ComedyFantasy

Blithe Spirit

- Elvira is the kind of gal who can turn an evening into a night you'll never forget!

An English mystery novelist invites a medium to his home, so she may conduct a séance for a small gathering. The writer hopes to gather enough material for the book he's working on, as well as to expose the medium as a charlatan. However, proceedings take an unexpected turn, resulting in a chain of supernatural events being set into motion that wreak havoc on the man's present marriage.

Release Date : 1945-04-05

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Noel Coward-CineguildTwo Cities FilmsJ. Arthur Rank Organisation

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Charles Condomine

Original Name : Rex Harrison

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ruth Condomine

Original Name : Constance Cummings

Gender : Female

Character Name : Elvira Condomine

Original Name : Kay Hammond

Gender : Male

Character Name : Madame Arcati

Original Name : Margaret Rutherford

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dr. George Bradman

Original Name : Hugh Wakefield

Gender : Male

Character Name : Violet Bradman

Original Name : Joyce Carey

Gender : Female

Character Name : Edith

Original Name : Jacqueline Clarke

Gender : Female

Character Name : Cook (uncredited)

Original Name : Marie Ault

Gender : Female

Character Name : R.A.C. Man Directing Traffic (uncredited)

Original Name : Johnnie Schofield

Gender : Male

Character Name : Narrator (uncredited)

Original Name : Noël Coward

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-07-01

You can't really go wrong with David Lean adapting Noël Coward in a film about poor old Rex Harrison ("Charles") and three on-form women: two of whom he married - Constance Cummings ("Ruth)" and Kay Hammond ("Elvira") and the other is the source of most of his woes - spiritual medium Margaret Rutherford ("Madama Arcati"). Right from the start, the pace of the dialogue is witty and engaging. Harrison - who can be terribly wooden on occasion, is well up for this spiritual lark as a seance at his home - under the supervision of the dotty Rutherford - releases his former wife "Elvira" back into his life where only he can see her; and she decides to cause the maximum amount of mayhem for her former husband and his new wife "Ruth". The nature of the story keeps the cast small, and the action is end-to-end with plenty to make you smile as well to appreciate the dynamics of wedded "bliss". It's a dream - though more of a nightmare for Rex!