The Ghost and Mrs Muir **** (1947, Gene Tierney, Rex Harrison, George Sanders, Edna Best, Vanessa Brown, Anna Lee, Natalie Wood, Robert Coote) – Classic Movie Review 6,567

The 1947 fantasy comedy drama film The Ghost and Mrs Muir stars Gene Tierney as the widowed Mrs Lucy Muir, who buys a haunted home on the English coast. Lucy is befriended by the ghost of a gruff old sea captain (Rex Harrison), the deceased former owner.

Director Joseph L Mankiewicz’s 1947 fantasy comedy drama film The Ghost and Mrs Muir stars Gene Tierney as the widowed Mrs Lucy Muir, who buys a haunted home on the English coast – Gull Cottage at Whitecliff-by-the-Sea – where she goes to live with her adolescent daughter Anna and their devoted maid Martha Huggins (Edna Best).

The story starts off in London at the beginning of the 20th century, when Lucy, widowed a year ago, decides to swap her controlling in-laws’ home in London for the English seaside.

Lucy is befriended by the spirit of a gruff old seadog, the ghost of Captain Daniel Gregg (Rex Harrison), the deceased former owner. He promises he will not let Anna know about his presence, dictates his memoirs to help Lucy’s finances and they fall in love.

With Philip Dunne’s screenplay based on the 1945 novel written by Josephine Leslie under the pseudonym of R A Dick, this is a poignant, highly romantic ghost story and love story. It most attractively played by the on-form cast, and handled with great flair by Mankiewicz. George Sanders also stars as Miles Fairley, an ideal role for him as a suave author who writes children’s stories under the pen name Uncle Neddy, with Vanessa Brown as Anna Muir as an adult, Anna Lee as Mrs Miles Fairley, Robert Coote as Mr Coombe, and Natalie Wood as Anna Muir as a child.

It is shot in striking black and white by Charles Lang Jr in Oscar-nominated cinematography, and Bernard Herrmann’s score is another notable asset. Herrmann regarded it as his finest score.

Also in the cast are Isobel Elsom, Victoria Horne, Whitford Kane, Brad Slaven, William Stelling (as Anna’s fiancé Bill), Helen Freeman, David Thursby, Heather Wilde, Houseley Stevenson and Stuart Holmes.

It was released on June 26, 1947 in the US.

The Ghost and Mrs Muir is directed by Joseph L Mankiewicz, runs 104 minutes, is made and released by 20th Century Fox, is written by Philip Dunne, based on the novel by Josephine Leslie under the pseudonym of R A Dick, is shot in black and white by Charles Lang Jr, is produced by Fred Kohlmar, is scored by Bernard Herrmann, and designed by Richard Day and George W Davis.

Tierney’s original playful performance was reshot after two days to give Lucy more depth.

R A Dick was the pseudonym of Irish writer Josephine Aimee Leslie Campbell (1898–1979), a sea captain’s daughter, who wrote the 1945 novel The Ghost and Mrs Muir, and the novel The Devil and Mrs Devine. She took the initials of her pseudonym from her sea captain father, Robert Abercromby.

Sanders replaced Richard Ney, who was fired for allegedly being inadequate in the role of Miles Fairley. Philip Dunne said Mankiewicz’s only part in writing the script was a couple of excellent lines for George Sanders’ character.

A 1968-70 two-season TV series with Hope Lange, Edward Mulhare and Reta Shaw used the idea.

The cast are Gene Tierney as Lucy Muir, Rex Harrison as Captain Daniel Gregg, George Sanders as Miles Fairley, Edna Best as Martha Huggins, Vanessa Brown as Anna Muir as an adult, Anna Lee as Mrs Fairley, Natalie Wood as Anna Muir as a child, Robert Coote as Mr Coombe, Isobel Elsom as Lucy’s mother-in-law Angelica Muir, Victoria Horne as Lucy’s sister-in-law Eva Muir, Whitford Kane as publisher Mr Sproule, Stuart Holmes as Man ordered out of train compartment by the captain, William Stelling as Anna’s fiancé Bill, Brad Slaven, Helen Freeman, David Thursby, Heather Wilde, and Houseley Stevenson.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6,567

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