Blithe Spirit

Blithe Spirit was written and produced by Noel Coward, so you can expect wit and sophistication from both the living and the dead.

Charles Condomine (Rex Harrison), a writer, hires a medium to come to his home and conduct a séance as research for a book. His new wife (Constance Cummings) is charmingly tolerant, his friends are charmingly intrigued, and Madame Arcati (Margaret Rutherford) is a fizzy combination of eccentric spiritualist and aging British Girl Guide. (Tip: any movie with Margaret Rutherford is probably worth watching.)

Madame Arcati summons Elvira (Kay Hammond), the ghost of Charles’ first wife, and when the séance is over Elvira decides to stick around and make charming and sophisticated mischief for all involved. This gives Rex Harrison a chance to be very Rex Harrison. Nobody can do an exasperated “Look here…” quite as well. If you only know Sexy Rexy as Professor Henry Higgins from My Fair Lady, you’re in for a treat. (And if you don’t know My Fair Lady, you’re simply not living your fullest life.)

If you believe in ghosts (I don’t) you probably won’t spend as much time as I did wondering why Elvira can walk through a wall but not fall through a couch when she sits on it. Those sorts of thoughts are useless here. Trust me, you don’t have to believe in ghosts. It’s enough that you believe in Noel Coward.

What you’ll have to get over:

Unfortunate green makeup that makes Elvira look a bit like she’s in costume as the Statue of Liberty.

Best line Noel Coward ever gave to Rex Harrison:

“You won’t die. You’re not the dying sort.”