#606: LEAN, David: Blithe Spirit (1945)

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DAVID LEAN DIRECTS NOËL COWARD (Spine #603}

LEAN, David (United Kingdom)
Blithe Spirit [1945]
Spine #606
Blu-ray


Blithe Spirit, David Lean's delightful film version of Noël Coward's theater sensation (onstage, it broke London box-office records before hitting Broadway), stars Rex Harrison as a novelist who cheekily invites a medium (Margaret Rutherford) to his house to conduct a séance, hoping the experience will help with a book he's working on. Things go decidedly not as planned when she summons the spirit of his dead first wife (Kay Hammond), a severe inconvenience for his current one (Constance Cummings). Employing Oscar-winning special effects to update Coward's theatrical farce, Blithe Spirit is a sprightly supernatural comedy with winning performances.

96 minutes
Color
Monaural
1:37:1 aspect ratio
Criterion Release 2012
Director/Writers


From the play by Noël Coward.
Lean was 37 when he directed Blithe Spirit.

Neame was the Technicolor cinematographer.

The play — an unqualified success, it ran for 1,997 performances in London, and 657 on Broadway.

Lean (Bridge on the River Kwai [1957]; Lawrence of Arabia [1962]) is considered one of the greatest directors in the world. He started out as an editor, and as he began to make films with Coward, he found himself taking over the responsibilities of filmmaking as Coward seemed to become bored very easily.


The Film

This light romp of a film is lit up by the performances of the actors: Rex Harrison (Charles Condomine), Constance Cummings (Ruth), Kay Hammond (Elvira), and Margaret Rutherford (Madame Arcati).

From the 1941 play:

 (L-R: Rutherford, Hammond and Fay Compton)

Rutherford is terrific, as the zany spiritualist. (Spiritualism has always been big in England, but was particularly so during the War Years. Rutherford was a Spiritualist in real life, and only accepted the role of Mrs. Arcati after Coward assured her that they were not “making fun” of spiritualism.)

Harrison is great, as he always is. The two wives are adequate, but nauseatingly green.

An example of the sparkling dialogue:

Elvira is a ghost who is seen only by Charles, so when he responds to Elvira, Ruth thinks he is talking to her. She offers him another drink:

RUTH: Would you like some more?
CHARLES: Yes, please.
ELVIRA: Very unwise. You always had a weak head.
CHARLES: I could drink you under the table.
RUTH: (thinking Charles is talking to her): There’s no need to be aggressive, Charles. I’m doing my best to help you.
CHARLES: Sorry.
RUTH: Now, drink this, and then we can go upstairs to bed.
ELVIRA: Get rid of her, Charles. Then we can talk in peace.
CHARLES: That’s a thoroughly immoral suggestion. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.
RUTH: What is there immoral in that?
CHARLES: I wasn’t talking to you, Ruth.
RUTH: Who were you talking to then?
CHARLES: Elvira, of course.
RUTH: Oh, to blazes with Elvira!

Coward had little to do with the production.

Lean changed the ending of the play — making the film much more powerful. Coward was not pleased: After seeing the rough cut, he told Lean:

“My dear, you’ve just fucked up the best thing I ever wrote.”

Harrison was similarly miffed with Lean’s direction:

“When you’re on a comedy like Blithe Spirit, it is awfully hard working for a director who has no sense of humor.”

Film Rating (0-60):

50

The Extras

The Booklet
48-page booklet featuring essays by Ian Christie, Terrence Rafferty, Farran Smith Nehme, Geoffrey O'Brien, and Kevin Brownlow

Commentary

None

Video interview

about the film with Coward scholar Barry Day

Television program

Episode of the British television series The Southbank Show from 1992 on the life and career of Coward

Great primer on Coward’s life.

Theatrical trailer

Extras Rating (0-40):

30

50 + 30 =

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