders, well the captain becomes very annoyed and tells her, "I said you should see men, not perfumed parlor snakes," which I thought was amusing and a very apt description.

I think the overall tone of the story tends to confirm a universal belief in an afterlife form of existence, a conviction as old as mankind itself. However, in this story the emphasis gradually shifts to supplanting the experience of a ghostly dialogue exchange with that of a dream state as being the source of reality, in effect Lucy dreamed it all, even the writing of the book, which is something I would question but that's another matter.

The exquisite music throughout the film sets the mood beautifully in expressing the many changes varying from haunting, romantic atmosphere to frolicsome (when the captain is up to his pranks), as well as the churning turbulence of the majestic waves along the shore.

I've recently acquired the DVD and appreciate having the subtitles now which brings out more details of the dialogue. This is a very special movie one doesn't easily forget, and so well done, pure artistry on film.