Review of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) by Richmond C — 25 Feb 2008

This was a very unusual and captivating movie. It's basically about a woman who willingly moves into a haunted house and falls in love with a ghost, which automatically gives the movie 2 stars in my book. What's more, this isn't some sappy Patrick Swayze ghost, but rather a surly sea captain played by muthaflippin Rex Harrison! (= 2 more stars!) He's alot younger in this movie and is strikingly handsome in a Russian Tsar/vampire/seaman kinda way. He's somehow at once derisive and loving, bold, but not sleazy and all around just really honest and awesome. What living woman wouldn't fall for him? Which brings me to the best part of the movie. Gene Tierney. She is really really really, really really really rediculously good looking. (+2 stars) But beyond that she's also incredibly charming and provides a convincing performance in what ends up to be an actually pretty mature and convincing love story. Between her and Rex Harrison, I was never once bored during the entire movie.

Oh, the movie also gets bonus points for an always adorable young Natalie Wood and an awesome performance from George Sanders, who never seems like he's acting so much as he really just IS that character.