Search - Blithe Spirit on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Suitable for Children Movie Release: 1945 DVD Release: 11/24/1998 Format: DVD Audio Tracks: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 36 mins Studio: Image Entertainment Members Wishing: 10 Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Romantic Comedy, Fantasy Comedy See Also: Blithe Spirit

The Noel Coward/David Lean combination which turned out such dramas as Brief Encounter and This Happy Breed sets its sights on the viewer's funny bone with Blithe Spirit. Rex Harrison plays a novelist, newly married to straight-laced Constance Cummings. Via a seance, Harrison accidentally summons the spirit of his first wife, Kay Hammond. Believing that Hammond wants to ruin his marriage, Harrison enlists the services of local medium Madame Arcati (Margaret Rutherford) to exorcise Hammond's spirit. She fails, and in time, Harrison's second wife is killed; now he has two playful spirits on his hands! Technicolor is used throughout Blithe Spirit, with the ghosts' shimmering paleness providing contrast to the plain, everyday colors of Harrison's conservative country home. Blithe Spirit was later transformed into the Broadway musical High Spirits, with the original script bent out of shape to turn the character of Madame Arcati (played by Beatrice Lillie) into the leading role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Rex Harrison - Charles Condomine
Constance Cummings - Ruth Condomine
Kay Hammond - Elvira Condomine
Margaret Rutherford - Madame Arcati
Hugh Wakefield - George Bradman

David Lean's adaptation of Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit comes to DVD with a standard full-frame transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Mono. There are neither subtitles nor closed-captions on this release. Although the disc lacks any extra features, anyone who loves good acting and witty dialogue will certainly find this disc worthwhile. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide