SVS: “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir”

My dear, since Eve picked the apple, no woman ‘s ever been taken entirely unawares.

I tend to be less critical of Netflix Instant’s selection than many of my friends and compatriots because I like obscure and foreign stuff — Aspiring Snob, remember? — and I have gradually moved away from high-profile releases and blockbusters in the last ten years or so. The latter two categories are things Netflix does poorly, and the first two are ones it does well. (Yes, I have to take obscure and/or foreign films off my queue with regularity Yes, I’m allowed 500 titles on my queue, so when I say finding stuff I want to watch is not a problem, I really mean it. Yes, that’s a lot of snobbery. Yes, I want to stop talking about this.)

If I were to be critical of something, though, it would be that there are 17 titles listed on their site in connection with the legendary Joseph L. Mankiewicz, yet only two of them are streaming (currently). For me, it’s the lack of his wonderfully-wry-and-twisty Sleuth that stings the most, though the presence of the heavily-awarded All About Eve is a bit of a salve. But for those who might not realize why having only 11.765% of Mankiewicz’s works at your disposal is a bad thing, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is streaming on NETFLIX INSTANT. It can also be rented on VUDU($) and AMAZON($). So go watch it, already. And then you can be critical (or at least mildly cranky) right along with me.

Yay?

In this charming fantasy, a headstrong young widow moves into a haunted cottage, where she’s romanced by the spirit of a salty sea captain.

Tierney’s Lucy Muir has always been a bit of a cypher to me. Her driving desire for independence and self-governance is strangely at odds with her (almost impossible) inexperience and naiveté. Maybe that’s not such an unusual combination, but it’s a frustrating one. Which is part of the point, I suspect. And there are times when she’s weirdly passive and flat and tabula rasa-esque. Frustratingly so, again. (And again, probably the point).

Harrison’s Captain Gregg could probably feel equally frustrating to some; definitely mean at times, and unpleasantly insulting of her femininity. And frequently dismissive. But for some reason, that’s not a cypher to me; it is even, at times, charming. (Particularly his prickliness towards the oily Miles “Uncle Ned” Fairley). Perhaps because of his …unusual “state” in “life,” it’s more palatable. Maybe because he seems more finished, somehow. And his quirks feel like just that — things that are part of who he is yet do not define him. With Lucy, you’re not so sure. Not until the end, anyway.

Two things of particular note, craft-wise…OK, three. But the first one pretty much goes without saying:

Rex Harrison.

Boom.

He’s just perfect for this role. And so is his mustache. And his distinctive laugh. And his almost-magical ability to be most charming at the very moments he’s being most bristly. Just perfect.

On to the next point. Manckiewicz and his films were destined for much greater (even legendary) Oscar success — He’s the only writer-director to have back-to-back double wins for both screenwriting and directing, and it’s hard to imagine that ever changing — but I’d like to take a moment to point out this film’s sole (and definitely deserving) nomination: Charles Lang’s beautiful B&W cinematography. The film makes wonderful use of shadows and mirrors, especially in the early going. There’s an unease and tension even for those who know where the story’s headed, and that’s largely the result of Lang’s work. (He and Manckiewicz also make spectacular use of a painting-and-sometimes-non-painting of Gregg. It’s really extraordinary. As is the way they shoot Harrison almost exclusively from one side. I suppose there might have been an ego-driven reason for that, but it has a significant cinematic benefit.)

Also, this film features what is considered to be Bernard Herrmann’s best score by no less an authority than…Bernard Herrmann himself. Far be it from me to argue with the man, though picking a “Best Herrmann” is nearly impossible. (One of the neat features of this particular work is the way in which the final few moments story-wise actually change the way we’ve been hearing the score. I can’t say much more; you’ll need to hear it for yourself.)

Oh, and just one more thing. Has there ever been a better scoundrel-actor than George Sanders? A more perfectly perfumed parlor snake? Anyone whose smug and smarmy visage we more love to hate than his?

I certainly cannot think of anyone who matches him. (He’s not a bad tiger, either. Well, he is bad. But not bad at it. If you catch my drift.)

Confound it, madam, my language is most controlled. And as for me morals, I lived a man ‘s life and I’m not ashamed of it; and, I can assure you no woman’s ever been the worse for knowing me – and I’d like to know how many mealy-mouthed bluenoses can say the same.

Attribution(s): All posters, publicity images, and movie stills are the property of 20th Century Fox and other respective production studios and distributors, and are intended for editorial use only.