The Ghost and Mrs. Muir Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir Blu-ray Movie Review

Haunting.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 4, 2013

My wife loves The Ghost and Mrs. Muir and watches it frequently, becoming misty eyed every time she does. I asked her what the allure of the film was to her and she told me without missing a beat, “It’s about a perfect relationship—the man is dead”. Ba-da-boom, cue rim shot, please. Baby Boomers no doubt remember the television version of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, a fitfully entertaining enterprise that sought to stuff the whimsical romance between a ghost and a living woman into the magical fantasy genre that was then quite popular with shows like Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie. But the 1947 film is a much more bittersweet affair, one suffused with a romantic longing and even sadness that gives its story of not just an unconsummated but an unconsummatable love affair its emotional heft. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is also in its own sometimes bleak way a paean to female empowerment. Gene Tierney plays widow Lucy Muir, who defies her late husband’s family by moving to a tiny seaside village and renting a kind of spooky old house on a bluff. Lucy soon discovers that the spookiness of the place is well earned, for the house is haunted by the ghost of its long ago former resident, one Captain Daniel Gregg (Rex Harrison), a moody but lovable specter who is able to reach through the ether and “touch” Lucy. Lucy, as so many early 20th century women did, really has no prospects outside of marrying again, but she’s a headstrong woman and determined to make her own way in the world. And it’s here where The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, despite its historical setting, is really rather forward thinking. Lucy is a woman of action, not one to simply throw up her hands as a helpless victim and let the world have its way with her. Lucy’s activism spills out in some unexpected ways, and even after an ostensible (living) romantic interest shows up, the film does not follow traditional tropes of “happily ever after”. This is “three hankie fare” of the highest order, and even crusty hardscrabble males may find themselves tearing up a little bit as the film wends its way to its sad—but hopeful—finale.

Lucy’s headstrong nature is evident from virtually the first frame of the film, where she informs her in-laws (superbly played by Isobel Elsom and Victoria Horne) that she won’t be staying with them and instead will use what little money she has to forge her own life, which then segues to her finding and leasing Gull Cottage, despite rumors that it’s haunted. Again Lucy’s fortitude is apparent when she more or less demands that the ghost show itself after some creepy poltergeist activity. That leads to the magical first appearance of Captain Gregg, who seems to materialize out of the shadows of Gull Cottage’s country kitchen.

An improbable romance of sorts begins blossoming, with Gregg’s rough edges slowly being smoothed out by Lucy and Lucy in turn learning that she can let her guard down—if only a little—especially after Gregg offers her a way to make her own living, by dictating his memoirs to her which she turns into a runaway bestseller. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir deals with these issues in an often incredibly tender way, depicting two very strong, determined characters coming to terms with one of the oddest relationships in the annals of film. Philip Dunne’s screenplay is surprisingly effective, dealing with a number of poignant plot points with wonderful understatement, none more so than when George Sanders enters the film as Miles Fairley, an obsequious author with eyes for Lucy. Gregg has to decide to withdraw what by then are his very obvious affections, but Lucy, who has been magically convinced that Gregg was nothing but a dream (by Gregg himself), finds out that Fairley is not all that he claims to be (or perhaps more accurately, is more than he claims to be).

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir provided career highs for both Tierney and Harrison, though perhaps surprisingly, neither was nominated for an Academy Award for their efforts (the film’s sole Oscar nomination was for Charles Lang’s cinematography, something that’s even more shocking when one considers the fact that this film features what is generally considered to be one of Bernard Herrmann’s greatest scores). The film came rather early in Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s filmography as a director, but already Mankiewicz shows himself to be an effortless master in crafting an almost palpable mood, as well as firmly guiding performances—in this instance in a decidedly whimsical formulation—into a cohesive, emotionally touching experience.

The story takes at least a couple of unexpected turns, first with Gregg’s self chosen exile back into whatever realm from whence he had come, and then, much later, with an incredibly beautiful denouement which brings a whole new (opposite and ironic) meaning to that old adage “till death do us part”. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is certainly one of the most unusual, and just as certainly one of the most heartfelt, love stories in the annals of film.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.33:1. Charles Lang's Oscar nominated cinematography is a study in chiaroscuro, with deep slabs of shadow dividing discrete arcs of light, and this high definition presentation reproduces the film's beautiful contrast and lustrous black levels beautifully. Gray scale is extremely well modulated, delivering strong detail even in some of the darkest or mist shrouded sequences. The elements are in mostly excellent shape—there are a few extremely minor instances of specks and the like, as well as an occasional misaligned frame leading to slightly jumpy bumps between edits, but Fox has done a great job with this release, delivering a very naturally filmic presentation that preserves grain and shows no signs of aggressive sharpening.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Purists will probably want to default to The Ghost and Mrs. Muir's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio Mono mix, but lovers of Bernard Herrmann's music may well want to check out the repurposed DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix, for it significantly opens up the master's great score. Herrmann of course is probably best remembered for his sometimes astringent, dissonant work with Alfred Hitchcock, but here he works in an almost completely tonal, diatonic and Romantic (with a capital R) vocabulary that perfectly captures the mood of the film. The 5.1 mix occasionally posits discrete foley effects directionally, but it's not repurposed to the point that it sounds artificial. Both tracks sport excellent fidelity, though they both also are corralled by the recording technologies of the day, which include some noticeable ambient hiss in quieter moments.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary by Greg Kimble and Christopher Husted. This is a fascinating commentary which draws upon its participants' expertise in the music of Bernard Herrmann and visual effects.


• Commentary by Jeanine Basinger and Kenneth Geist. Basinger is a film professor and Geist is a Mankiewicz biographer. This commentary is a bit more anecdotal (and Basinger probably provided my wife with the grist for her joke mentioned above), but there's a lot of really interesting information imparted by both of these folks about the film and its principal cast and crew.


• Theatrical Trailer (480i; 2:39)

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you've never seen The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, you're in for one of the prime treats of your film experience. Even if the thought of muddling through a romance between a ghost and a headstrong widow gives you the shivers, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir will win you over with its deft mix of humor, heart and chutzpah. The film features pitch perfect performances by Tierney and Harrison, along with great supporting turns by George Sanders and a handful of fantastic character actors (including a tot sized Natalie Wood in what is a glorified cameo as Lucy's young daughter). Brilliantly written by Philip Dunne (who never beats the audience over the head with either whimsy or pathos), and effortlessly directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, the film is incredibly touching and heartfelt. This Blu-ray sports excellent video and audio and its commentaries are superb. Highly recommended.