Blithe Spirit – 1945 | 96mins | Comedy | Colour

Plot Synopsis

Blithe Spirit is, if nothing else, a radical departure from the mundane. Coward subtitled his play “An Improbable Farce in Three Acts”; but it might more accurately be termed a drawing room comedy of the supernatural, literally so in its original theatrical conception which restricts it to that one room. As a comedy, it stands almost alone in David Lean‘s work – his only other effort in a generally comic vein being Hobson’s Choice.

Newly married widower Charles Condomine (Rex Harrison) is haunted by the ghost of his deceased first wife Elvira (Kay Hammond), though not haunting him she does taunt him and poor scorn upon his new wife. His second wife Ruth (Constance Cummings) is unable to see the spectre, and at first believes it to be a poor practical joke by her husband, eventually Ruth becomes tired of his phantom assertion and calls upon eccentric medium Madame Arcati (Margaret Rutherford) to try and help out by contacting the ghost. Madame Arcati attempts to exorcise Elvira’s spirit but fails, an exasperated Condomine decides to kill himself so that he united with her Elvira and save his second wife number the annoyance of being haunted. But Condomine’s plan goes badly wrong and his new bride is killed, leaving Charles with two mischievous spirits to contend with.