Description
A 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 materalize only in the master bedroom. As they gradually get to know each other better, Lucy's spunk and stubborness 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.

Amazon.com essential video
Joseph Mankiewicz's moody classic is less ghost story than romantic fantasy, a handsome 1947 drama of impossible love set on the picturesque turn-of-the-century New England coast. Independent young widow Lucy Muir (the luminous Gene Tierney), desperate to escape her uptight in-laws, falls in love with a grand seaside house and moves in, only to discover the cantankerous ghost of the hot-tempered Captain Gregg (a histrionically flamboyant performance by Rex Harrison). Lucy refuses to let the bombastic captain frighten her away, earning his respect, his friendship, and later his love. They team up to turn the captain's salty memoirs into a bestseller, but as his affection grows he fades away, leaving Lucy free to undertake a more worldly suitor, notably a charismatic children's author (George Sanders at his smarmy smoothest) with his own guarded secret. Charles Lang's melancholy black-and-white photography and Bernard Herrmann's haunting score set the tone for this sublime adult drama, and Tierney delivers one of her most understated performances as the resolute Mrs. Muir. Mankiewicz turns this ghost story into a refreshingly mature and down-to-earth romance. --Sean Axmaker

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 5.0 based on 156 reviews)

Just okay

I'm sure that this was a good film at the time of its release. I found it a bit long and I was unimpressed by Rex Harrison--talk about over acting and big close up soliloquies that are syrupy sweet. There was nothing romantic about him. The side story with Mr. Fairley was about as transparent as it could get. The music was good. The last act breezes by at warp speed and it's just a little disconcerting to watch this woman just content to give up on looking for real love and settle for the day that she can truly be with the Captain again. A real Wuthering Heights sort of ending. Decent film but nothing to write home about.

November 11, 2008

The Ghost and Mrs Muir

One of my all time favorites with Gene Tierney. A widow moves into a house and discovers it is haunted by a sea captain. He helps her write a book, then makes her forget him. it is a bit sad, but very entertaining.
November 03, 2008

One of the best films of this time

This movie is from the days when movies were clean and the scrip was written with care and thought. One can only dream of such a place to live and find such a loving and well witted ghost in the house. You will enjoy this film. I believe it is one of Gene Tierney's best films ever.
October 29, 2008

A Very Pleasant Ghost From the Past

It is one thing to know that you are about to sit down and view something truly entertaining like "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir," but the right atmosphere helps, and the rain-pelted windows and storm-swept maples outside the window provided the rest.

Gene Tierney shares the title role as Mrs. Muir who is recently widowed from her (not so) beloved Edwin (naturally) who has been living with her daughter under the prying eyes and domineering nature of her mother-in-law and sister-in-law. She decides it is time to leave and find a house by the sea, where she will take her houselady, Martha, and raise her daughter, Anna, played by Natalie Wood. They will live on the stipend her husband left her from a modest investment.

The realtor, Mr. Coombe, shows her listings while skipping over one. Mrs. Muir decides to read it, and insists on seeing the house against Mr. Coombe's persistent objections. The house is perfect even though, it turns out, it is haunted. "How perfectly fascinating" she tells Mr. Coombe.

Undaunted and unhaunted, Lucy Muir confronts the materialized sea Captain Greg, who quickly develops a fondness for her. When her mother-in-law and sister-in-law reappear (remember they're still alive) it is to inform her that her source of income has disappeared. (Sorry). They will take her, her daughter, and house lady back to London with them. The impatient captain, whom Lucy now calls Daniel and only visible to the one he fondly calls Lucia, quickly ushers the two women out. Not to worry, he says, she will write his story of life at sea, and that will keep her financial affairs from drifting on the rocks of pauperism.

The publisher is not the only one she meets in London. The other is a handsome smoothie played by George Sanders who captures Lucy's attention and very soon after, her affections to the dismay of her daughter, housemaid, and the sea captain who sees right through the man's character.

The captain visits Mrs. Muir one last time in her dreams to tell her that he will not interfere with her love. When she awakens, he assures a dreaming Lucia, she will not remember anything about him--ever.

It is years later, and her grown daughter visits with her fiance. Over tea they discuss the past. Did mum ever dream about Captain Greg as she had, she asks? She tells her mother how she remembers dreaming about him and falling in love with him. The look on Lucy's face tells her daughter that she knew the Captain in her dreams too. Lucy dismisses the notion. "How could we both have the same dreams," Anna asks. Lucy Muir tries, but cannot quite remember.

The rest would be telling you the end, but I guarantee you that you will never forget this story as long as you live.

Perhaps you will remember it even after that.

October 26, 2008

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

I had forgotton what a great romantic, funny and poignant movie this was. It will make a great addition to our monthly "oldies" night we host for a few "oldie" friends!
October 25, 2008

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