Kicked off my post-Horrorthon viewing with this little British comedy from 1945...
Charles (Rex Harrison, smooth as ever), is living a good life with his second wife Ruth, working on his novel in a sort-of well to do bucolic British way, and seeming quite content. But when Charles sets up a seance at his house as a sort of research for his novel, something comes back from the other side... and stays. And that something is his late wife, Elvira, who was obviously more than a handful when alive and hardly a picnic in the afterlife either. Elvira doesn't like being replaced and sets about trying to break up Charles and Ruth's marriage and generally be a pain in the ass.
The film is based on the play by Noel Coward, who apparently wasn't a tremendous fan of how the film came out. Reviews in general seemed to have been mixed but mostly because everyone in the British press or possibly in Britain, period, knew and loved the play. Ultimately, the movie's an amusing little diversion even if some of its attitudes are a bit old fashioned. I have to admit, having been romantically involved with a woman not unlike Elvira, I found her character very amusing despite the fact that she's obviously supposed to be awful (as was my old flame and in very much the same ways). On the other hand I couldn't understand what was supposed to be bad about Ruth. Harrison plays gamely through the whole thing in a very English way.
But the star of the movie is Margaret Rutherford, who pretty much steals every scene she's in as the only somewhat whacky medium. You may know from her Miss Marple movies a little later in her career. She was in the stage version of Blithe Spirit as well so she's had some time to practice and she just does a wonderful job and was rewarded with an Oscar for her trouble.
As I've said, this is an amusing diversion so go in with those kinds of expectations and you can have a charming little afternoon or evening with
Blithe Spirit.
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