The Studio Classics collection from Fox Home Video continues to bring a huge smile to my face.  In recognition of the 75th anniversary of the Academy Awards, Fox has put together an amazing collection of classic cinema that have either been nominated for, or won, the Oscar.  The Ghost And Mrs. Muir is my third foray into these delightful films, having previously been captivated by the uber-romance of An Affair To Remember and the thought-provoking sci-fi of The Day The Earth Stood Still.  And as they say, "third time's a charm", and it appears they are right.  But there is more than mere charm to The Ghost And Mrs. Muir; much more.

Lucy Muir (Tierney) has been recently widowed, and is now forced to assume the role of single mother.  While she still mourns for her loss, she also is determined to start over with her daughter Anna (a young Natalie Wood), and together try to return to a normal life.  But her bossy in-laws see things differently.  They feel she should live under their "guidance", which Lucy sees for what it really is...a stifling and uptight control.  Not wanting any part of this, Lucy must set off on her own...but first, she will need a home.

A seaside home is what she needs for some fresh air and the open horizons of an ocean view.  Gull Cottage is her choice, but the real estate agent himself recommends against the decision.  Gull Cottage, you see, is believed to be haunted.  But Lucy is not the sort of lady who runs from a challenge, and once her mind is set, it is set in stone.  No sooner has she moved in, then the suspicions prove true, and Lucy finds herself face-to-face with the spirit of a cantankerous, salty ole' sea captain, Daniel Gregg (Harrison). 

At first, things are strained, for it seems that Daniel has plans for his home, plans that he was not able to put in his will before his untimely demise...plans that most definitely do NOT involve a single mother moving in and taking over.  But Lucy has plans as well; plans to outstay this disgruntled apparition and stay, without annoyance, in the home of her choice.  In a selection of dialogue that I believe sums up their feelings for each other, Lucy pleads, "I wish you wouldn't swear; it's so ugly".  Capt. Greggs reply?  "If you think that's ugly, it's a good thing you can't read me thoughts!"

Something must be settled between the world of the living and that of the dead, and it needs to be soon, so that members of both can see some peace.  A bargain is made and agreed upon...a bargain that is at first hospitable, but is destined to become a little more...

Through the battle of wills, a mutual respect is forged between this proper, Victorian lady and the foul-mouthed rogue seaman.  This respect leads to friendship, and the friendship begins to bloom into something more...  But that simply cannot be; a love for the dead is no way for a living woman to spend her life, and so it is that Daniel is forced to cut the ties between himself and the woman who reminded him of what made life worth living.  But this proves to be more difficult than it would seem as an all-too-alive suitor comes calling on Mrs. Muir's door.  Somehow, Daniel must do the respectable thing and leave the living to their lives, a hard task for a man who has never been described as respectable, to be sure!

Romantic tales of forbidden love are a dime a dozen.  But it takes a truly powerful story, a triumph over enormous odds, and the self-sacrifice of one's own emotions to make a classic.  I saw it first with An Affair To Remember, when Nickie Ferrante and Terry McKay give up their comfortable lives and stake everything on a chance for true love and happiness; and lightning has struck twice with The Ghost And Mrs. Muir.  Every bit of Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr's charisma and witty banter is matched in the relationship between the headstrong widow and the crotchety ghost.

Watching the battle of wills between them is often hilarious and often frustrating, but the viewer, given a seat from outside their relationship, sees the happenings for what they are.  The two are growing on each other.  The simple way in which facial expressions change when they see each other, or the way in which Capt. Daniel finds himself being more polite at the same time as his brash and colorful vocabulary finds its way into Mrs. Muir's speaking, shows us that there are emotions passing between the pair.  A true credit to the filmmakers profession is when we understand that two people can be in love without them groping each other and acting out a half-dozen sex scenes.

Wonderfully, the films entire emotional landscape is painted in this way...through visuals and settings.  We don't need to be told how much Mrs. Muir misses Daniel; we know when we see her go on her walks.  We don't need to understand Mrs. Muir's relationship with the house maid, because we understand how much they care for each other every time a blanket is laid over the sleeping widow.  The passage of time is so brilliantly shown through the aging of a wooden plank as the ravaging sea takes its toll.  But these are only a few of the tools that both cinematographers and actors put to delightful use to create a timeless classic.  And their efforts did not go unnoticed.  

The Ghost And Mrs. Muir was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography (Black & White) in 1948, but lost to David Lean's Great Expectations (shot by Guy Green).  Twenty-one years later in 1968, a television series of the same name was begun, possibly due in part to the popularity of "Bewitched" and "I Dream Of Jeannie", which were running around the same time and both also featured a mismatched, supernatural pair with chemistry.  While never recreating the same level of magic as the 1947 film, it was a sweet program and worth taking a look if you get the chance.

The film is worth watching for it's star power alone, if not for its marvelous story.  Gene Tierney had just finished winning America's heart in Laura (1944), and should get special recognition for performing her role as Lucy Muir while recuperating from a broken ankle.  Rex Harrison (Capt. Gregg) was already established as a leading man, but would reach his peak many years later in My Fair Lady (1964), for which he took home the Best Actor Oscar for his turn as Professor Henry Higgins.  And of course, you can't miss Natalie Wood who was still in the infancy of her career, but was already a Hollywood darling due to the previous year's Miracle On 34th Street.

A tale of love, humor, loss, sacrifice, and of course a good old fashioned ghost story thrown in to boot, The Ghost And Mrs. Muir leaves me with only one question; yet it is a question that begs answering: Why can't American cinema produce anything this wonderful and engaging anymore?  One thing is for certain...given the overall caliber of the films selected for The Studio Classics Collection, I will be sure to track down each and every one of them.  I recommend that you do the same.

-aaron-